Beware The Schengen Agreement

The Schengen Area is currently compromised of 26 countries.

Most countries around the world, including Canada and the United States, do not require you to have a special visa to travel to any of the countries in the Schengen Area.

There are no visa extensions available for stays of more than 90 days.

When you arrive in your first Schengen member country, you'll go through customs and have your passport stamped.  Once done, you will not have to show your passport again when traveling in and out of any other countries in the Schengen Area.

So, the real question becomes - how can I travel in Europe for more than 90 days without breaking the rules?

Well, you'll have to be creative with your itinerary by mixing in countries not in the Schengen Area with countries that are.

Keep in mind the 90 days you're in the area don't have to be consecutive so you can hop in and out of the area at will.

Countries not in the Schengen Area include tourist hotspots like Ireland, United Kingdom and Croatia.  There are also lesser visited countries that should also be on your radar like Serbia, Bosnia, Romania and Bulgaria.

You could also take a side trip down to Morocco or visit Ukraine or Russia.

The key is to make sure out of every 180 days travel you're in the zone for 90 and out of the zone for 90.