First of, check your intended dates. It is important that you are certain of your dates because you will encounter this being asked perpetually during the fixing and collecting of requirements phase (I'll talk about the requirements later on).
Consider the following:
1. SEASONS: If you have a medical condition that is factored by weather, say asthma, allergies and the like, choose the season that is most tolerable for you. Although temperatures vary by country, it is still smart to consider the climate so as to know what to expect and what to pack. Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall.
Summer is the peak season in Europe. This is when families are free to travel. Therefore making the tourist spots like Buckingham Palace, or shopping places like Champs-Elysees most crowded and bordering to "unbearable." Plus the fact thst it'll be the priciest season ---tours, airfare and accommodations. Nonetheless, if you're a summer kind of person, this is when the flowers are in full bloom, the weather's the best, and the luggage a lot lighter.
Winter is the least congested time of the year for tourists mainly because of the weather. But dressing up for winter is a nice experience in itself although heavy, like really heavy. They said that winter is depressing, but I liked it. You can do a lot of winter sports like skiing---they're best at it globally.
High season - Mid-June to Mid-September
Low Season - November to March
Shoulder Season - April to Mid-June and Mid-September to late October
I flew in Mid-March to April just because it is the most convenient time for me to leave the country for a longer period of time. I assumed winter is ending soon and Spring can just be like "Baguio City weather" which is bearable for me. I frequently checked the temperature for the countries I'll be visiting. The week before my departure, I totally overhauled my pick of clothes and shoes. From heavy winter clothes to a mix of winter-spring clothes. I was thinking, "The temperature is playing between 8 to 22 degrees Celsius. I have experienced that in the past, I'll be alright."
Was it the case during the trip? Totally not. The weather most especially in London was unpredictable. it could be cold at 7 in the morning, hot at noon, spring-like at 4 in the afternoon and windy-chilly in the evening. It's somewhat a "warm welcome" to have experienced four seasons in a day. Hahah
So I suggest you come in prepared with the variety of clothing you'll bring most especially if you come from a tropical country like me. We are used to the heat, but not much with the windy-chilly days.
2. TIMELINE: Make sure you have at least 2-3 months before dparture from the day you start collecting your visa requirements/ documents (If you need one, like me). Depending on how many visas you need yo get. E.g. If you are going to country members if the European union, You'll only need one visa.
If you plan to go to UK, that's another visa. Allot one month of application and processing per visa at the least. Although the VISAS can be released within 2-4 week's time, it's still safer to allot one month for each. Some additional security screening can even take up to 60 days (government.nl). Imagine losing your prepaid tour and pre-booked flight just because you did not plan ahead. HASSLE!
MY TIMELINE: EUROPEAN UNION VISA OR SHENGEN VISA
P L A N N I N G S T A G E
A. Research the requirements
- This being said, you need to know three CRUCIAL FACTORS before scheduling an appointment with a particular European Embassy. This will be your BASIS for the embassy of choice to apply from.
1. Know your point of entry. Where ar heading first? Common flights are: Manila to London, Manila to Amsterdam, Manila to Rome, etc.
2. Know where you are staying the LONGEST or your MAIN DESTINATION. All of the embassies will ask this.
3. Know where you will be transiting, even if you will just pass by on a day-tour. Some countries require a separate visa other than the SHENGEN VISA.
I initially intended to apply at the FRENCH EMBASSY since it'll be my point of entry crossing the border from UK and the longest I will be staying at as initially planned. But when I called in for an appointment, I was told that the earliest possible will be in May. That's like a month after the proposed date. It's not negotiable so I moved on.
I adjusted my proposed itinerary and just lessened my days in France therefore making Prague, Czech Republic my #2. So I applied from The Czech Embassy.
Tip: Make an itinerary even if it seems sketchy at first. But if you want to skip this part, book a tour with a decent travel agency instead. They can send you a confirmed booking letter with a detailed itinerary even if you opt to pay for the deposit only.
B. Schedule an appointment with your embassy of choice.
You can easily check this online by googling (www.google.com) your embassy of choice and the country of nationality. E.g. French Embassy Canada
In my case, I applied online. It was easy and convenient.
For the day of your interview (requiring personal appearance), select a time that is most amenable to you. They don't entertain tardy applicants with any excuses. They can make you wait, but you can't make them wait. Sounds unfair but it's how it is. I was scheduled at 8:30am. I was there at 8:00am and was refused entry into the main area. I went inside this approximately 30 square-meter holding area with solid dividers at exactly 8:20am. 6 other applicants were seated quietly. One of them was TESSA PRIETO-VALDEZ, a Manila Socialite. She had to wait even if she applied through a travel agency. Her voice was the dominant air inside the room, nonetheless, still not creating noise. Good thing we were allowed to use our mobile phones inside the holding area so it somewhat made up for the boredom in waiting.
I submitted my requirements, filled out another form, paid, interviewed by the Consul-general and advised about my post-interview procedures/ exprctations after 3 hours. Afterwhich, get a good meal because you deserve that for waiting patiently and sending good vibes.
Now just wait and hope to get approved.
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To be continued on the next post...
Cheers,
M.
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