if Like me you want to spend time in the EU aka Bulgaria this 90/180 is a little far fetched in the rolling dates. I went here: Schengen Calculator – A short-stay Schengen visa calculator and tried it out putting in random weeks here and there.
As it counted up the days remaining, it them started to creep back up.

The thing was that I was going almost every month for a week or two and over lapping month and doing one week and three week stays take a look for yourself as I went all the way though from March 2025 until April 2027

The lowest days remaining was July, with 15 days remaining when i add an extra 8 days in September it then jumps up to 32 days…

There are 187 days between March 7th and September 10th. which forms our 180 days.

In the article below, I have set out the maximum year spans plans and also those of you who have children and want to use the school holidays.. and try to keep to the lower cost flights. This is below…

The Schengen Area is a zone comprising 29 European countries that have abolished internal border controls, allowing for the free movement of people between them. This means that once you enter one Schengen country, you can generally travel to other Schengen countries without further passport checks.

However, there are specific rules regarding the duration of stays for non-Schengen citizens.

Here’s a breakdown of Schengen zone stays:

1. The 90/180-Day Rule

This is the most crucial rule for short stays in the Schengen Area for most non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens. It states that you can stay for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period.

  • “Rolling” 180-day period: This isn’t a fixed calendar period. For any given day you are in the Schengen Area, you must look back 180 days to check if your total stay within that period exceeds 90 days.
  • Cumulative days: All days spent in any Schengen country count towards the 90-day limit, regardless of how many different countries you visit or if your stays are consecutive or broken up. Even a partial day (e.g., arriving on one day and leaving the next) counts as two full days.
  • Purpose of stay: This rule generally applies to tourism, visiting family, short-term business trips, short courses, or medical treatment. It does not apply if you have a long-stay visa or residence permit issued by a Schengen country.

Example of 90/180-day rule: If you enter the Schengen Area on January 1st and stay for 60 days (until March 1st), you have used 60 of your 90 days. You then leave. If you wish to return on May 1st, you would look back 180 days from May 1st to determine how many days you have left.

Let’s break down that specific scenario with the 90/180-day rule.

Scenario:

  • Previous Stay: You entered the Schengen Area on January 1st and stayed for 60 days, departing on March 1st. (This means you used 60 out of your 90 allowed days).
  • Proposed New Stay: You now wish to re-enter the Schengen Area on May 1st and stay for another 35 days.

Applying the 90/180-Day Rule for your re-entry on May 1st:

The “rolling” 180-day period means that on any given day you are in the Schengen Area, you must ensure that your total stays within the previous 180 days do not exceed 90 days.

  1. Determine your “look-back” window on May 1st:
    • We start from May 1st and count back 180 days.
    • Counting back 180 days from May 1st, 2025, takes us to approximately November 2nd, 2024.
  2. Identify days spent in Schengen within this 180-day window (Nov 2nd, 2024 – May 1st, 2025):
    • Your previous stay was from January 1st, 2025, to March 1st, 2025.
    • Both of these dates fall within the November 2nd, 2024 – May 1st, 2025 window.
    • During this window, you used 60 days.
  3. Calculate your remaining days on May 1st:
    • You are allowed 90 days in any 180-day period.
    • You have already used 60 days within the current 180-day look-back period.
    • Remaining days = 90 – 60 = 30 days.

Conclusion for your proposed stay:

On May 1st, you only have 30 days remaining under the 90/180-day rule for your current “rolling” 180-day period.

Therefore, a stay of 35 days starting on May 1st is NOT allowed because it exceeds your remaining 30 days. You would be overstaying by 5 days if you attempted to stay for 35 days.

What you could do:

  • You could stay for a maximum of 30 days from May 1st.
  • Alternatively, you would need to wait longer outside the Schengen Area for more of your previous 60 days to “fall off” the 180-day window, thereby freeing up more days for a future stay. The further away you get from your March 1st exit date, the more days become available in subsequent 180-day windows.

I think it is odd that you could arrive in the country, but it is your exit date that matters when counting off the days in the allowed period, of course the leading days from the pervious visit start to drop off.

Max stay using rolling times.

If you’re looking for an example of how to maximize your stay in the Schengen Zone, particularly by understanding how the “90 days in any 180-day period” rule’s rolling window allows older days to “drop off,” freeing up new days.

Let’s use a clear scenario with specific dates:

The Core Principle: The Rolling 180-Day Window

For any given day you are in the Schengen Area, you must look back exactly 180 days from that day. Within that 180-day window, your total cumulative stay must not exceed 90 days. Days that fall outside this 180-day window (because they are older than 180 days) no longer count towards your 90-day limit for the current calculation.

Scenario: Frequent Visits and Maximizing a Subsequent Stay

Let’s imagine a traveler named Alex has made the following visits to the Schengen Area in 2025:

  • Stay 1:
    • Entered: January 1, 2025
    • Exited: January 30, 2025
    • Duration: 30 days
  • Stay 2:
    • Entered: March 15, 2025
    • Exited: April 15, 2025
    • Duration: 32 days

Current Situation (as of April 15, 2025): Alex has used a total of 30 + 32 = 62 days in the Schengen Area. Immediately, Alex only has 90 – 62 = 28 days left for future travel within the current 180-day windows.

Alex wants to return for the longest possible stay. How can they maximize this?

To gain more than 28 days, Alex needs to wait until some of the previous stay days (especially from Stay 1, being the oldest) “drop off” the 180-day rolling window.

Let’s determine when the entirety of Stay 1 (January 1 – January 30) will no longer be considered within a 180-day look-back period. The last day of Stay 1 was January 30. 180 days after January 30, 2025, is July 29, 2025. This means if Alex enters on or after July 30, 2025, their entire first stay (Jan 1-30) will fall outside the 180-day calculation window.

Proposed New Entry Date for Maximized Stay: August 1, 2025

Now, let’s calculate how many days Alex can stay if they re-enter on August 1, 2025.

  1. Identify the 180-day look-back window from the proposed entry date (August 1, 2025):
    • Counting back 180 days from August 1, 2025, brings us to February 2, 2025.
    • So, the relevant period for calculation is February 2, 2025, to August 1, 2025.
  2. Count days from previous stays that fall within this new 180-day window:
    • Stay 1 (January 1, 2025 – January 30, 2025): This entire stay falls outside the February 2 – August 1 window (it’s too old).
      • Days counted from Stay 1: 0 days
    • Stay 2 (March 15, 2025 – April 15, 2025): This entire stay falls within the February 2 – August 1 window.
      • Days counted from Stay 2: 32 days
  3. Calculate available days for the new stay:
    • Total days allowed in any 180-day period: 90 days
    • Days already used within the current 180-day window (Feb 2 – Aug 1): 32 days (from Stay 2)
    • Days available for the new stay = 90 – 32 = 58 days.

Result: By waiting until August 1, 2025, Alex can now stay for up to 58 days in the Schengen Area. This is a significant increase from the 28 days they had immediately after their second visit, because their first 30-day visit (Stay 1) has “dropped off” the 180-day rolling window, no longer counting against their 90-day limit for this specific entry.

This example highlights how strategic planning and understanding the rolling nature of the 90/180-day rule can allow for maximized periods within the Schengen Zone, even with frequent visits. Always use an official Schengen calculator or carefully track your days to ensure compliance.

Maximum stay using UK school holidays:

If you’re looking to strategically plan your Schengen stays around UK school holidays to maximize time, while also aiming for potentially cheaper flights by departing two days early on a Tuesday or Thursday. This requires careful management of the 90/180-day rule.

Here’s a breakdown of common UK school holidays for the 2025-2026 academic year (dates can vary slightly by region, so always confirm with your specific school’s calendar):

Typical UK School Holidays 2025-2026:

  • October Half-Term: Monday 27 October 2025 – Friday 31 October 2025
  • Christmas & New Year: Monday 22 December 2025 – Friday 2 January 2026
  • February Half-Term: Monday 16 February 2026 – Friday 20 February 2026
  • Easter: Monday 30 March 2026 – Friday 10 April 2026
  • May Half-Term: Monday 25 May 2026 – Friday 29 May 2026
  • Summer Holidays: From around Thursday 23 July 2026 (until late August/early September)

Strategy for Maximizing Stays with the 90/180-Day Rule:

The key is the “rolling” 180-day window. For any day you are in Schengen, you must look back 180 days and ensure your total days in Schengen do not exceed 90. Older days “drop off” this 180-day window, freeing up new days.

Proposed Travel Plan Example:

Let’s plan to utilize the October Half-Term, Christmas, and Easter holidays, incorporating your flight preference. We’ll assume you haven’t been in the Schengen Area in the last 180 days before your first trip.

Trip 1: October Half-Term 2025

  • Holiday Period: Mon 27 Oct – Fri 31 Oct (5 days)
  • “Early Flight” Constraint: To fly early on a Tuesday or Thursday, we could aim to depart on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. This is 6 days before the half-term officially starts, but allows for cheaper flights.
  • Proposed Schengen Stay:
    • Entry: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
    • Exit: Sunday, November 9, 2025 (to extend the half-term into the first full week back at school, if feasible)
    • Duration: 20 days (Oct 21 to Nov 9 inclusive)
  • Days Used (Post-Trip 1): 20 days.
  • Remaining Days: 90 – 20 = 70 days.
  • 180-day Window Check (on Nov 9, 2025): Looking back 180 days from Nov 9, 2025, goes to May 13, 2025. Only the 20 days of this trip (Oct 21 – Nov 9) fall within this period. Compliance: 20 days used < 90 days. OK.

Trip 2: Christmas & New Year 2025/2026

  • Holiday Period: Mon 22 Dec 2025 – Fri 2 Jan 2026 (12 days)
  • “Early Flight” Constraint: Let’s assume you stick to the holiday dates this time, or fly just before.
  • Proposed Schengen Stay:
    • Entry: Monday, December 22, 2025
    • Exit: Sunday, January 4, 2026 (extending slightly past the official holiday end)
    • Duration: 14 days (Dec 22 to Jan 4 inclusive)
  • Days Used Cumulatively: 20 (from Trip 1) + 14 (from Trip 2) = 34 days.
  • Remaining Days: 90 – 34 = 56 days.
  • 180-day Window Check (on Jan 4, 2026):
    • Look back 180 days from Jan 4, 2026: This goes back to July 8, 2025.
    • Days in window:
      • Trip 1 (Oct 21 – Nov 9): All 20 days fall within this window.
      • Trip 2 (Dec 22 – Jan 4): All 14 days fall within this window.
      • Total days in window: 20 + 14 = 34 days.
    • Compliance: 34 days used < 90 days. OK.

Trip 3: Easter Holidays 2026

  • Holiday Period: Mon 30 Mar – Fri 10 Apr 2026 (12 days)
  • “Early Flight” Constraint: Let’s say you again aim to depart two days early on a Tuesday, for potential savings. This would be Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
  • Proposed Schengen Stay:
    • Entry: Tuesday, March 24, 2026
    • Exit: Sunday, April 19, 2026 (extending significantly past the holiday to maximize, if allowed by school)
    • Duration: 27 days (Mar 24 to Apr 19 inclusive)
  • Days Used Cumulatively: 34 (from previous trips) + 27 (from Trip 3) = 61 days.
  • Remaining Days: 90 – 61 = 29 days.
  • 180-day Window Check (on April 19, 2026):
    • Look back 180 days from April 19, 2026: This goes back to October 21, 2025.
    • Days in window:
      • Trip 1 (Oct 21 – Nov 9): All 20 days fall exactly within this window.
      • Trip 2 (Dec 22 – Jan 4): All 14 days fall within this window.
      • Trip 3 (Mar 24 – Apr 19): All 27 days fall within this window.
      • Total days in window: 20 + 14 + 27 = 61 days.
    • Compliance: 61 days used < 90 days. OK.

Summary and Maximization after Easter:

After these three trips, you would have used 61 days in total. You would have 29 days remaining (90 – 61).

  • Total days used by April 19, 2026: 61 days.
  • Potential for another trip: Yes, you have 29 days left.

To maximize your next stay (e.g., in May Half-Term or Summer Holidays), you would again need to calculate the 180-day rolling window for your new entry date. Days from your earliest trips (Trip 1 and Trip 2) would start “dropping off” the 180-day calculation, freeing up more days.

For example, if you wanted to do the May Half-Term (Mon 25 May – Fri 29 May 2026):

  • New Entry: Monday, May 25, 2026
  • 180-day Look-back: From May 25, 2026, back 180 days is roughly November 27, 2025.
  • Days in window:
    • Trip 1 (Oct 21 – Nov 9): Only days from Nov 27 – Nov 9 (13 days) would not count in this new window. The portion from Oct 21 – Nov 26 is outside this new 180-day window. Wait, this is tricky. Let’s re-calculate correctly.
    • The 180-day window from May 25, 2026, is November 27, 2025, to May 25, 2026.
    • Stay 1 (Oct 21 – Nov 9): Entirely outside this window (as it ended Nov 9). So, 0 days count from Stay 1.
    • Stay 2 (Dec 22 – Jan 4): Entirely within this window. 14 days count.
    • Stay 3 (Mar 24 – Apr 19): Entirely within this window. 27 days count.
    • Total used in new window: 14 + 27 = 41 days.
    • Available days for May Half-Term = 90 – 41 = 49 days!

This shows a good gain. Instead of 29 days, you now have 49 days available for your May Half-Term trip and beyond, because your first 20-day trip has completely fallen out of the 180-day calculation window by May 25, 2026.

Key Takeaways for Maximization:

  1. Track Every Day: Meticulously record your entry and exit dates. Use an online Schengen calculator.
  2. Understand the Rolling Window: Days only “drop off” after 180 days have passed since that specific day. This means your earliest days will eventually free up capacity.
  3. Plan Gaps: To maximize long stays, you often need to spend time outside the Schengen Area, allowing your previous days to expire from the 180-day calculation.
  4. Flexibility for Flights: Your strategy of flying two days early on a Tuesday or Thursday is a good approach to try and find cheaper fares around school holidays. Just remember these extra days count towards your 90-day limit.
  5. Always Re-calculate: Before each trip, re-calculate your available days based on your new entry date and the preceding 180 days.

This detailed example demonstrates how to leverage UK school holidays and the rolling 90/180-day rule to maximize your time in the Schengen Zone.