Post: #1

I'm currently planning a trip for Poland/Czech Republic for next spring but I'm shopping for a non-Schengen country to go to in case I want to stay in Europe longer than 90 days. My top priorities are women (duh), cost-of-living, and ability to get a job or freelance as an English teacher. I'm currently looking at Ukraine, Romania and Croatia. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Post: #2

Serbia is a personal favorite.

Post: #3

(09-20-2013 12:16 PM)Volk Wrote:  Serbia is a personal favorite.

Interesting, what was your experience there like?

Post: #4

(09-20-2013 12:09 PM)Sparks123 Wrote:  I'm currently planning a trip for Poland/Czech Republic for next spring but I'm shopping for a non-Schengen country to go to in case I want to stay in Europe longer than 90 days. My top priorities are women (duh), cost-of-living, and ability to get a job or freelance as an English teacher. I'm currently looking at Ukraine, Romania and Croatia. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I'm down on Ukraine right now. Most of the expats I've talked to there under 6 feet have been bullied, I was assaulted by asshole landlord.

The girls are stunning though if you've got enough YoungTallCool to rate.

Post: #5

(09-21-2013 01:29 AM)Sparks123 Wrote:  

(09-20-2013 12:16 PM)Volk Wrote:  Serbia is a personal favorite.

Interesting, what was your experience there like?

I have many friends in Serbia. Travelling there is not a problem now with my Hungarian ID. The girls are okay, with the incredibly beautiful balkan ones here and there. It felt like the few good things I liked about my old country, but with less of the shit that spoiled it.

Post: #6

(09-21-2013 03:06 AM)iknowexactly Wrote:  I'm down on Ukraine right now. Most of the expats I've talked to there under 6 feet have been bullied, I was assaulted by asshole landlord.

The girls are stunning though if you've got enough YoungTallCool to rate.

I'm 27, 5'10, good-looking, in OK but not great shape. I'll have a decent bankroll, but I won't be balling. Ukraine does seem like the biggest shithole of the countries I'm considering and I doubt I could learn enough Russian in time to game effectively.

(09-21-2013 04:21 AM)Volk Wrote:  I have many friends in Serbia. Travelling there is not a problem now with my Hungarian ID. The girls are okay, with the incredibly beautiful balkan ones here and there. It felt like the few good things I liked about my old country, but with less of the shit that spoiled it.

I was briefly in Budapest two years ago and enjoyed it. Not as westernized as Prague but I didn't really get a chance to game other than a failed make-out attempt with a Hungarian-American girl.

Post: #7

(09-21-2013 09:59 AM)Sparks123 Wrote:  

(09-21-2013 03:06 AM)iknowexactly Wrote:  I'm down on Ukraine right now. Most of the expats I've talked to there under 6 feet have been bullied, I was assaulted by asshole landlord.

The girls are stunning though if you've got enough YoungTallCool to rate.

I'm 27, 5'10, good-looking, in OK but not great shape. I'll have a decent bankroll, but I won't be balling. Ukraine does seem like the biggest shithole of the countries I'm considering and I doubt I could learn enough Russian in time to game effectively.

(09-21-2013 04:21 AM)Volk Wrote:  I have many friends in Serbia. Travelling there is not a problem now with my Hungarian ID. The girls are okay, with the incredibly beautiful balkan ones here and there. It felt like the few good things I liked about my old country, but with less of the shit that spoiled it.

I was briefly in Budapest two years ago and enjoyed it. Not as westernized as Prague but I didn't really get a chance to game other than a failed make-out attempt with a Hungarian-American girl.

Hungary is Schengen and part of the EU. Think there is some confusion here on who's in the Schengen zone, and the OP wants to know about the non-EU Schengen countries. But really not so many of them left now esp since Croatia just joined the EU and apparently you can enter there via Schengen now (but it's technically not part of Schengen, so you can go there and not use up any Schengen days still for another year, ends in 2015 I believe). Bulgaria and Romania are EU but still not Shengen too from what I understand and saw online.

http://www.visit-croatia.co.uk/info/ente...roatia.htm

So I think for Non-Shengen countries re women you're talking Croatia (until 2015), Serbia, Romania, Ukraine and then the others. I'd focus on these four first maybe when doing research, as I've heard and read the women are good but still not quite as high in quality in the countries like Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia etc. But I've not been to most of the Balkans so read up on the threads for each country, and check out Moldova and Transdienester too - could be good niche spots.

RE finding English teaching jobs, where are you from OP? Assuming you aren't EU given the Schengen question, I do know that EU countries like Romania and Bulgaria will tend to have lots of Brits and Irish guys teaching there given the EU work/visa laws, and fewer schools will be willing to give US or Australian guys visas to work there because it costs them more. Not true in Ukraine, so finding a job there might be easier? If you're freelancing I guess it won't really matter.

Given how messed up and bureaucratic the EU and Euro currency situations are, who knows what will happen in the coming years so the Schengen might change.

Post: #8

(09-24-2013 05:51 AM)Akula Wrote:  So I think for Non-Shengen countries re women you're talking Croatia (until 2015), Serbia, Romania, Ukraine and then the others. I'd focus on these four first maybe when doing research, as I've heard and read the women are good but still not quite as high in quality in the countries like Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia etc. But I've not been to most of the Balkans so read up on the threads for each country, and check out Moldova and Transdienester too - could be good niche spots.

RE finding English teaching jobs, where are you from OP? Assuming you aren't EU given the Schengen question, I do know that EU countries like Romania and Bulgaria will tend to have lots of Brits and Irish guys teaching there given the EU work/visa laws, and fewer schools will be willing to give US or Australian guys visas to work there because it costs them more. Not true in Ukraine, so finding a job there might be easier? If you're freelancing I guess it won't really matter.

Given how messed up and bureaucratic the EU and Euro currency situations are, who knows what will happen in the coming years so the Schengen might change.

Thanks for your response. The trip would be spring/summer 2014. Based on the headlines, France is trying to keep Romania out of the Schengen Area for as long as possible, so that's not an issue.

I'm an American, so yes, getting a job legally in an EU country would be tricky. If a Ukrainian school is able to help me out with a work visa, then that could be a possible spot for an extended stay. I never finished my Bachelor's, but since it's Ukraine, I'm hopeful that they won't bother checking my references. Another possibility is using the Poland-US bilateral agreement where I'd leave Poland after 90 days, go to Lviv for a few days and then go back to Poland.

Post: #9

(09-20-2013 12:09 PM)Sparks123 Wrote:  I'm currently planning a trip for Poland/Czech Republic for next spring but I'm shopping for a non-Schengen country to go to in case I want to stay in Europe longer than 90 days. My top priorities are women (duh), cost-of-living, and ability to get a job or freelance as an English teacher. I'm currently looking at Ukraine, Romania and Croatia. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

u should maybe think about Ireland

Post: #10

Quote:Another possibility is using the Poland-US bilateral agreement where I'd leave Poland after 90 days, go to Lviv for a few days and then go back to Poland.

Again, show me where there is some official bi-lateral agreement that allows this? I have been to the Polish government administration myself and asked about whether any exceptions to Schengen rules and the officials couldn't confirm there are any. If you so this it's still entirely arbitrary and up to the border agents.

Post: #11

(09-25-2013 12:32 AM)Sparks123 Wrote:  

(09-24-2013 05:51 AM)Akula Wrote:  So I think for Non-Shengen countries re women you're talking Croatia (until 2015), Serbia, Romania, Ukraine and then the others. I'd focus on these four first maybe when doing research, as I've heard and read the women are good but still not quite as high in quality in the countries like Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia etc. But I've not been to most of the Balkans so read up on the threads for each country, and check out Moldova and Transdienester too - could be good niche spots.

RE finding English teaching jobs, where are you from OP? Assuming you aren't EU given the Schengen question, I do know that EU countries like Romania and Bulgaria will tend to have lots of Brits and Irish guys teaching there given the EU work/visa laws, and fewer schools will be willing to give US or Australian guys visas to work there because it costs them more. Not true in Ukraine, so finding a job there might be easier? If you're freelancing I guess it won't really matter.

Given how messed up and bureaucratic the EU and Euro currency situations are, who knows what will happen in the coming years so the Schengen might change.

Thanks for your response. The trip would be spring/summer 2014. Based on the headlines, France is trying to keep Romania out of the Schengen Area for as long as possible, so that's not an issue.

I'm an American, so yes, getting a job legally in an EU country would be tricky. If a Ukrainian school is able to help me out with a work visa, then that could be a possible spot for an extended stay. I never finished my Bachelor's, but since it's Ukraine, I'm hopeful that they won't bother checking my references. Another possibility is using the Poland-US bilateral agreement where I'd leave Poland after 90 days, go to Lviv for a few days and then go back to Poland.

Sounds good. Something to keep in mind is that Ukraine is a political and economic mess right now. They were just downgraded by Moody's to Caa1, bonds trading off, CDS up above 10% now (!). There could be a fair bit of turmoil there in the coming months if things don't get righted soon. Potential trade war in the offing if they sign a trade pact with the EU and don't do a customs union with Russia. It would be really weird if they somehow p*ssed off Russia and got into some kind of trade war whereby Ukraine Ag products were banned or more highly taxed. I'm not saying it's going to blow up, but the country has been on a political and economic downward spiral for years now, and has barely hung on, so who the hell knows. Some economists are talking default and/or currency devaluation, so who knows what you'd be earning. Something to keep in mind.

Of course, on the other hand, some turmoil in Ukraine might actually be to the benefit of better-off Westerners living there who's value would increase dramatically if a devaluation occured!!