Three months of sailing in Europe: where would you go? Janneke Kuysters plots dreamy 90-day itineraries from multi-country trips to island hoppingWhether you need to fit around work, school, or Schengen zone requirements, three months of sailing in Europe can make for a summer to remember. Exploring the many cruising areas in Europe within the 90-day Schengen limit requires some careful planning, but there are literally hundreds of scenarios to choose from.
\nWould your ideal cruising adventure see you head north to enjoy long days on the water where the sun never sleeps? Or does the warmth of the Mediterranean hold more appeal? We have six itineraries to show how it can be done for maximum cruising enjoyment with minimal paperwork.
\nNorthern routes
\nIf you decide to sail north from the UK, it pays to start from a port that gets you as close to your European destination as possible. This may involve sailing three or four days to the English east coast, but once you\u2019re there you can maximise your 90 days from the best possible starting point on continental Europe.<\/p>\n
Seven countries by day
\nIncredible though it might seem, with careful planning you can visit seven countries in 90 days while only sailing in relaxed day trips. This itinerary starts in Ramsgate, Kent, from where you cross to France via Calais. Follow the Belgium coast, enjoying all the Belgian culinary delights of moules-frites and more, until you get to Flushing in the Netherlands.
\nHere your track heads inland on the famous Staande Mast Route, which leads you diagonally through the Netherlands, where you pass some interesting cities like Gouda, Haarlem and Amsterdam. Try the delicious Dutch stroopwafels (syrup waffles) when you\u2019re there. Then on to Germany, via the Wadden islands chain. In the north you can work your way to the entrance of the Nord Ostsee Kanal on the banks of the Elbe river.
\nAfter motoring 60 miles on the channel, you are in the Baltic and immediately spoilt for choice. You can go east to the northern German and Polish coasts with their very protected cruising areas, for instance near the island of R\u00fcgen. Beautiful cities like Germany\u2019s Rostock or Polish Szczecin are within reach. Or you sail north to Denmark, to sail around in the stunning archipelagos and visit the modern city of Copenhagen. Another option is to head north-east to Sweden where Malm\u00f6 and Gothenburg offer excellent facilities. The summer days are long, so it\u2019s realistic to plan to cover up to 60 miles on a day sail \u2013 plenty of time to enjoy the region\u2019s summer festivals.
\nThe Staande Mast Route, or Fixed Mast Route, is a 115km-long canal from Amsterdam to Willemstad via three sets of locks and 40 swing bridges, suitable for yachts with draught of no more than 2.5m. Photo: Iana Chyrva\/Getty
\nTo get back to the UK, you have two options: to sail north in the Kattegat to Hals, Denmark, where you enter the Limfjord. Along the west coast of Denmark you can work your way south to the Netherlands, Belgium and France for a final crossing back to Ramsgate.
\nThe other option is to loop back to the Nord Ostsee Kanal (often known as the Kiel Canal). This offers the choice of some interesting cities to visit: Antwerp, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Malm\u00f6 and Gothenburg. The prevailing winds are south-westerly, so make sure you have plenty of time to wait for a weather window on the last legs of this trip.
\nTotal miles This itinerary is roughly 1,800 miles, with an average of 20 miles per day.<\/p>\n
Beyond the polar circle
\nThis itinerary is for hardy cruisers who don\u2019t mind making longer trips in the long daylight hours of the north, as well as some overnight passages. The focus is on Norway, with ample time to explore its magnificent west coast. If starting from the UK East Coast, make your way north as far as convenient \u2013 perhaps to Peterhead \u2013 then cross directly to Bergen, enabled by the prevailing south-westerly winds.
\nAfter exploring Bergen\u2019s spectacular historic city centre, you work your way north, visiting fjords and remote islands, until you reach the Lofoten archipelago.
\nThe warm Gulf Stream makes the central Norwegian west coast, with its beautiful scenery, a very pleasant cruising area.
\nOnce across the polar circle at 66\u00b0N the Lofoten Islands await: a spectacular cruising area with dramatic vistas from every angle. Try sampling f\u00e5rik\u00e5l, the national dish with mutton and cabbage.
\nPhoto: Subodh Agnihotri\/Getty
\nOnce you\u2019ve enjoyed cruising there, head back south. Don\u2019t forget to climb Preikestolen (Pulpit rock) when you reach Stavanger.
\nKeep following the south coast of Norway until you reach the Blindleia archipelago on the south-east coast, with its thousands of islands. The waters here are very calm: you can moor alongside a rock if there\u2019s room enough \u2013 it is a very popular cruising area. You can sail from here all the way to Oslo.
\nGetting back to the UK can be done in many different ways. Given the prevailing winds it\u2019s easiest to cross the Oslo Fjord and sail south along the west coast of Sweden, or through east Denmark, to Kiel in Germany. There you enter the Nord Ostsee Kanal, which brings you to the northern German coast. Then sail west via the Netherlands, back to the UK.
\nThis itinerary has some good alternatives if you\u2019re delayed due to the weather, and it\u2019s easy to leave and sail back from many ports along this track, including Fj\u00e4llbacka, Thybor\u00f8n, Mandal, Cuxhafen, the Dutch and German Wadden islands, and Den Helder.
\nTotal miles This itinerary is roughly 2,200 miles, an average of 24 miles per day.<\/p>\n
Long, lazy light
\nThis scenario is for cruisers who\u2019d love to keep all their options open and see how far they get on long midsummer days!
\nYour itinerary starts in Thybor\u00f8n on the west coast of Denmark. From there, sail through the Limfjord to Hals in the east. Then you can cross to Sweden or sail south through the Danish archipelagos to Copenhagen. If you fancy some skiing in summer, take time to visit Copen Hill in Copenhagen \u2013 an incredible urban ski slope built onto a roof.
\nThen on to the south coast of Sweden, where the quaint cobbled town of Ystad is a pleasant stopover port. You could make a slight detour and visit the large island of Bornholm, or a smaller speck in the Baltic, the Christians\u00f8 archipelago. From there, your route will be north-east along the Swedish coast. The skerries are incredibly beautiful and make for excellent cruising in sheltered waters with ample choices for harbours, marinas and anchorages to dip into.
\nIt\u2019s easy sailing to visit the historic city of Visby on Gotland, or nip inland to the huge Lake M\u00e4laren. You could even cross to Finland and visit the \u00c5land archipelago.
\nPhoto: 59\u00b0 North Sailing
\nAgain the best route back to the UK is via Kiel in Germany. From there, you can motor to Brunsb\u00fcttel at the mouth of the Elbe river. Depending on the weather, it\u2019s a straight sail back to the UK, or take the Dutch Staande Mast Route (inland waterways) to the Dutch\/Belgium border, before crossing the Channel.
\nAnother option which is becoming increasingly popular is to leave the yacht on the east coast of Sweden during the winter. N\u00e4vekvarn has some good facilities to store the boat in a large boatshed; a growing international community makes this their base for cruising the Baltic.
\nTotal miles This itinerary is about 1,650 miles, but with lots of options to stop and return earlier.
\nSailing south
\nThe distances between the UK and the Mediterranean \u2013 around 1,700 miles from the south coast of England to southern Spain \u2013 requires a different kind of planning and logistics for any non-EU cruisers. That\u2019s because it isn\u2019t feasible to sail down the Atlantic coast, into the Med, and back within the 90-day Schengen zone limit.
\nThis means yacht owners will be looking for a place where they can leave their boat securely for a length of time, and with easy access to an international airport. Thankfully there are many places offering that, combined with idyllic cruising waters nearby.<\/p>\n
Atlantic coast
\nIf you want to spend lovely summers in the Med, you could sail directly to Spain non-stop, and start the Schengen clock when you arrive. But why would you? There\u2019s so much to see on the way. If you can start early in the season you could begin exploring some of the stunning cruising areas of the south coast of the UK, then the Channel Islands and on to Brittany in France, where the Schengen clock will start ticking.
\nA relatively short hop across the Bay of Biscay takes you to A Coru\u00f1a, an ideal place to begin your cruise of the sheltered waters of Galicia. Heading into the east of the bay, Santander, Bilbao or even La Rochelle are all interesting options, although less popular with cruisers as the prevailing south-westerlies mean you risk being caught on a lee shore waiting for a short weather window to continue west.
\nGalicia is rural and authentic Spain, unspoiled by tourism, and all the more interesting for it. The rias that cut deep into Galicia\u2019s coast are stunning and offer excellent cruising options. Don\u2019t miss the short train ride to Santiago de Compostela, where pilgrims culminate 500-mile treks at the massive cathedral. Another gem is Islas Cies, an almost tropical group of islands near Bayona in Galicia. They require a special permit to visit, but it\u2019s worth the trouble of getting one.
\nPhoto: Tor Johnson
\nYou can spend a month on the Portuguese coast, enjoying the sights of Cascais, Lisbon and Porto. Then on to the Algarve, where you can leave the boat in Vilamoura, Portim\u00e3o or Mazag\u00f3n, or onwards along the Spanish costas until you reach Cartagena or Valencia, which both offer good facilities to store and maintain your yacht, as well as airports.
\nThere is risk of an encounter with orcas along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts. Since 2020 hundreds of orca interactions have been reported, with many yachts suffering damage to rudders. The whales are now monitored closely, with up to date information available via the Orcinus app, Cruising Association and online to help skippers plan their passage and reduce the risk of an encounter.
\nTotal miles The total distance from the Isle of Wight (with a few detours to explore) is 1,825 miles, an average of 21 miles per day.<\/p>\n
Island hopping
\nOnce your yacht has over-wintered in the Algarve or on the east coast of Spain, a vast cruising area opens up, where flying in for 90 days will give ample opportunities to explore some magnificent sights. It will involve some overnight sailing, but much of it can be done in day trips.
\nWhen you leave Cartagena or Valencia you can go straight to the Balearics: Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca. These well-known islands offer secluded anchorages, stunning nature and bustling harbour towns with all the restaurants and bars you could ever want.
\nHead west from Menorca to Sardinia, a 200-mile passage where the winds can vary wildly in both direction and strength. While the breeze will often be light, to the point of being unsailable, when it blows, it blows hard \u2013 from north-westerly to southerly\u2013 so timing will be highly dependent on the forecast.
\nSailing in the western Mediterranean basin can be a challenge; conditions can change rapidly and there are many named strong summer winds like the Sirocco, Tramontana, Mistral, Libeccio and Bora. Photo: Andrea Pistolesi\/Getty
\nHere you cross the border into Italy to enjoy its dolce vita and excellent food. Sardinia is a large island with historic sites and many interesting places to explore, from the glitzy superyachts of Puerto Cervo to the pink granite islands of the Maddelena archipelago, a marine park.
\nKeep going west and you\u2019ll sail to Sicily, where you can find safe harbours or anchorages and can explore the rich history on land. Then your course takes you north-west, to Rome and beyond. You can stay on the Italian coast, or cross to French Corsica for a totally different cultural experience. After that, there are incredible cities to visit by yacht: north to Genoa, west to Marseille or Barcelona. Each has good, but expensive, marinas. After exploring the glamorous French Riviera, turn south-west to return along the Spanish costas to Valencia or Cartagena.
\nTotal miles The distance of this itinerary is roughly 2,150 miles, so 24 miles per day on average.<\/p>\n
The Schengen shuffle
\nAfter your first year in the western part of the Med, you can join the \u2018Schengen shuffle\u2019 by dipping in and out of the EU zone in the Eastern Mediterranean, which also makes for some really interesting cruising options.
\nYour first challenge is to sail from the east coast of Spain to Preveza in Greece, which is about 1,320 miles, non-stop. With that behind you, turn north and explore the coasts of Albania and Montenegro (both non-Schengen) and Croatia (now in the Schengen zone). All are beautiful cruising areas, some busier than others. Services for cruising yachts are available, more in some areas than in others \u2013 Croatia is well developed for yachting visitors, Montenegro has worked hard to attract superyachts, while Albania is more off the beaten track.
\nOnce you\u2019ve had your fill of cruising in Croatia (with over 1,000 islands, the possibilities are almost endless), you can double back on your track and visit other destinations on the Greek coast. Or cross to Italy, on the western side of the Adriatic Sea, where it is tempting to sail all the way north to Venice.
\nPhoto: Getty
\nAs you head further south, there are many options for ending your season. You could keep cruising the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea and finish your 90 days there. Or continue on to Crete and Cyprus \u2013 both interesting destinations with lots of cultural heritage. There are many marina options to leave your boat for the winter, for instance on the islands of Corfu, Lefkada, Leros, Preveza, Kalamata or Piraeus. Some have good airports close by, others will require a ferry ride to a nearby island.
\nAlternatively you could finish your cruising season outside of the Schengen zone by sailing on to Marmaris, Turkey, then either leave your boat there and fly home to the UK or spend a winter on your boat. When autumn weather is benign, you could keep sailing for at least one or two months along the Turkish islands before you give the boat some rest in the winter.
\nTotal miles: This itinerary is roughly 2,200 miles (not including the 1,300-mile crossing of the Med), an average of 24 miles per day.
\nCross-Channel options
\nWhether saving your Schengen days or simply seeking a beautiful cruising ground, adding the Channel Islands to your cruising itinerary is a great choice, writes Annabel Finding
\nAlderney is only an eight-hour hop from The Needles and provides an ultra relaxed atmosphere to get into the holiday mode without the ticking of the \u2018Schengen clock\u2019. Pick up a mooring in Braye Bay and take advantage of the harbour water taxi to come ashore. Checking in is a straightforward exercise completed by popping a form into a box at the top of the gangplank.
\nThe tiny island of Alderney is delightfully maintained in an era where everybody has time to chat. Bike rides, scenic train trips, gannet watching and exploring forts are highlights, and there is a range of excellent eateries both in the town of St Anne\u2019s and down in the harbour.
\nGuernsey is only a short sail away. Leave Braye two hours after high water and The Swinge should be kind to you as you catch the tide down to St Peter Port. Visitors are well catered for both in the marina and on summer jetties in the main pool of St Peter Port. You\u2019ll find yourselves moored right in the centre of town, rubbing shoulders with Guernsey-clad sailors and the suited and booted banking brigade. Sea swimming is a big thing in the Channel Islands and in Guernsey you can enjoy a seawater pool at the free Havelet bathing pools, walking distance from the marina.
\nSark and Herm are both worth a visit, whether by ferry from St Peter Port or under your own steam. Herm is known for its oysters and beaches, while Sark has a rich and varied history with impressive cliff walks \u2013 and correspondingly very deep anchorages, so take plenty of chain.
\nJersey is the largest of the Channel Islands and has an excellent recently extended marina at St Helier, while the Minquiers and Ecrehou Islands are amazing places worthy of exploration for the more adventurous \u2013 but check your tides carefully. From Jersey you can check out for France.
\nCruising sailor Annabel Finding lives on Alderney and has recently updated a new edition of the RCC Pilotage Foundation cruising guide to the Channel Islands, Cherbourg Peninsula and North Brittany.
\nPrice: \u00a347.50, from imray.com<\/p>\n
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The post Sailing in Europe: Your guide to 90 days of summer cruising appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Three months of sailing in Europe: where would you go? Janneke Kuysters plots dreamy 90-day itineraries from multi-country trips to island hoppingWhether you need to fit around work, school, or Schengen zone requirements, three months of sailing in Europe can … <\/p>\n