Just at the end of an 8 month road trip. They do check, so far as I have seen, so I wouldn't chance it. Long stay visas are a pain. I tried with the Italian and French embassy, but unless you can show residence they won't touch ya. "Staying with friends" is not acceptable either. I researchd a lot and couldn't find a way around it. We ended up just following the rules and spent time in montenegro, croatia and the UK. Croatia has more than enough climbing to keep you busy, especially in the Istria area, bordering Slovenia and Italy.
Flick us a message if you have any more qs
Cheered,
Phil |