Travel glossary: the terms this site uses

Each definition is short; follow the link for the full explanation and sources.

90/180-day rule

Visitors to the Schengen area can usually stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period. The EU 90/180-day rule for short stays, explained

Arrival (tourism statistics)

Eurostat counts an arrival each time a guest checks in at a place to stay, so a traveller who moves between places is counted more than once. How many days do visitors spend in each European country?

Astronomical twilight

The sky is fully dark only after astronomical twilight ends, when the centre of the sun is 18° below the horizon. Dark nights and the Milky Way: Europe and Japan

Average stay per check-in

Nights spent at tourist accommodation divided by arrivals: how long guests stay each time they check in, not the length of a whole trip. How many days do visitors spend in each European country?

Bathing water class

Each bathing site in the EU, Albania and Switzerland is classed excellent, good, sufficient or poor, based on the current season and the three before it. Bathing water quality in Europe by country, 2025

Climate normals

Thirty-year averages (here 1991 to 2020) at one weather station: a typical year there, not a forecast. Madrid weather by month: temperature, rain and daylight

Crit'Air sticker

France's air-quality certificate: a round sticker on the vehicle, needed in low-emission zones and when a prefect restricts traffic during a pollution episode. Austria's motorway vignette and France's Crit'Air sticker

Daylight

The time from sunrise to sunset. On this site it is our calculation for the 15th of each month, not a measurement. Spain off season: least crowded months, official data

Drift ice

Sea ice that floats on the sea and is not fixed to the coast, as the Japan Meteorological Agency defines it. When does drift ice reach Hokkaido? JMA averages

Dynamic currency conversion

When you choose to pay abroad in your home currency, the shop's or cash machine's payment provider converts the amount on the spot, for a fee. Pay in local currency or home currency? The EU rule

EES (Entry/Exit System)

The EU system that records non-EU travellers on a short stay at the external borders, with a face photo and/or fingerprints. EES and ETIAS: what changes at Europe's borders

EHIC

The free European Health Insurance Card: access to medically necessary state healthcare during a temporary stay in the EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland or the UK. It is not travel insurance. EHIC or travel insurance? What the card does not cover

ETIAS

A planned EU online travel authorisation, not yet in operation. EES and ETIAS: what changes at Europe's borders

Golden hour

No official definition exists. On this site: the time the sun takes to go from 6° above to 4° below the horizon. Madrid weather by month: temperature, rain and daylight

Golden Week

The run of public holidays in Japan at the turn of April and May; the Japan Tourism Agency gives its dates as April 29 to May 5. Public holidays in Japan 2026 and 2027: dates and weekdays

Not-issued rate (visas)

The European Commission's share of short-stay visa applications that ended without a visa; it includes refusals and applications whose examination was stopped, so it is not a refusal rate. Schengen visa statistics 2025: applications and not issued

Price level index

A comparison of the level of prices between countries, with the EU average set at 100. Is it expensive? Price levels in Europe and Japan, 2025

Rainy day

A day with at least 1 mm of rain. Spain off season: least crowded months, official data

Schengen area

The countries that have abolished checks at the borders between them: 29 countries, 25 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Which countries are in the Schengen area?

Share of the year (quiet and busy months)

Each month's share of a year's tourist nights; the quietest month is the one with the smallest share. Where to go by month: Europe and Japan, from 2025 figures

Totality

The part of a total solar eclipse when the Moon covers the Sun completely. Total solar eclipse in Spain, 2 August 2027: where

Tsuyu

Japan's rainy season, which starts and ends at different times in each region; Hokkaido has none in the Japan Meteorological Agency's announcements. Japan's rainy season (tsuyu): normal dates by region

Vignette (Austria)

What vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes need to use Austria's motorways and expressways: a toll sticker or a digital vignette linked to the number plate. Austria's motorway vignette and France's Crit'Air sticker