from what I've heard and based on my experience, they can be pretty lax. Sometimes you just start whipping out your US passport and they don't even bother looking at it. I've even found myself in situations where I'v been questioned because they were too lax in putting any stamps and such in. One time I was going the Czech Republic and they were looking at my passport and wondering where in hell and when I was coming from. There was no record of anything recent in my passport. That was on account of the Dutch looking at my passport upon flying into Amsterdam; knowing I had lived there for a couple of years and just sort of waving me through.

Point being, the larger, western countries have often seemed pretty lax in my experience and from what I've heard. Less developed/Central European countries were a little more problematic and disfunctional. Also consider the degree of scrutinization depending on mode of travel

To be sure, I would contact a consulate of say France or Germany - not give your name, but just inquire about what their requirements are regarding stays, leaving, and then returning to that country at a later date. Typically, they aren't as draconian as in the US.

~V~