Upvote:2
Does this mean I have to reserve the tickets, pay and print the itinerary?
No. Source
Checked the emabassy of France too
Considering both are Schengen countries, I would believe both would use the same rules. But you could always call up and confirm, which is a sure shot way for confirmation.
But as insurance is compulsory, you have no other way than to book the tickets.
Upvote:2
A confirmed booking is required. Unfortunately this is difficult to get from some airline's websites. The best way to do this is to ask a travel agent to hold a reservation for you; then print the reservation (it will have a reservation number).
You'll need insurance as this is a requirement for the application, and you can purchase it separately. I always use axa-schengen.com as its very convenient - everything happens online and it takes 10 minutes to get your proof of insurance by email. Simply print that and submit it along with your other supporting documents.
Don't forget you'll also need to show a hotel reservation or other proof of accommodation for your trip.