P_M

Hello, Fodor friends.

I will be visiting Geneva this year so I went out today and bought a guidebook for Switzerland. I plan on doing a couple of day trips over to the French side. My new guidebook says that a passport is necessary to cross the border. Is this still true? I thought border controls in Western Europe were a thing of the past. If this is true, how difficult is it to cross the border, in either direction? Thanks.

ekellyga

We did a lot of traveling in Europe in the past 2 summers, and almost all border crossings in western Europe are not even stopping people. For some reason, I remember stopping upon entering Switzerland, but it takes a second to show the passport, and you don't even get out of the car. Nothing to worry about. Even going into Czech or Poland...it is about the same level of hassle.....you almost don't even stop the wheels of the car from rolling, except if the traffic is bad.

Grasshopper

I've needed my passport passing from France to Switzerland at Geneva and Basel.

rkkwan

You don't need a passport to go among the 15 countries in the Schengen zone. But Switzerland is not one of them.

yawning

Border guards can and will stop you and inspect your docmentation if they so wish. Besides, security measures may be tighter especially now than before.

I've crossed France and Switzerland (between Alsace and Basel) about 4 times in the last 6 years and have been stopped with our passports quickly inspected twice. On both of those times we crossed from France and we needed to pay some sort of a driving tax at the border for our Frebch car rental.

The only reason I can think of as to why one wouldn't want to carry his/her passport when crossing borders is the fear of having it stolen or lost. Just make copies, keep copies in hotel and carry your passport just to be safe than sorry.

nytraveler

Have crossed between France and Switzerland many times - from major crossings to very minor ones. And how closely they look at passports seems to be related to how busy/bored the Swiss border guards are. they have always asked for passports - although several times when they saw american passports they just handed them back unopened.

francophile03

This is a bit different but while crossing the border between France & Switzerland by train no one got checked for passports.

Ingo

Switzerland is no member of the Schengen treaty, so you always have to show your passport crossing the border into/out of Switzerland.

After the Madrid terrorist attack France suspended the Schengen treaty and checked the passports on its borders also. Don't know if this is still going on.

A couple of weeks ago the Germans started checking VERY carefully on the Swiss borders. It is most likely a sort of annoyance, having a political reason (pressure on Switzerland's government). Will continue for some weeks, if not months. Especially in the region of Basel you have to face queues on the border.

baldrick

Switzerland is indeed not a Schengen member.
As the Schengen project is politically sensitive in Europe these days and will probably stay so for the next months, it would be wise to have a passport while crossing the border.

mpprh

Hi

Switzerland is not in EU.
Normal passport and customs regulations apply.

I've always found the Swiss officials to be more attentive than the French officials when crossing the border.

There is a list of restricted items (meat, foodstuffs as well as alcohol & tobacco)for entry to Switzerland.

Peter
The Languedoc Page
http://tlp.netfirms.com

JonJon

Traditionally, it has been the SWISS who have been carefully checking the passports and how carefully it was done seems to have varied with the inspector. You will need a passport just to get on the plane out of the US so you may as well get used to the idea of having it checked....just part of the deal.

Alec

Even within the Schengen area, you are advised to carry your passport, as you can be asked to show an official ID any time, not only in the border regions. As many EU countries have official personal ID card, most nationals carry it instead of a passport. As a foreign visitor without ID card, passport should be carried, esp so when driving, to avoid any hassle.

P_M

Thanks to everyone for all of this good info. It's much better to learn these things from you all than to learn it the hard way once I get there.

globalnomad

I used to live at the corners of Switzerland, France and Germany. Since Switzerland is not part of the EU it is not unusual for guards to stop cars and ask to see papers...especially is the car is rented or from a distant part of Germany or France. Regarding France...which I love by the way...sometimes the border guards catch a wild one and check people...especially in these days. Rule of thumb....ALWAYS carry your passport.

Davy

Yes you must have your passport,even EU members must bring Id. Remember the Swiss have signed the MLAT Treaty with the US, so do not be fooled when asked for your passport, it will be put into the same computer reading network linked with the US and Interpool.Maybe there are a few people who have slipped through, but as a general rule you will be checked.

stormygirl

Try to do a day trip to Annecy! It's a great town just 1 hour or so from Geneva. We drove over for the day and weren't stopped either way but a car in front of us was.

padams421

Just returned from Europe yesterday, we crossed into and out of Switzerland at the German, Lichtenstein, and France borders. We were never stopped, and didn't even see anyone else stopped at the border crossings.