Crossing border from Switzerland into France
 

My husband will be spending three days in Chamonix after we visit Paris. From Chamonix, we will be going to Provence. My original plan is to take the TGV from Paris to Lyon, rent a car at the TGV station in Lyon and drive to Chamonix -- about a 2 or 2-1/2 hour drive from Lyon. It suddenly occured to me that Chamonix is actually closeer to Geneva. I check the TGV schedule and found that I could take a TGV train directly to Geneva, rent a car there and drive to Chamonix in around an hour. Sounded like a great idea until I realized that I needed to cross an international border. Is there anything special that I need to do or get in order to do this? We had also thought about taking a day trip from Chamonix into Courmayeur, Italy, so I will have to deal with the border there. I would be most appreciative of any information I can receive from some seasoned border crossers. Thank you in advance!

Well I'll tell you...

Last year I did a Trafalgar tour that spent a day in Geneva and had an optional dinner in France (the French Swiss border is basically just outside Geneva)...our tour bus went across the border without as much as an acknowledgement from the border guards...I don't foresee much of a problem if any in crossing this boarder.

Hi dlb716,

Also, if you choose to rent from the Geneva airport (rail links the airport to the train station), you can rent from the French side.

s

I crossed from Switzerland to France and then back a few years ago. I don't remember anything other than showing our passports leaving, but returning we were asked about what we were bringing into the country (wine and art) and filled out forms but no problems. It was similar to returning to the U.S. and going through customs.

Since Switzerland is not in the EU or Schengen Accords it has border formalities which as some point out can be perfunctory - but on trains to italy the last few times sniffer dogs were brought on at the border and sniffed many folks bags.

I guess next Jan Switzerland is due to join the Schengen countries and relax border countries but for now have your passports out.

Crossing the border - it's not going to be a problem, so don't worry about it.

Regarding Courmayeur, I'd recommend that you stay put on the French side. Take the telepherique to Aiguille du Midi and/or the cable car up Mont Brévent, on the opposite side of the valley.

At Geneva, you cross two borders: one at the station, where you have your passport checked to get into Switzerland (there's no border halt on a TGV), and then again on the way out of town on the road to Chamonix. To get a train to the airport, you'd have to go through French immigration to get to the French side.

Normally, this takes no time at all. BUT the last time I did it, we chose evening rush hour and there were 10 min queues to get into France (and similar queues getting back into Switzerland during the Monday mornoing rush hour. Rarely much longer: often virtually nonexistent.

There are no passport formalities at the Mont Blanc Tunnel between France and Italy. Gogle Schengen

...or even Google 'Schengen'

What you need to know is that most goods are much cheaper in France than Switzerland...(due to tariffs, ag policy etc).

So the only people who give a toss about what your are doing are the swiss douaniers who are looking for undeclared wine, foodstuffs, electronics etc.

As long as your car documents are in order and you have proper insurance (normal if you rent from a reputable company) you can expect no problems at all. Most times, your vehicle is not even stopped, especially if you enter Switzerland from one of the smaller crossings (Croix de Rozon, etc.).

However there is one pitfall to watch out for. Swiss autoroutes do not collect tolls, but they have an annual fee...you must buy a sticker for your car each and stick it on your windscreen...called a vignette. It costs about Sfr40.

So if you go into Switzerland and go on a divided highway (Green signs), you must have the vignette. If you don't , they fine you, charge you for the sticker, and make you pay on the spot. Can be unpleasant and expensive.

Just make sure any car you drive into Switzerland will already have the vignette. (You can avoid the toll roads if you know what you are doing, but often you just follow a sign and feed into one, and bang, you are at risk of a fine).

Borders in Europe in general are less threatening than they used to be if you are just being a tourist and are doing no trafficking of anything.

Happy motoring, Rouss

If you rent a car in Geneva, make sure you specify with the rental agency that you are picking up the car in the on the French side and not the Swiss side. Rates for rentals originating in Switzerland are usually quite a bit higher than those in France.

If you do go to Courmayeur, be aware that there are speed camaras all throughout Mont Blanc tunnel. If you exceed the speed limit, expect to receive a bill from your rental company for a speeding ticket. I enjoyed Courmayeur (speeding ticket notwithstanding). If found it was an interesting contrast between Chamonix and more "Italian" than I expected.

TuckH, why would you recommend that I stay put in France and not go over to Courmayeur? It looks like a lovely town. Is there some problem getting there?

Simply because there's so much incredible scenery around Chamonix. Therefore there's no need to go on over to Courmayeur (IMO) unless, of course, you go by way of the aerial gondola which ends up near Courmayeur in Entreves. Now, that would be worth doing!

BYW, I found it to be 'a lovely town' but not that special...

TuckH, I really do appreciate your input. I think my last post sounded a bit cold and I apologize for that. I'm just trying to soak it all in. I don't get over to Europe as often as I would like and I always feel as though I might be missing something. You are probably right -- once I get to Chamonix I will be so enthralled I won't want to leave. I'm very excited at the idea of seeing Mont Blanc. Thanks again to everyone who has responded to my various posts. I don't go over until October, so I'm quite certain you will be seeing my posts from time to time.

and the gondola ride Tuck talks about is probably the most thrilling in the world as it goes over the Mer de Glace or sheet of ice of Mt Blanc's glacier.

First from Chamonix you take a large cable car straight up the cliff and then transfer to tiny 2 person (?) gondolas that are open-air and they stop everytime someone gets on and off at either end - so you are dangling about a few hundred feet above the ice below - not for nervous types who may think the cable won't start moving again. You get to Pte Heilbronner in Italy where large cable cars go down to Entreves in vicinity of Courmayer - so can day trip there via gondola (or buses thru the Mt Blanc Tunnel if going one way by gondola, which are very expesnive for a real thrill.

I did not do the gondola ride over to Italy since we were in Chamonix skiing and the lift does not operate in winter. However we did take the lift up to the Aguille du Midi and skied the Vallee Blanche and took the Montenvers train back through the Mer de Glace. I would absolutely take the trip over to Hellbronner point if you can. I think if you do, Courmayeur is worth a stop. Another reason to head over to the Italian side is weather (which is why we ended up there). Often when it is raining or cloudy in Chamonix, it can be sunny and warm on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, and vice versa.

If you think Courmayeur's "lovely", I'd spend your time in Europe tracking down the photographer who did the snaps and investing in his business.

It's not. Neither, to be honest, is Chamonix - but it's a lot easier to get to the nice scenery round Chamonix, which is a lot greener than the really quite arid stuff that makes Courmayeur a great base for ski weekends, but really going on unpleasant the rest of the time.

None of which should put you off popping across for a day in Italy, if only to be gobsmacked by how much it's possible to charge for a bottle of grappa with a bit of fruitpeel stuck in its neck.

If the roads are still up to it, the long way back (through Aosta then on the traditional St Bernard pass or tunnel) has really lovely scenery: the straight route from Chamonix to Courmayeur - unless you get the teleferique across the Mer de Glace - is almost totally charmless, since you're in a tunnel all the time.

In your shoes, with a hired car, I'd end the Alpine bit driving from Chamonix through the tunnel, pottering round (and lunching in) Courmayeur, stopping off at Aosta to see the unforgiveably rarely visited cathedral, then drive back via the St Bernard to Geneva to drop the car off.

flanner did you see the Saint Bernards on the SBern pass route? I heard that they were threatened or maybe this is just a hypothetical route that you haven't done?

Just to follow on to what both Tuck and PalenQ have mentioned

"and the gondola ride Tuck talks about is probably the most thrilling in the world as it goes over the Mer de Glace or sheet of ice of Mt Blanc's glacier"

On a clear day, this is one of the 7 Wonders of the world...really (have pix if you need convincing)..

Buy the all-inclusive ticket from Chamonix to the Aiguille with the Heilbronner part also...

for me no reason to go down into Italy...takes time, risk of getting stuck with no way back etc..

Good idea to reserve ahead by phone or internet....(Lots and lots of people from all countries in the world know about this)

So if the weather is poor , you just have a fun day...but if it is clear, you will have an unforgettable experience...I think it costs almost $100 round trip, (with the exchange rate) but oh yes it is worth it. Rouss

the gondola trip, even at $100 Pte Heilbronner and back is about $40 cheaper than the short six-mile Jungfraujoch train ride in Switzerland but to me oh so so much better - worth every penny IMO - never had done anything this exhilarating in Europe. Yes no reason to descend to Italy except for the chance to go to Italy perhaps.

I thought the required road "sticker" is up to 60 now. And Switzerland is too expensive as a whole for our taste.

We loved the area around Annecy/Yvoires...still get the mountains, still get the fondue. Though I'll admit I didn't see any cows with cowbells, like in CH.