US Air can take me from PHL to Zurich, 2 hour wait...and then Swiss Air to Nice.
I searched threads and everyone thinks Zurich is easy to make a transfer in 2 hours...

Return much the same thru Zurich.

Overseas baggage check is free for 1 bag, and I assume the bag gets transferred to the Swiss Air plane.

Because it is Switzerland, when would I go through pass port control, immigration?

In advance, Thank You for your assistance and advice.

I think that you will go through immigration in Switzerland.

I just flew Swiss Air from Nice to Zurich to connect to the US on United. I've changed planes at Zurich several times; it's easy and , as you would guess, orderly. Two hours is plenty of time and younstock up on Swiss chocolates. You probably will ride the airport train with scenes of Heidi and Swiss cows on the tunnel walls. I went through immigration and customs at EWR.

If your ticket is one through-ticket for the two airlines (not two separately booked itineraries), then your bags will get transferred. However, because of the "immigration" explained below, I can't be sure about whether you'll be required to have your bag with you as you make entry into the "Schengen Area".

This is from http://www.zurich-airport.com/deskto...spx/tabid-107/

"Passengers arriving from a non-Schengen country and transferring to a Schengen member state, or vice versa, also now have to pass through passport control in Zurich. Your gate will be displayed on the flight information screen not later than 60 minutes before departure."

It means that you won't have to show your passport upon entering France - the Swiss will have taken care of that.

Welllll.....if I check my bag, and it is put on another plan and I go through passport control....how would I have my bag?
I dislike hauling it around, on vacation I do have an internal slow down...

You prefer Swiss chocolates to Belgian, French or Italian?

Customs is separate from passport control. You'll go through passport control in Zurich, but the bag will be checked through to Nice.

For pralines I prefer Belgian or French chocolate, but the chocolate bars from Sprüngli are some of the best chocolate I've had. Anyway, the only way to know your preference is to sample them all!

I just did this in May. Did no have to retrieve bag until Nice.
You do have to go thru immigration in your first European entry point (in my case it was Brussels).

gottcha..

Thank you all for the advice.

OOOOOkaaay... I'll suffer through a chocolate taste test.