I will be transiting ZRH with the connection time of 2 hours 5 minutes. Coming from CDG on my way to SFO. I believe that Switzerland is not part of the Schengen zone so must I collect my luggage and go through customs and passport control before boarding the next flight to San Francisco? We should arrive at about 11 AM and depart at 1 PM. I'm hoping there will be enough time. Also, any idea if I would need to change terminals this is a Swiss air flight Paris to Zürich and a United flight Zürich to San Francisco.
Posted by
Bavaria
2534 posts
Switzerland is a member of the Schengen Agreement. You go through passport control in Zürich, not in CDG. As Swiss and UA are both Star Alliance airlines, your baggage should be checked through. However, it is best to clarify this with Swiss.
Posted by
Freedonia
17307 posts
Switzerland is in Schengen. As this is your exit point of Schengen, you will go through exit immigration in Zurich.
If this is on one ticket, your bags should be checked through to SFO.
Zurich Airport has a webpage regarding transfering flights:
https://www.flughafen-zuerich.ch/en/passengers/fly/all-about-the-flight/transfer
Posted by
Green Bay
22251 posts
All flights to the US (and any non-Schengen destination) go from the remote island terminal (E gates) There is an underground shuttle train from the main terminal, and you go through Shengen exit passport control before you board the train. Expect to need to get your boarding pass stamped when you get to gates for planes to the US. Only takes a couple of minutes and hopefully you will not be selected for special screening. 2 hours is plenty of time for all of this, with maybe time for a pre-boadring drink at the Alpenblick bar.
You do know that you need to go to Terminal 1 at CDG.
Posted by
OP
Berkeley, California, US
673 posts
Thanks sla019 & Frankll! Very helpful information. And thank you, Sam for the very detailed information. Also, thanks for the information about terminal 1 at CDG. No, I did not know which terminal CDG. Now I do. I've had serious difficulty in the past figuring out where exactly my airline check-in is located (usually United, sometimes American). Last time at CDG I knew which terminal for United but no one seemed to know which floor! And there were no signs or other indications. I finally asked someone official looking who told me "maybe level 3"!
Turns out he was right but that did not leave us with a lot of extra time. So any information about where the plane departs from is greatly appreciated.