Ski Lift Border Check from France to Switzerland

Since Switzerland is now a member of Schengen, there shouldn't be any passport checks at the border. Since Schengen, I have crossed borders numerous times without having to show my passport. Come to think of it, before Schengen I crossed borders a few time without having to show my passport. In 1988, I walked across the border at the top of the Zugspitze from Germany to Austria and back, right past a border guard sleeping in his booth, without having to show my passport.

There are no immigration checks anymore. Maybe some customs check. As a non-European citizen, you should always carry your passenger when travelling abroad, though. Your residence card is only valid for France.

"...There are no immigration checks anymore...." Wrong. While both countries are member of Schengen, governments still do reserve the right to perform passport checks when the need arises; like a security alert. Last May I took the TGV from Lausanne to Paris, at the border French immigration officers bordered the train and checked everyone's passport/ID. That same day I observed Swiss immigration officers checking passports at the dock which handles ferries across Lake Geneva from France. On previous trips I have also had my passport checked in ICE trains between Holland and Germany.

Thanks for the responses. We don't have our passports because we weren't intending to leave France. It wasn't until the TI proposed two hikes that went into Switzerland that we realized we should have brought our passports. WE think we're going to do the one where the summit is in Switzerland, but you turn around and hike out immediately. We'll skip the one that is a mix of hiking and multiple ski lifts to get to another resort area in Switzerland. Plus there's 3 hikes that stay just in France to keep us occupied. And yes, Bets, the weather is great. Although it's too cold this morning to sit on the balcony for breakfast, it should be perfect for outdoor activities in a couple hours.

I have skied from Zermatt Switzerland into Italy and back several times and there was no passport check. I belive, in a jam, any official government ID will do. Let me know. I'll be skiing in the Portes du Soleil in January and I hope I don't need to carry a passport.

Have done it many times. There isn't any. You'd be lucky to even see you're crossing the border. Sometimes there is a little Swiss cross or a French+EU flag painted on some piece of wood... that's it.

Thanks Andreas!

I am happy to report that we were able to go to Switzerland - and come back - without any problems. We got on a ski lift that had a sign with a Swiss flag indicating that the summit was in Switzerland. No one checked passports. Heck, on one lift, they didn't even check to make sure you had a lift pass. (But it was sandwiched between two other lifts, and you really can't get to it without riding one of the other lifts.) We realize it would be best to have passports with us and that we were taking a big risk in the event that something happened to one of us. Sam - Portes du Soleil looks like an excellent place for black-diamond, adrenaline-rush-inducing skiing. The area really is beautiful in summer, too. I hope you enjoy it here.