Leaving on Swiss International from San Francisco arriving in Zurich at 3:40 p.m. on a Tuesday,. Leave Zurich at 4:40 p.m. and arriving in Paris 6:00 p.m. If we have to go through customs in Zurich do we have enough time to find our way for the outbound to Paris? How hard is it to go through customs. We are not checking our baggage, we will have carry-on. If it makes any difference return ticket is from Zurich to San Francisco. We would like feed back on what you have experience.
Thank you
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
Assuming San Fran to Zurich to Paris is all part of one ticket, you go through Immigration (passport check) in Zurich, customs (the stuff your bringing with you) at Paris. In addition you may have to go through a security screening. You should have enough time to make your connecting flight. As international airports go, Zurich is fairly small, but very modern and efficient.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
You will have to go through passport control in Zurich. You don't have to go through customs until you get to your final destination, and then only if you have something to d*clare - which in the case of most tourists is highly unlikely. Immigration/passport control is where they check and stamp your passport. Customs is only for your baggage. They are two separate things.
Posted by
OP
Salinas
25 posts
Thank you. We can cross off our lists and take a breathe. Your answers were very helpful. Do you know how we find out how far we have to go to get our connecting flight to Paris? Do they make announcements for connecting flights before we d-boarding?
Thank you.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
I'm not so sure. That works with EU countries, which have eliminated trade barriers between them, but Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. It might work if your luggage is checked through, but since you have carryons, there is nothing to assure that you won't just stay in Switzerland with your uncleared luggage. If they have an international holding area that you cannot get out of between flights, they might not have customs. On the other hand, customs today is a formality. I've never gone through customs coming into the EU from the US.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
Lee, even though Switzerland isn't a member of the EU they are signed on to the Schengen Treaty; they aren't mutually exclusive: http://tinyurl.com/7t8v2p4 Same deal with Iceland, and Norway.
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
Switzerland is part of the Schengen space despite being not part of EU. You will go through controls in Zürich, your first arrival location in Europe.
Posted by
Bend, OR, United States
1167 posts
It has been my experience that when arriving on a Schengen zone domestic flight you will rarely even encounter Customs inspectors.