 Poster: A snowHead
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So , we are in Chamonix and fancy going back to our place in champagny via thr Mont Blanc tunnel and therefore Italy . Only we didn’t think to bring passports . As brits , do we need them to go to Italy from France ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@boulevardier, I wouldn't have thought so, as you're already in the Schengen zone?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks - that’s what we were thinking …. Fingers crossed !
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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In theory yes, you do. But it'd only become an issue if you are random checked.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Definitely not. But in theory you do need some sort of proof of ID.
It's a theory I've never seen put into practice, skiing between Italy, CH and France at various times, the latter two being almost an everyday event in the last few seasons here, but you do get the occasional scare story in the press about such things.
I always have my wallet with me, including my Swiss driving licence, so I don't normally carry my passport as well, although again, in theory, all foreigners in Switzerland are supposed to do so at all times. In practice the only time one gets checked is driving across the border, so I make sure I do have it in the car if I'm starting the ski day at Linga or Pre la Joux. But as I say, that's a general Swiss rule, nothing to do with crossing the border.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 28-07-22 12:09; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks , Pam - debate now ensuing over whether to take the risk or not !
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@boulevardier, in most countries you are required to carry ID with you. For locals that means an official ID document for Brits that means a passport (some countries will accept driving licence or even a credit card). Most of the time no one is going to check but if you were to be involved in a road accident or were stopped by the Police eg for speeding you would be required to show your passport. The chances of anyone checking going from France to Italy are small but if they did you would need passports or equivalent ID.
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Love the way I can get such quick advice on Snowheads ! Thanks everyone .
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| pam w wrote: |
| In theory yes, you do. But it'd only become an issue if you are random checked. |
+1. Probably a reasonably high chance that you won't be stopped, but no guarantee. Perhaps a bit more likely if you are in a UK-registered car?
Do you (all) have some other form of photo id (driving licence etc), that would give you a chance if you were stopped? (I think in France a DL is an acceptable substitute for national id card?). And also proof of vaccination status or recent negative test ...?
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Went through Mont Blanc tunnel couple of weeks back, no-one checking anything. But had passports in car just in case. Likewise no issues going Italy - Switzerland and Italy - France
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Got the bus from Courmayeur to Chamonix a couple of weeks ago. The bus driver was insistent that we had our passports withy us in the bus (rather than in luggage) in case we were checked at the border. We weren't.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I would definitely chance it. Very slim chance of any issue.
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I'd chance it too - if you get turned back, you've just wasted the cost of a passage through the tunnel.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks everyone - really useful advice . We had decided to chance it but as we approached the tunnel saw a sign saying there were delays of 1.5 hours . Arrgh !
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I'm surprised that some people have said a passport is not necessary. Even before Brexit Brits needed a passport to get into Italy, didn't we? Not that they were usually checked when driving through the tunnels, which I did several times.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@pam w, do you mean before Schengen?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| pam w wrote: |
| I'm surprised that some people have said a passport is not necessary. Even before Brexit Brits needed a passport to get into Italy, didn't we? |
No, if you're already in one Schengen country you don't need a passport to cross into another one, but in theory you do need an accepted photo ID, which for many Brits may mean a passport (whereas most other countries have an id card or accept a driving licence).
Requirements for foreigners to carry an ID card or a passport at all times vary between countries, independently from any entry requirements.
As I've said, in practice I've never heard of anyone being checked while skiing across the border, and I really would not even think about it if I were you.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@boulevardier, yeah, I don't quite know what's going on but the tunnels had big queues last few days 
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I'm confused by Schengen, I confess, but as we never belonged to it, I don't think it's relevant to the question. We had, as members of the EU, "freedom of movement" within the EU, till Brexit, but we don't any more, and even then you needed a passport to fly to Italy - and passport numbers were inescapable for checking into flights. But now, surely, Brits don't have the right to just saunter into Italy, even if, at Schengen borders, checks are minimal/random. I'm flying to France next week and had stern message from easyJet that without my passport details, I'd not be getting on the plane.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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And as for sailing into an EU port on a yacht, that's a whole 'nother set of hassles.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
| I'd chance it too - if you get turned back, you've just wasted the cost of a passage through the tunnel. |
That's okay if you are turned back from entering Italy at the tunnel. More of a problem if they let you through into Italy, but then later you get stopped from returning to France!
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Yes, that's true. The more I think of it, the more I think that Brits need a passport to enter any EU country, even if local Schengen habits mean they get away without one at the border. Also, if anything goes wrong - such as needing hospital treatment, or being involved in even a very minor RTA, the lack of a passport could be a problem. So perhaps, on reflection, I wouldn't chance it!
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My passport was stamped into France a couple of weeks ago, at Cherbourg (we arrived on a small boat). We left from Carentan, which is not a "port of entry". The local port manager assured us that if we sent the French online form in, that would be fine. An ensuing email conversation with the Police aux Frontieres (PAF) confirmed they'd received the form though it wasn't straightforward (my initial link didn't work, and I had to scan a hard copy and send the scan). Even when they'd received the form, they said we'd need to go into Cherbourg to get the passports stamped. That really didn't suit our plans so I asked whether there'd be a problem if the passports weren't stamped. No, they said, by rapid return of email, there'd be no problem. I'm going back to France (flying to Marseille) next week and it will be interesting to see what happens. If the border control person is affable I might ask whether they have the information that I left France last Sunday. In terms of the 90 days it doesn't matter to me, and I'll get the passport stamped when I leave Marseille, I guess.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| munich_irish wrote: |
| @boulevardier, in most countries you are required to carry ID with you. For locals that means an official ID document for Brits that means a passport (some countries will accept driving licence or even a credit card). |
Driving license is not valid ID. It is on the EU website. You need a Passport if you are a Brit and can be required to show it at the border. EU nationals need an ID car or Passport and are not required to show it at the border but may have their identity controlled randomly.
Also don't confuse what ID you are required to have internally on you at all times with what is required to cross borders.
Those are Schengen rules. I think Germany doesn't require you to carry Id.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Thu 28-07-22 16:49; edited 1 time in total
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If the border control person is affable I might ask whether they have the information that I left France last Sunday.
Interesting to find out
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@davidof, where on the EU website? I looked and could find info about entering Schengen for non-EU citizens, but little about crossing internal borders.
On the contrary, this page https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/schengen-area_en indicates that there can be no 'border checks' at internal Schengen borders. There can be random 'police checks', which can include checking identity - but nothing to say that identity needs to be proved via a passport. Wouldn't local police just accept whatever is standard practice to validate identity in their jurisdiction?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Years ago, when I was living in Brussels, a police officer threatened to arrest me when I popped across the road from my flat, in my slippers, to post a letter on a quiet Sunday morning. I said I'd nip back to get my passport from the flat, which I pointed out to him, but he remained super-excited that I didn't have it on me. To be fair, if I'd got run over by a passing car, he would have had a point. I also got severely reprimanded, on another occasion, for jay-walking on a completely deserted street. They're very law-abiding there, or at least they were then (mid-70s).
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I cannot recall any passport checks when moving between Schengen countries. Afterall many of us have driven through France, Germany, Austria, Italy and never showed a passport from Calais onwards. However, I think you should carry your passport with you at all times.
Last year when I first went to France after stamping was introduced they didn't stamp my passport on entry and only on exit.
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You know it makes sense.
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@davidof, Germany does require everyone to carry some form of ID, for foreigners a photo driving licence or at a push a credit card would be accepted. In Austria it has to be an official ID, which means passport for Brits (so yes you should take your passport when you go skiing). If there is some sort of check whether at a border or not Brits will need to produce a passport. The chances are driving from Chamonix to Bourg St Maurice there will be no check but if there was to be not having your passport will cause grief.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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I regularly drive France into Italy and back, never been challenged France to Italy but have had to show ID coming back into France more than a few times across the frontier at Montgenèvre.
I've also been subjected to a control off the main routes.
Main reason is that I drive a van and the frontier is a major crossing point for immigrants.
Today we were waved straight through.
I've never been stopped on my bike though 
A long time ago we were traveling from Serre to Orelle through the Fréjus tunnel, Italy back into France, and were stopped and two of my friends with me didn't have passports but had driving licenses and that was ok.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I’ve been stopped Chamonix to Courmayeur by the Italians. One person in the car didn’t have a passport but was let off. Italy to France has been occasionally checking everyone on the french side.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I'd rather have my passport with me than leave it in my less than secure hotel/chalet/apartment.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Boy gave border guards a laugh by roller skiing through from Italy to Switzerland
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Did they cavity search him DEEP just on a point of principle? Because that's normally what gives the border guards a giggle.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| davidof wrote: |
| munich_irish wrote: |
| @boulevardier, in most countries you are required to carry ID with you. For locals that means an official ID document for Brits that means a passport (some countries will accept driving licence or even a credit card). |
Driving license is not valid ID. It is on the EU website. You need a Passport if you are a Brit and can be required to show it at the border. EU nationals need an ID car or Passport and are not required to show it at the border but may have their identity controlled randomly.
Also don't confuse what ID you are required to have internally on you at all times with what is required to cross borders.
Those are Schengen rules. I think Germany doesn't require you to carry Id. |
That's correct davidof  Italy requires you to have ID on you at all times as stated above (not DL). It's an offence to not have it. I can use my ID card or passport as an Italian/EU national. But my English OH needs to have her passport as the UK has no ID card.
Having done the Tunnel MB many times, sometimes they check, often not. Just depends.
Pays your money takes your chances, but at least you know!
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We got stopped by a bus inspector in Rome the other week (we hadn't validated our tickets). First thing they asked for was ID, preferably passport but photocard licence was acceptable. OH never carries ID but luckily had her passport with her, I had my drivers licence.
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They cut you some slack, not validating tickets is a fineable offence...it's basically fare dodging unless you date/time stamp the ticket in the machine when boarding. Hopefully they let you off though as it's not obvious if you don't know!
Italy is a land of laws and different interpretation and who you know and how lucky you are on the day!!
Passport is still the correct document to be carrying for foreigners in Italy.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Sweedish, We hadn't realised and no, they didn't let us off. 54 euro fine each; lesson learned.
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Ouch that sucks sorry! Imo that's an unfair tourist tax they seem to get away with in places like Venice and Rome. It should be more obvious for tourists who would not know otherwise!
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