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skiing between france and switzerland!!

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
going to porte du soliel in couple of weeks and have heard that you need your passport to ski bettween france and switzerlan is this true or not.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
No. snowHead
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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?
I'm also off to the porte du soleil soon and I've heard that although when skiing across to switzerland and back you are unlikely to need it its advisable to take it anyway just in case, also one of my friends told me of a time when a friend of theirs skiied across to Switzerland missed the last lift back and as they didn't have their passport had a hard time getting back by road. Whoopsey! Moral of the story, always carry your passport when crossing the border!
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Yes it may be wise to carry your passport in case of mishaps but in reality you won't be stopped going across the border, even if you realised that you've crossed it. You won't find a border post up the mountains. snowHead
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
thnaks i was just worried incase i lost it then i would have trouble i might have to stay there Laughing
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
geepee wrote:
You won't find a border post up the mountains. snowHead


I have visions of out of control skiers careering down the hill, smashing through border crossings, and being chased by angry border police on skis, oh the comedy!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
geepee wrote:
Yes it may be wise to carry your passport in case of mishaps but in reality you won't be stopped going across the border, even if you realised that you've crossed it. You won't find a border post up the mountains. snowHead


At the smaller border posts they rarely bother even on the roads, IME.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
when i go its in my backpack always have a photo copy back at the chalet as well as a scaned copy in my inbox so if i lose it then have all the details to hand. The road boarder only appears to be maned at day and more to check the swiss and their shopping trips


Last edited by After all it is free Go on u know u want to! on Mon 12-01-09 8:09; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Friend of mine was an instructor in Zermatt and her clients forgot their passports when skiing over to Cervinia. They got a bit of a hard time on the lift back.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Having skied or taken lifts across the border between France/Italy/Austria and Switzerland no-one has ever asked to see a passport - having said that I can't remember the last time I ever stopped at a road crossing either!

However - bear in mind that if you have an accident and get evacuated/hospitalised it makes it much more difficult if you don't have your insurance documents and ID with you, so for this reason I take with me my passport with insurance policy number and contact details inside.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
chelt881 wrote:
going to porte du soliel in couple of weeks and have heard that you need your passport to ski bettween france and switzerlan is this true or not.


Legally speaking you should have ID on you.
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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.
davidof,

Would a credit card and lift pass with your photo on it be regarded as ID?
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
chelt881 - one of the things that makes the Portes du Soleil unique is that, when it was established, there was a specific legal agreement that allows skiers to cross the French / Swiss border without a passport as long as they're in possession of a valid Portes du Soleil lift pass and stay within the ski domain. When it was established (41 years ago, I think)

(I did have a link, but the Portes du Soleil have changed their web site...)

So, no, you don't need a passport.

But, as davidof suggests, I'm pretty sure that you're supposed to carry ID with you in France anyway. (And also in Switzerland?).

I always think it sensible to carry a cash card and / or credit card if skiing outside of your home area in case you get stranded - either because of poor time keeping or because the link lifts have been forced to close.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Since December, Switzerland's been part of the Schengen Agreement - so there should be no more border controls between it and France / Italy regardless of where you ski. (Incidentally, Wikipedia tells me that this only applies to land borders for the time being).

Of course, as everyone else says, you're still supposed to carry ID with you in France + presumably Switzerland.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I normally find that a photo driving licence is accepted as suitable ID in most cases in France.

I've even driven to Geneva airport a few times to pick people up without my passport (though not intentionally); luckilly I've never been stopped at the border post on those ocassions!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
FlyingStantoni wrote:
chelt881 - one of the things that makes the Portes du Soleil unique is that, when it was established, there was a specific legal agreement that allows skiers to cross the French / Swiss border without a passport as long as they're in possession of a valid Portes du Soleil lift pass and stay within the ski domain. When it was established (41 years ago, I think)


Sounds reasonable.

I live right on the border with CH so can just walk across (there is a footpath), on one occasion in the last 2 years I've seen border guards checking ids but it was probably in response to some perceived threat.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I worked 4 seasons in different resorts in the PDS and used to regularly ski back and forth over the border with clients. I think I carried my passport the 1st week and never did after that, I never got stopped once by the piste police (though I did see them a few times complete with handguns and machine guns Shocked ) - of course I might have been lucky.

A friend of mine did once cycle round the back roads of Morgins to avoid the swiss/french border post because he wanted a night out in Verbier and was banned from entering Switzerland rolling eyes - but that's a bit different.
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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?
EdC wrote:
Since December, Switzerland's been part of the Schengen Agreement - so there should be no more border controls between it and France / Italy regardless of where you ski. (Incidentally, Wikipedia tells me that this only applies to land borders for the time being).

Of course, as everyone else says, you're still supposed to carry ID with you in France + presumably Switzerland.


Don't you believe that one. They still do random stops at the border.
I get stopped every time on the german/swiss border at Konstanz.
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ahhh sweet
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
EdC, welcome to snowHeads snowHead
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