FLYMSY

You must be the unluckiest person on Earth.


I've been through Switzerland over 100 times in the last 12 years, as a U.S. citizen, and have never been asked to show any form of identification, with the exception of immigration at ZRH. I've been on trains and driven rental cars cross border more times than I can remember and never have had to show anyone any ID. Never been stopped at the border. Never had any problems at the border.

ToGo

the Austrian Custom check often the train for smuggling whatever and check the ID.
No not realy. The Train staff make me pissed when the broke the law. The know that is illegal what do the but the dont stop it...

David-A

(turning pedant mode on)
It will be Swiss imigration, not Swiss customs.

Switzerland - unlike the other countries the OP will visit - is outside the European Common Customs and VAT Area. Accordingly there are still customs controls between switzerland and other countries, even if they are both inside the Schengen area.

Customs is different from Imigration.

And the Schengen Area, European Common Customs and VAT Area, and membership of the EU - are three different things. In a Venn diagram there are countries and regions inside each of the potential interplay permutations.

AlienInTheFatherland

Yes you're quite right, although, in defence of my honour, I assume you are referring to Immigration (that's me on spelling mode...!!)

ToGo

the police search for illegal immigrants on the train to.

AlienInTheFatherland

OK might be grasping the bigger picture now...

Am I correctly assuming that your FT-name is more about your country of origin than your habit of buying a beverage somewhere to consume it later on while travelling..?

If so then, unfortunately, I can imagine that you may well have been subjected to more police checks in the area than most would have been accustomed to.

This is regrettable, but will not necessarily also apply to a couple of guys who come over for a holiday from US.

ToGo

read this... http://kurier.at/chronik/oesterreich...ner/63.573.718

behuman

It's not the train staff, but police who with "intelligent" checks enforce our immigration Laws in the Schengen area. They are perfectly entitled to do so (be it in the trains be it on the platform) and for third state citizens can also question about the travel destination and financial means. These controls happen within a certain range of each border, this means that you could also be checked between let's say Trento and Bozen.

Your contribution is not relevant for bona fide tourists of third countries, independent of their appearance as long as the entry requirements are fulfilled.

You name it yourself where the problem lies, with economic refugees inundating Europe.

I am extremely glad they do so. All these officials are always polite as long as you treat them as humans too. They are barely enforcing the rules which we democratically choose to protect our common Schengen travel space. I think this is legitimate.

To the OP: Do not worry, even at your initial entry in ZRH you will be treated much better and with less hassle than any European at the US border. Enjoy your trip!

ToGo

i mean the train stuff check the Train Tickets of of the view from the Platform who is illegal. When i refuse the call the Police.

highlanderfil

I have traveled to Switzerland from other EU countries both by car and by train. By car, you will pay a toll to cross the border and might get your IDs checked by customs (at least from France). By train, you won't even notice you've crossed a border.

Aviatrix

What part of "Switzerland is part of Schengen" don't you understand??? Go and read some (German) articles about Schengen. You clearly don't understand what it's all about.

Aviatrix

I know I'm being pedantic - but no, this is NOT a visa. It's an entry stamp. They're not the same thing.

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens...s/index_en.htm