Travel to Davos with travel insurance from Essential Travel

The largest, and one of the best ski resorts in the country, Davos is known worldwide among skiers for the length and quality of its runs. The resort, which is located in the southeastern corner of Switzerland, offers great beginner and intermediate slopes, superb off-piste for experts and varied skiing over five different areas (including Klosters).

The highest city in Europe, Davos (1,560m) is set in a beautiful valley and is dwarfed by mountains on both sides. The facilities here are excellent and include great shopping, banks, museums and even an animal park/zoo. The resort is split between Dorf and Platz and has a population of 13,000 that easily doubles during the season.

There are 325kms of prepared downhill runs between the Davos and Klosters ski resorts, with a longest run of 12kms. Cruise far into the distance and return by train or simply descend through small villages to Klosters. Around 62,000 skiers per hour are carried over the area by 50 ski lifts, consisting of nine cable cars, three gondolas, two funiculars, nine chairlifts and 27 T-bars.

Countless apartments and over 70 slope-side hotels provide 24,000 beds at the ski resort of Davos, which has a long and distinguished tradition for excellence. Lots of bars and restaurants plus five nightclubs contribute to a lively après-ski. For kids, a special lunch offer is included in the price at the ski kindergarten.

Watch an ice hockey match, take a scenic train ride or visit the winter sport museum for some non-ski action. Alternatively, take a daytrip to the elegant 16th century town of Chur, the oldest settlement in Switzerland and capital of the Graubunden region.

November to April accommodates a long ski season at the resort, with the week before the Christmas holidays, mid-January, and from mid-March onwards offering lower prices. Catch a flight to Zürich and a train to Landquart via Zürich city, and then change trains to Davos; this is a common way to get to the resort, though hire vehicles make for a quicker transit.

Skiing in Davos

The largest of the Alps’ mountain vacation and sports resorts, Davos is also one of the world’s best loved ski resorts. Around 325kms of ski trails, 75kms of cross-country trails, great all-level skiing on and off-piste, plus modern transport facilities attract skiers and snowboarders to Davos from around the world.

There are 325kms of varied runs between the resorts of Davos and nearby Klosters. Of these, 27 per cent are beginner runs, 51 per cent are intermediate level, and 22 per cent for advanced and expert skiers. Around 62,000 skiers per hour are serviced by fifty ski lifts, consisting of chairlifts, draglifts and cable cars. There are a further 75kms of cross-country skiing trails in the area.

Relaxed entertainment comes in the form of museums and folklore evenings, while a more exciting nightlife is provided by concerts, discos, nightclubs and a casino. Alternative winter activities and facilities include: snowboarding, 84kms of winter walking trails, six kilometres of toboggan runs, ice-skating (artificial and natural, on the largest natural ice rink in Europe), snowshoe trekking, curling, horse-drawn sleigh rides, public swimming pool and sauna sports centre, and indoor tennis.

Davos is rather cosmopolitan, with 13,000 inhabitants residing in the sizable town, which is split into two parts. Approximately 24,000 beds endow the highest town in Europe with numerous accommodation options, including slope-side hotels.

The season runs from November to April, with early February to early March granting the best snow conditions. The Christmas holidays, mid-January, and the time from the end of the high season in March, all offer cheaper weeks.

Unless you’re travelling on a package deal, the most practical way of getting to Davos is to fly to Zürich and travel for three hours on two trains via Landquart; return journeys to Zürich are plentiful. Hiring a car from Zürich International Airport is often a quicker and more convenient option.

Apres-ski in Davos

Countless apartments and over 70 slope-side hotels provide 24,000 beds at the ski resort of Davos, which has a long and distinguished tradition for excellence. Lots of bars and restaurants plus five nightclubs contribute to a lively après-ski. For kids, a special lunch offer is included in the price at the ski kindergarten.

Watch an ice hockey match, take a scenic train ride or visit the winter sport museum for some non-ski action. Alternatively, take a daytrip to the elegant 16th century town of Chur, the oldest settlement in Switzerland and capital of the Graubunden region.

Transportation to Davos

Davos ski resort is accessible by road and rail and is located in the southern part of Switzerland, southeast of Zürich. The quickest and most practical way to get here is to fly to Zürich and hire a car from the airport; a train from Zürich also travels to Davos. Alternatively, take a train journey from London across Europe or drive.

Travel by car via Metz, Strasbourg, Basel and Zürich for the most direct route from Calais, and then continue on to the A-3 to Landquart and A-8 to the resort. Drive south from Zürich International Airport on the A-11 motorway, via the city and over the river to the A-3 to Chur. From the Landquart/Davos exit, the road goes through Kublis and Klosters before arriving at Davos-Platz.

A Eurostar train service to Paris (Nord) leaves London (Waterloo) at 17:09, arriving at 20:59. An overnight train leaves for Landquart at 22:42 from the gare de l’Est (a metro ride away) daily and arrives at 07:40 the next morning. Travel on the 08:45 from Landquart to Klosters and Davos, arriving at 09:53 in Davos.

Zürich International Airport receives worldwide scheduled and charter flights, and is the closest to the resort. From the airport, board a train to Landquart and travel to Davos via the Rhaetian (single gauge railway). The train takes three hours, while a hire car will get you there more quickly, in just two hours.

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