Travel to Flims/Laax with travel insurance from Essential Travel

Sharing the same large ski area in a sunny valley, Flims, Laax and Falera are three neighbouring ski resorts located southeast of Zürich, in the canton of Graubünden. The ski season is extended due to the skiing availability on the Vorab Glacier, while at the resort every degree of difficulty is catered for, from the marked off-pistes routes to the extensive pistes.

Only five kilometres from each other, the three villages are well connected to other villages and slopes in the area. Flims rests on a wooded hillside and consists of the lively Dorf and the quieter Waldhaus. Laax provides more shopping opportunities, while Flims is more traditionally Swiss.

The Flims – Laax - Falera ski resorts cater for all levels of difficulty and offer a staggering 220kms of downhill runs, with a longest run of 14kms (Vorab Glacier to Flims). Over 40,000 skiers per hour are transported by a plethora of lifts including: four cable cars, seven gondolas, seven chairlifts and 11 surface lifts.

Flims and Laax offer 11,000 beds each, while Falera provides 3,500. Hostels to five-star hotel/resorts and pensions to private apartments are among the myriad of accommodation possibilities. Both valleys afford some exceptionally fine dining, with a plentiful number of cafés and restaurants at the resort. Flims, Dorf and Laax provide the majority of the nightlife, while Waldhaus and Falera remain more peaceful.

Some of the best runs in the country are to be found an hour away by car at the resort of Davos. From here, you can mingle with the rich and famous at the resort of Klosters, which shares the slopes at Davos. A blend of modern and medieval culture and traditions offers wonderful sightseeing opportunities at Chur – the capital city of Graubunden.

The season extends from November/December to mid-April at Flims – Laax - Falera, with glacial skiing starting as early as October. The weeks prior to the Christmas holidays and the period from mid-March onwards (apart from Easter) see special deals. A flight to Zürich and a train/bus combination transfer is the best way to get here.

Skiing in Flims/Laax

Offering 220kms of extensive and varied skiing and snowboarding, and one of the Alps’ largest interconnected snow resort complexes, Flims – Laax - Falera ski resort offers guaranteed glacial skiing from October to the end of April. Blessed with stunning scenery, it is situated 140kms southeast of Zürich.

A combined 220kms of groomed slopes at Flims – Laax - Falera ski resort are comprised of 29 per cent of beginner slopes, 32 per cent intermediate, 20 per cent advanced, and 19 per cent marked but not prepared trails. There are an additional 60kms of cross-country trails at the resort, which has up to 42,000 skiers per hour transported by 29 lifts.

Skiing on the Vorab Glacier means the resort has a season running from October to April, with February to mid-March offering the best snow. The period before the Christmas holidays, and from mid-March onwards offer the cheapest rates.

Flying to Zürich and boarding a train to Chur via Zurich city, then taking a Post bus from there to the resort is the most common method of reaching the resort. All-day buses and trains run from the airport regularly.

Apres-ski in Flims/Laax

Non-ski activities also available at the resort include: ice-skating (natural and artificial); hiking; tobogganing; curling; horse-drawn sleigh rides; ice stick shooting; and mountaineering. A fitness centre and sauna, indoor swimming/tennis, ballooning, and bowling are further activities to try out. Alternatively, you can sample the resort’s offerings of a selection of bars and discos, or the delightful Elephant Mountain Restaurant, situated at 2,500m.

Flims, Laax and Falera are the three villages that make up this amazing resort. Laax is a purpose-built, newer village; while the major hotels are spread throughout the small traditional resort of Flims. Over 25,000 beds are available between the villages, which have good shopping and an array of accommodation options, and are well connected.

Transportation to Flims/Laax

Located 140kms southeast of Zürich, the Flims – Laax - Falera ski resort is not far from Chur in the region of Graubünden. Good train connections are available from Zürich, while good road access allows for easy access to the resort. Flying to Zürich and transferring by train/bus combination is the most practical way to get here, however, travel from London is possible via good rail connections or self-drive along major motorways.

By car from Calais, travel via Reims, Metz, Strasbourg, Basel and Zürich, from where a journey east and then south on the A-3/13 autobahns, and an exit on route 19 for Reichenau will get you to Flims – Laax - Falera. The Oberalp pass is closed in the winter, making access to the resort from the west unadvisable. Take the A-11 (south) from Zürich International Airport through the city and on to the A-3/13 for Chur; follow the signs from here to the resort.

Up to five changes are involved when taking one of the several trains to Chur from London, with journeys taking between 13 and 20 hours. A recommended itinerary leaves at 07:43 from London (Waterloo) and arrives at 11:03 in Brussels (Midi). From here, change to the 12:15 Chur-bound Eurocity train, arriving at 21:45. A 22:00 Post bus travels to the resort from Chur and takes 30 to 45 minutes. From London, the total travel time is around 14 hours.

Zürich International Airport is the nearest airport to the resort and has two trains which travel to Chur via Zürich every hour. A Post bus, taking 2 hours, 15 minutes, leaves Chur for the resort at Flims, Laax and Falera. Each rail transfer to the resort can involve up to three changes; while a hire car from the airport is a more convenient choice.

click here for a holiday insurance quotation