Davos is not only a popular destination for winter activities, for lovers of Thomas Mann’s book “the magic mountain, but Davos is also the host of the annual World Economic Forum held there every January. As a tourist, you should probably avoid Davos in January due to the international forum and its world-famous participants, and all the preparations beforehand, however, Davos is also a popular destination for mountain and outdoor aficionados during the no-snow months in summer. But, no matter how beautiful or unique a destination is, there needs to be a convenient way of how to travel there. Easy, affordable and convenient, what else does your traveller’s heart wish for? Therefore, I have not only concluded how far Davos is situated from Zurich but also all the modes of transportation in between both swiss cities. If you have any questions or issues booking your train ride, don’t hesitate to comment below! I’ll get back to you asap!

How far is Davos from Zurich – what’s the distance?

There are two modes to measure distances, by roads or by air. The shortest distance by car between Davos and Zurich is 148 km; however, the direct distance by air is just 115. As Switzerland is an alpine country defined by massive mountains and hills, it’s not as easy (and fast) to travel around, even though the sole distance doesn’t seem too far. And now on to how to travel from Zurich to Davos!

Taking the Train from Zurich <> Davos

Definitely, the best mode of transportation, for our environment, to travel by train. The train network in Switzerland is excellent, and the ticket system is easy to understand, too. There is no direct train connecting both Zurich and Davos; you will have to change trains at least one time. I will share my experience here soon: taking the train from Landquart to Davos (Rhaetian Railway (RhB)).
To either check the timetable for connections or to book a ticket online, go visit https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html
Just enter your train station of departure (Zurich HB or Zurich Airport) as well as your arrival station (Davos Platz, Davos Dorf).

The fastest train connection from Zurich HB central station to Davos Platz takes 2:20 hours and requires one change of train, in Landquart. The first and second class is available in the IC train from Zurich to Landquart (as well as a restaurant/dining car), only second class in the RE regional train from Landquart to Davos.
Ticket prices start at 28 CHF per person for one-way travel.

What I like about SBB is that they are always showing the “Eco calculator” with their connections. On the train ride from Zurich to Davos, you will save 27 kg of CO2, 11.8 l of fuel but will take 0.4 h longer than compared to a car ride.

Taking the Car from Zurich <> Davos

Definitely more private and convenient than taking a Train is taking a (rental) car or chauffeur service by limousine or van. The distance from Zurich Airport to Davos Platz is 154 km, which is usually accomplished in 1:58 hours. It’s just 13 minutes more by car from/to Zurich main train station in the city centre of Zurich. If you plan on taking a rental car for your trip to Davos, keep in mind your has needs to have a sticker to be able to drive on toll roads. Best is to ask your rental company in advance if the car is equipped with the “Schweizer Autobahnvignette”. Otherwise, you will have to buy one yourself for a one-time fee of 40 CHF, or face hefty fines, or only drive on toll-free roads, which adds roughly 1 hour (57 minutes) to your travel time from Zurich Airport to Davos.

Flying to Davos, taking a (private) plane and helicopter

This is instead an option for attendees of the World economics Forum: to take your private jet to fly to Davos in Graubünden. However, there is no official Airport in Davos. Most of the attendees fly to Zurich, Altenrhein or Friedrichshafen, and take helicopters from those airports to Davos.

Taking a long-distance bus to Davos

Unfortunately, FlixBus isn’t serving many routes and cities within Switzerland. You can travel to Milan via Zurich, for example, but basically, there aren’t that many more official FlixBus stops within the country (Basel, Bern, Thun, Grindelwald, Lausanne, Geneva, Biel,…).
However, there is a FlixBus stop in the city of Chur. This route allows you to travel to Chur from cities such as Munich, Ulm, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Mannheim and a few more.
Check out their bus routes map on their website (the default country for the English website is the western part of the USA, you will have to zoom over to Europe first) here: https://www.flixbus.com/bus-routes