Ski and Mountain Transfers from Zurich Airport: Direct Trains, Times, the Swiss Travel Pass and the Night Before
Zurich is the airport for Switzerland’s eastern and central ski resorts, and the railway station under Check-in 3 is where the transfer starts: no coach, no city centre, no second taxi. The trains run to the clock, ski bags travel free, and the one decision that matters is whether to go up the mountain the night you land or sleep at the airport and take the first train. This guide gives the times, the tickets and the arithmetic.
From the airport station
Zürich Flughafen is on the main line east, so the resort trains leave from the airport platforms with at most one change. Davos (Platz or Dorf) is about 2 h 15 with a change at Landquart onto the Rhaetian Railway, and Klosters is on the same line 25 minutes earlier. Arosa is about 2 h 30, changing at Chur onto the narrow-gauge line that climbs behind the station. Flims-Laax is about 2 h: train to Chur, then the PostBus up the valley. Lenzerheide is similar via Chur. St. Moritz and the Engadin are about 3 h via Chur on the Albula line, one of the Glacier Express routes. To the west, Engelberg is about 2 h via Lucerne, and Andermatt about 2 h 30 via Göschenen. All are covered by SBB tickets bought at the airport machines or in the SBB app, which shows every connection and platform.
Tickets and passes
A second-class single from the airport to Davos costs roughly CHF 50 to 60 in 2026 and the SBB app sells Supersaver discounts on specific trains. The Swiss Half Fare Card (one month) halves every train, bus and boat fare and most mountain railways, and pays for itself on one return to the resort plus a lift pass discount. The Swiss Travel Pass (3 days CHF 254, 4 days CHF 309, 8 days CHF 439 in second class in 2026, more in first) covers all of it unlimited and gives 25 to 50 percent off mountain excursions; it suits trips that combine two resorts or a city with the mountains. Children under six travel free, and the Swiss Family Card lets children under 16 travel free with a parent. Our getting into Zurich guide covers the ZVV fares for the city.
Luggage and skis
Skis and boards travel free on every train in the racks or by the doors. SBB luggage forwarding takes bags and skis from the airport (or the check-in desk, with Fly Rail Baggage for departing flights on participating airlines) to the resort station or hotel for about CHF 12 to 30 a piece, booked two working days ahead; it is the way to make a two-change journey with three bags and two children bearable. Trains out of the airport on Saturday mornings from Christmas to Easter are the busiest of the year; reserve seats on the Davos and Engadin trains when SBB offers it.
The night before: airport or mountain
Flights from London, Amsterdam and the Gulf land through the evening, and a 7:00 pm arrival puts you in Davos after 10:00 pm with a cold hotel desk. Sleeping at the airport instead costs a room but buys a shower, a 7:00 am train and a lift pass by 10:00 am. The Radisson Blu is a covered walk from the platforms, the Hyatt Place and Hyatt Regency five minutes through The Circle, and the Alpine Garden Capsule Hotel opposite Check-in 1 is the budget version. On the way home the same logic applies to a 7:00 am flight: the last trains from Davos reach the airport after 10:00 pm, and the sleeping in the airport guide covers the curfew.
Driving instead
A hire car from the airport reaches Davos in about 2 h, Flims in 1 h 45 and Engelberg in 1 h 30 on clear roads, longer on winter Saturdays when the A3 and A13 queue at Chur. Winter tyres are expected, chains are needed on some resort roads, and every car needs the CHF 40 motorway vignette, which rental cars include; the car hire and vignette guide has the details, and the parking guide covers leaving your own car at the airport for the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which ski resorts can I reach by train from Zurich Airport?
Most of eastern and central Switzerland's: Davos and Klosters in about 2 h 15 with one change at Landquart, Arosa in 2 h 30 via Chur, Flims-Laax in about 2 h via Chur and a bus, Engelberg in about 2 h via Lucerne, St. Moritz in about 3 h via Chur, and Andermatt in about 2 h 30. The airport station is on the main line, so you do not go into Zurich.
Is the Swiss Travel Pass worth it for a ski trip?
For the transfer alone, no: a return from the airport to Davos costs less than the three-day pass (CHF 254 in second class in 2026). It pays when you also use trains, buses and boats between resorts or add a city, and it gives 25 to 50 percent off mountain railways. The Half Fare Card halves every ticket for a month and is the usual choice for one resort.
Can I take skis on the train?
Yes, free, in the racks or standing by the doors; SBB also forwards luggage and skis door to door for a fee if you book two days ahead. Trains to the resorts have space for ski bags but fill on Saturday mornings in February.
Should I stay at the airport the night I land?
If you land after about 6:00 pm, yes: the last connections into the resorts leave Zurich between 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm and arrive late, mountain hotels stop check-in around 10:00 pm, and the first morning trains get you to Davos by 10:00 am. The Radisson Blu and the two Hyatts are a covered walk from the airport platforms.
Information last verified: October 2, 2026