Zürich / Zurich to Davos by train

How to take the rail journey from Zurich to Davos

Davos is one of the Swiss alpine resort towns which can be easily accessed by train from Zurich.
A very simple change of train is required in Landquart and the routes taken by the trains you will be taking are both fabulous.

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Routes

From Zürich HB / Zurich main station to Davos Platz

Journey Summary

Travel Time
2hr 19min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Information

1 x connection per hour

Change trains in: Landquart

When looking at a rail map of Switzerland, you might assume that the obvious means of reaching Davos from Zurich by train would be to change trains at Chur, but instead you need to change trains at Landquart.

The connecting time between trains at Landquart station will be only 6 mins; but this is Switzerland, so making the connection in time is virtually guaranteed.

However, in order to make this optimum connection you'll need to have booked tickets for the end-to-end journey on SBB, or be travelling with a pass.
Six minutes is unlikely to be enough time to book tickets for the RhB train to Davos on arrival in Landquart.

Tickets

Booking tickets:

Tickets can be booked online for this end-to-end journey which involve taking a SBB train + the train(s) on to Davos which are operated by RhB.

‘Individual tickets’ can be used on any train(s) on your travel date, but they tend to be comparatively expensive.

Supersaver tickets are cheaper, the portion of the journey by the SBB train can be discounted by up to 50%, but these tickets are train departure specific - see our Swiss Tickets guide for more advice on how to book these tickets

If you book a Supersaver ticket and a flight delay etc, causes you to miss a train you are booked on to, you will have to book another full-price ‘Individual Ticket(s).
You can then apply for a refund of the Supersaver ticket, but the application costs CHF 10.

Hence it’s worth comparing the ticket price of a journey with the price(s) of Saver Day Passes; they might save you money and can also allow for a less stressful journey.

Using Saver Day Passes:

Now that the Swiss Transfer tickets have been discontinued a Saver Day Pass may save you money, if you can book at least a couple of weeks ahead (usually), so that you can obtain the pass at a discounted price.

They can be cheaper than tickets for the end-to-end journey, though they are more likely to be a money saver if you will be making a day return trip between Zurich and Davos, even if you can book in advance.

They can be used on;

  • the trains between Zurich Fughafen/Airport and Zurich HB station
  • the trains between Zurich HB to Landquart
  • the trains between Landquart and Davos.

They are not train specific, so can still be used in the event of a journey to Switzerland being delayed.
Though as they’re only valid for one day’s travel, the clue is the name, you’ll need to purchase another Saver Day Pass for your return journey.

Though they need to be booked at least a day ahead of your travel date, so won't be an option if you book tickets at the station on arrival in Switzerland.
They're also cheaper the further ahead that you book.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
SBB *

SBB Guide

SBB is the main national rail operator in Switzerland, but tickets for journeys by the other significant operators including BLS and SOB can be be booked on the SBB website.

SBB also sells tickets for journeys to many destinations which involve a combination of SBB trains and services provided by the many independent operators who serve the Alpine resort towns.
However, if you will be making a long-distance return day trip, look out for he possibility of SaverDay passes being cheaper than tickets.

Though if you download the SBB app, booking tickets on SBB's mobile services can be simper than using the website.
Also watch out for the fact that booking international tickets can be comparatively quirky.

Trainline *

Trainline Guide

Happyrail *

Happyrail Guide

Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.

HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.

Trainline *

Trainline Guide

Journey Features

Scenic - YesLake viewsMountain views

Good to Know

Two of the daily departures are ICE-1 trains that have travelled from Germany.

These trains will depart from the street level platforms/tracks at Zurich HB - gleis 3 - 18.

Final Destination: Chur

Connect at Landquart into RhB trains towards Klosters and Davos.

From Zurich Flughafen/Airport:

There are now hourly direct trains between the station at Zurich Flughafen/Airport and Landquart, but those trains take an indirect route via St Gallen.

So it's possible to save around 50 mins on a train journey from Zurich Airport to Landquart, by changing trains at Zurich HB station.

Making the transfer will be much easier if you take a train from Zurich Flughafen to Zurich HB which uses the same part of Zurich HB station (platforms/tracks/gleis 3 - 18) that the trains on to Landquart depart from.

So when taking a train from the airport target either;

  • the trains on route S24 heading to Zug - every 30 mins.
  • the IR trains to Luzern - every 30 mins.
  • the IR train to Basel via via Brugg - 1 x train per hour.
Looking over the Zurichsee (Lake Zurich) #1 Looking over the Zurichsee (Lake Zurich) #1
Looking over the Zurichsee (Lake Zurich) #2 Looking over the Zurichsee (Lake Zurich) #2
Looking over the Zurichsee (Lake Zurich) #3 Looking over the Zurichsee (Lake Zurich) #3
Passing the Walensee Passing the Walensee
The shore of the Walensee approaching Sargans The shore of the Walensee approaching Sargans
Near Sargans Near Sargans

From the left of the train (when facing the direction) of travel, there are fabulous views over Lake Zurich...

and then over the Walensee...

...before the train makes its first station call in Sargans

Then between Sargans and Landquart there are very pleasant views of distant mountain ranges from both sides of the train.

Train 2

Between
Landquart
Image coming soon...
Landquart
And
Davos
Image coming soon...
Davos Platz

Journey Features

Scenic - YesMountain views

Good to Know

Final Destination: Davos Platz or St Moritz

The trains that terminate at Davos Platz depart hourly, while the trains to St Moritz depart in every other hour.

All trains also call at: Klosters Dorf and Klosters Platz and Davos Dorf*

*The train will make two station calls in Davos, it will call at Davos Dorf before arriving at Davos Platz, so check which station will suit you best prior to boarding.

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