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Voykit pocket guide · Switzerland
Davos
Give Davos 2–3 nights if you ski or hike; skip it as a summer sightseeing stop unless you want high-altitude trails and a quiet town.
Davos is a high Alpine resort town in Graubünden, 1,124–2,844 m, built around winter sports and summer hiking rather than a historic old town. It hosts the World Economic Forum each January. Two train stations, Davos Dorf and Davos Platz, sit about 30 minutes apart on foot, and the whole town is roughly 3–4 km long, so you can walk or ride the local bus almost anywhere. Come for snow in Dec–Mar or marked trails in Jul–Sep; a day trip from Chur or Zurich is possible but thin.
- Country
- Switzerland
- Best months
- Dec–Mar (ski), Jul–Sep (hiking)
- Avoid
- Nov (between seasons, lifts and many hotels closed), late Jan during the WEF (prices and security)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CHF
- Money
- Currency is the Swiss franc (CHF). Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere; euros are sometimes taken with change in francs.
- Daily spend
- Budget CHF 90–140 excl. bed · Mid CHF 140–230 excl. bed · High CHF 230+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt sell prepaid SIMs (ID needed); Swisscom covers the most mountain terrain.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Ambulance 144 · Fire 118 · Rega air rescue 1414 · European emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types J, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Swiss three-pin sockets are recessed: thin two-pin (type C) plugs fit, but thick German Schuko plugs do not — bring a Swiss adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Service included; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.; Café or bar: Round up.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Optional; CHF 2–5 for porters.; Mountain guide: CHF 20–50 for a day, optional.
- Water
- Tap and fountain water is excellent. Restaurants usually charge for bottled water; ask for 'Hahnenwasser' / 'eau du robinet'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost CHF 1–2; restaurants and department stores are free for customers.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | CHF 4–6 |
| Plate of rösti or a bowl of soup | CHF 18–28 |
| Cheese fondue for one | CHF 28–40 |
| Beer: draught / supermarket can | CHF 6–9 / CHF 2–3 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | CHF 12–15 by day, roughly double at night |
| Kirchner Museum entry | CHF 10 adults |
| Winter Sports Museum entry | CHF 5 adults |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ZRH · Zurich Airport
- Train to Davos about 3 h with changes at Zurich HB and Landquart; winter Saturday coaches run from the airport in Dec–Apr, about 2 h
Typical fares
- Zurich HB → Davos, second class
- about CHF 96 return from Klosters; Davos slightly more, about 3 h
- Davos Platz → Davos Dorf, local train
- free with the guest card; a few minutes
- Taxi in town
- CHF 12–15 by day, roughly double at night
Get around
The town is about 3–4 km long and 1 km wide; walk the Promenade or take the municipal bus end to end. Ask your hotel for the Davos/Klosters guest card (Gästekarte): it covers most local buses, local trains and many lifts. Taxis run about CHF 12–15 by day and roughly double at night.The town is about 1.9–2.5 mi long and 0.6 mi wide; walk the Promenade or take the municipal bus end to end. Ask your hotel for the Davos/Klosters guest card (Gästekarte): it covers most local buses, local trains and many lifts. Taxis run about CHF 12–15 by day and roughly double at night.
See and do
Known for
- World Economic Forum (January)
- Parsenn and Jakobshorn ski areas
- Kirchner Museum
- Schatzalp and the Sertig valley
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Klosters | Rhaetian Railway from Davos Platz or Davos Dorf, about 25–30 min | About 30 min |
| Chur | Train via Landquart, about 1 h 30 min | About 1.5–2 h |
| Arosa | Train to Chur, then the Arosa line, about 2 h 30 min total | About 2.5–3 h |
| Lenzerheide | Train to Chur then bus or the cantonal line, about 2 h | About 2–2.5 h |
| Val Mesolcina | Train to Chur then south via San Bernardino, about 3 h+ | 3 h+ |
| Tujetsch | Train via Chur and Disentis, about 3 h+ | 3 h+ |
Sleep
- Davos Platz
- South end: main Promenade shops, restaurants, Kirchner Museum and the congress centre; bus and train links.
- Davos Dorf
- North end: closer to the Parsenn cable car and the Dorf station; quieter, good for early starts on the slopes.
- Davos Wolfgang / Lake area
- Out of the centre; cheaper beds but you need the bus for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | GrüeziGROO-etsi |
| Thank you | MerciMER-si |
| Please | BitteBIT-teh |
| How much is it? | Was kostet das?vas KOS-tet das |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit KAR-teh TSA-len |
| Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette?vo ist dee toy-LET-teh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; three cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Skipping the greeting in shops
- Punctuality: Be exactly on time; avoid: Running for the train expecting it to wait
- Language: Greet in the local language, then ask for English; avoid: Speaking German in Geneva as a default
- Quiet: Low voices in trains; quiet carriages are marked; avoid: Speakerphone calls
- Money: Keep financial talk discreet; avoid: Asking people's salaries
- Recycling: Separate PET, glass and cans; avoid: Leaving rubbish in hotel or flat bins unsorted
Scams and watch-outs
- The guest card covers local transport and some lifts, but not all mountain railways: check which cable cars are included before you ride.
- Late January brings the World Economic Forum: hotel prices spike and parts of the centre are closed off.
- November is between seasons: many lifts, hotels and restaurants shut; confirm what is open before booking.
- High altitude (1,124–2,844 m): take the first day easy if you have come up from sea level.
Davos is a safe, well-run resort town; the real risks are altitude, fast-changing mountain weather, and off-piste skiing without a guide. Tell someone your route, carry a charged phone, and check the avalanche bulletin before leaving the marked runs.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Davos yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- World Economic Forum (January)
- Parsenn and Jakobshorn ski areas
- Kirchner Museum
- Schatzalp and the Sertig valley
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Davos municipality (official): www.gemeindedavos.ch/
- Davos Klosters tourism (official): www.davos.ch
- Swiss Federal Railways (SBB): www.sbb.ch/en/home.html
- Wikivoyage: Davos, revision 5209197 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5209197
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Davos
Bitte zu dieser Adresse
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Switzerland has no foreign embassies in Davos; most countries keep embassies in Bern and consulates in Zurich or Geneva.
Swiss German is the local language; English is widely spoken in hotels, lifts and restaurants.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/davos). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.