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Voykit pocket guide · Switzerland
Laax
Go for 2–3 nights if you ski or ride; in summer 1–2 nights is enough — the lifts and lakes are the whole point, not the village.
Laax is a scattered mountain municipality in the Surselva, made up of several villages, of which Murschetg holds the base station for the Alpenarena ski area shared with Flims and Falera. It is a snowboarding centre rather than a sightseeing town: the mountain, the half-pipe and the summer lakes carry the trip. Come for the lifts, stay near the base station, and treat the villages as somewhere to sleep and eat.
- Country
- Switzerland
- Best months
- Dec–Apr for skiing; Jun–Sep for hiking, biking and lake swimming
- Avoid
- Mid-Oct to mid-Dec (lifts and many businesses shut), plus the Christmas and February school-holiday peaks if you dislike crowds
- 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 in a village café | CHF 4–6 |
| Plate of rösti or pasta in a village restaurant | CHF 20–32 |
| Mountain restaurant lunch on the slopes | CHF 22–38 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can from a shop | CHF 6–9 / CHF 2–3 |
| PostBus Chur to Laax, one way | CHF 12–18 (check) |
| Alpenarena day pass | CHF 77 adult / CHF 26 child |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | CHF 15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ZRH · Zurich
- Train to Chur, then PostBus to Laax; allow about 3–3.5 h door to door
- BSL · Basel-Mulhouse
- Longer rail transfer via Zurich or Chur; check connections before booking
Typical fares
- PostBus Chur to Laax
- 40–60 min, CHF 12–18 (check)
- Bus Ilanz to Laax
- about 20 min, hourly
- Alpenarena day pass
- CHF 77 adult / CHF 26 child
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
PostBus from Chur takes 40–60 min (1–3 an hour depending on season) and runs via Flims; an hourly bus from Ilanz takes about 20 min. Local buses link the districts of Laax and Flims, and a free winter shuttle runs from Falera to Fidaz. A car helps for the outer villages and summer lakes, but the ski buses cover the winter core.
See and do
Known for
- Alpenarena ski area (shared with Flims and Falera)
- Snowboarding and the half-pipe at Crap Sogn Gion
- Lag da Laax (Laaxersee) and Lag da Cauma
- Romansh-speaking villages of the Surselva
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Flims | PostBus or local bus from Laax, about 10–15 min | About 30 min |
| Falera | Free winter shuttle, or bus in summer | About 20 min |
| Ilanz | Hourly bus, about 20 min | About 30 min |
| Disentis | Bus or train via Ilanz, then the Surselva line | 1.5–2 h |
| Val Lumnezia | Bus via Ilanz | 1.5–2 h |
| Vals | Bus via Ilanz | 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Murschetg (base station)
- Lift base, RocksResort apartments and the Signinahotel; walk to the cable cars in minutes. Best for skiers and riders.
- Laax Vitg (the main village)
- Traditional core with the museum, church and most village restaurants; a bus or short drive from the lifts.
- Falera and Flims
- Neighbouring villages on the same lift pass; the winter shuttle links Falera to Fidaz, so you can sleep cheaper and still reach the slopes.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Allegraal-legra |
| Thank you | Grazia fitggra-tsia fitg |
| Please | Per plaschairper pla-shair |
| How much is it? | Quant costa?kvant kos-ta |
| Where is the bus stop? | Nua è la staziun da bus?nua e la sta-tsiun da bus |
| Do you speak English? | Discurris ti englais?dis-kur-is ti eng-lais |
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 municipality is spread over several villages: check which one your bed is in before booking, or you will be walking or bussing to the lifts.
- Mid-October to mid-December is the dead season — lifts, mountain restaurants and some village businesses close.
- Mountain restaurants on the slopes generally follow lift opening hours and close in mid-April; do not count on a late lunch after the last lift.
- Glacial lakes such as Lag da Cauma stay cold even in a heatwave, and the popular ones get busy on hot days.
- Winter road passes can close; if driving from the south, check the San Bernardino, Oberalp, Lukmanier and Albula routes before setting out.
Laax is a safe, small Alpine resort; the real risks are on the mountain — off-piste terrain, avalanche conditions and cold glacial water — plus ice on village paths in winter.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Laax yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Alpenarena ski area (shared with Flims and Falera)
- Snowboarding and the half-pipe at Crap Sogn Gion
- Lag da Laax (Laaxersee) and Lag da Cauma
- Romansh-speaking villages of the Surselva
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Laax official tourism site: www.laax.com/en
- Alpenarena (Flims Laax Falera) ski area: www.alpenarena.ch/
- Wikivoyage: Laax, revision 5172252 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5172252
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Laax
A questa adressa, per plaschair
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Switzerland has no foreign embassies in Laax; the US and UK embassies are in Bern, most other missions in Bern or Zurich. Check your own country's list before you travel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/laax). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.