Klosters shares its entire lift network with Davos but almost none of its character. Where Davos is a working town of eleven thousand, Klosters is a village strung along a valley floor — quieter, lower, and traditionally the base for people who want the skiing without the conference centre.
It is also 13 km closer to Zurich Airport, which shortens the transfer by a quarter of an hour.
Getting there from Zurich Airport
| Option | Time | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private transfer | 1 h 52 | CHF 684 E-Class · CHF 765 V-Class | Door to door, fixed, ski carriage included |
| Train | 2 h 09 | Per person | Two changes, typically Landquart |
| Hire car | ~1 h 52 | Rate + fuel + parking | Winter tyres essential |
Full grid for the 161 km: CHF 684 E-Class, CHF 765 V-Class for up to seven, CHF 926 S-Class, CHF 1217 in a 14-seat Sprinter. Per vehicle, with 10 % off a return booked together.
The train is genuinely competitive here. Two hours nine against one hour fifty-two by road is a difference of seventeen minutes, and Klosters Platz station sits in the middle of the village. For one or two people travelling light this is one of the rare Graubünden resorts where the railway wins on merit. The car earns its price with a group, with equipment, or when your arrival does not line up with a clean connection.
The skiing
Klosters gives access to the same six areas as Davos — Parsenn, Madrisa, Jakobshorn, Pischa, Rinerhorn and Schatzalp — on one lift pass, linked by ski bus rather than by lift.
Two of them start from the village itself. Parsenn is reached by the Gotschnabahn from Klosters Platz and is the classic terrain: long descents that run all the way back down to Klosters and Küblis. Madrisa, above Klosters Dorf, is the gentlest area of the whole network and the reason families choose this side of the valley rather than Davos.
The rest of the network is a bus ride away, which is the trade you make for the quieter base.
Klosters or Davos?
| Klosters | Davos | |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer from ZRH | CHF 684 · 1 h 52 | CHF 736 · 2 h 05 |
| Lift network | Identical — same pass, same ski bus | |
| Character | Village, quiet, traditional | Town, shops, year-round life |
| Best for families | Madrisa, on the doorstep | Reachable by bus |
| Evening options | Limited | Extensive |
| WEF week in January | Outside the controlled zone | Inside it |
The skiing is the same. Choose Klosters for quiet and for Madrisa, Davos for a town that does things in the evening. And if you are travelling during World Economic Forum week, Klosters is the calmer base by a wide margin — it sits outside the security perimeter while sharing the same slopes.
Practical notes
Platz and Dorf
Klosters Platz has the station and the Gotschnabahn; Klosters Dorf sits below with the Madrisa lift. Give the driver the hotel, not “Klosters”.
1,190 m in the village
Lower than Davos at 1,560 m. Early and late season snow is more reliable higher up the mountain than in the village.
V-Class in winter
Eight pieces of luggage against three, and carriage is included rather than charged.
Book weeks ahead
Changeover day across the Alps. Vehicles are finite and the good slots go first.
Where to go next
WEF Davos 2027 →What changes in the valley each January, and how to plan around it.
All ski destinations →Every resort from ZRH compared by road and by rail.
All fixed prices →The full grid with real road distances.
Zurich Airport to Klosters — FAQ
How far is Klosters from Zurich Airport?
161 km by road, about one hour and fifty minutes in normal conditions. That makes it thirteen kilometres and roughly a quarter of an hour closer than Davos.
How much is a transfer from Zurich Airport to Klosters?
CHF 684 in an E-Class, CHF 765 in a V-Class for up to seven people, CHF 926 in an S-Class and CHF 1217 in a Sprinter. Per vehicle and fixed before you travel.
Can I reach Klosters by train from the airport?
Yes, in about two hours nine minutes with two changes, and the station is in the middle of the village. The gap against the road is only seventeen minutes, which makes the train a genuinely good option here for one or two people travelling light.
Does Klosters share the Davos lift pass?
Yes. The same pass covers all six areas — Parsenn, Madrisa, Jakobshorn, Pischa, Rinerhorn and Schatzalp — linked by ski bus rather than by lift.
Is Klosters better than Davos for families?
Madrisa, directly above Klosters Dorf, is the gentlest area in the network and it is on the doorstep rather than a bus ride away. That is the main argument for basing a family here.
Is Klosters affected by the World Economic Forum?
Far less than Davos. It sits outside the controlled zone while sharing the same slopes, which makes it the calmer base during that week in January.