Davos, Switzerland: Airport Accessibility And Convenience

Davos, Switzerland, is a popular destination for skiing and the annual World Economic Forum, which brings together business and political leaders from across the globe. The closest airport to Davos is St. Moritz Airport, a dedicated private jet airport, 65km or 40.37 miles away. However, most travellers fly into Zurich Airport, which is 148km or 91.96 miles away. Zurich Airport offers a similar driving time to Davos and is less vulnerable to weather problems than the high-altitude Samedan Airport.

Nearest airport to Davos

Davos, Switzerland, is a popular destination for skiing and the World Economic Forum annual meeting. The nearest airport to Davos is Saint Moritz Airport, also known as Samedan Saint Moritz Airport, which is 65km or 69km away. However, most people fly into Zurich Airport, which is 148km or 154km away, as it offers a similar driving time and is less vulnerable to weather problems than the high-altitude Samedan, which is the second-highest airport in Europe. Zurich Airport is also an international hub, whereas Saint Moritz is a dedicated private jet airport.

Other nearby airports include:

• Friedrichshafen Airport, Germany—153km away
• Memmingen Airport, Germany—136km away
• Milan Malpensa Airport, Italy—240km or 246km away
• Innsbruck Kranebitten Airport, Austria—175km away
• Lugano Airport, Switzerland—164km away
• Bolzano Airport, Italy—167km away

Zurich Airport details

Zurich Airport, located in the municipalities of Kloten, Rümlang, Oberglatt, Winkel, and Opfikon, is the largest international airport in Switzerland. It is the principal hub of Swiss International Air Lines and serves Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland. The airport is situated 13 kilometres (8 miles) north of central Zurich.

The airport features three airside piers, known as terminals A, B, and E, which are linked to a central airside building called the Airside Centre. The Airside Centre provides duty-free shopping and dining options for departing passengers. Arriving Schengen and non-Schengen passengers are handled separately, with non-Schengen passengers first passing through immigration controls. Terminal A exclusively serves flights to and from destinations within the Schengen Area, while Terminal B accommodates both Schengen and non-Schengen flights. Terminal E, also known as the midfield terminal, is a standalone satellite terminal located between runways 16/34 and 14/32 and is dedicated to non-Schengen international flights.

Zurich Airport offers a range of transportation options for passengers and visitors. The Zürich Flughafen railway station, located underneath the Airport Centre, provides convenient connections to various destinations across Switzerland, including Basel, Bern, Geneva, and Lucerne. The airport is also served by the Stadtbahn Glattal light rail system and several bus routes, connecting it to the surrounding Glattal region. Additionally, there are taxi services, chauffeur-driven limousines, and bicycle access to the airport.

The airport has a variety of shops and restaurants, ensuring a pleasant experience for travellers. Zurich Airport also prioritises sustainability, with plans to rebuild Terminal A using sustainable wood and incorporate photovoltaics, contributing to its CO2 reduction strategy.

Other nearby airports

The closest airport to Davos, Switzerland, is St. Moritz Airport, which is dedicated to private jets and is 65km or 18.4 miles away. However, most people fly into Zurich Airport, which is 148km or 90 miles away. Zurich Airport is the closest international airport and is 154km or 160km from Davos.

• Friedrichshafen Airport, Germany (150km or 93-99.6 miles)
• Milan Malpensa Airport, Italy (240-250km or 155 miles)
• Innsbruck Airport, Austria (170km or 105 miles)
• Memmingen Airport, Germany (136km)
• Lugano Airport, Switzerland (164km or 114km)
• Bolzano Airport, Italy (167km or 120.1km)
• St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport, Switzerland (116km or 78.6km)
• Geneva Airport, Switzerland
• EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, on the border of Switzerland, France, and Germany

Airports in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy

Davos in Switzerland does not have its own airport. However, there are several airports in nearby towns and cities that people can use to get to Davos. The nearest airport to Davos is St Moritz (SMV) Airport, which is 18.4 miles or 65km away. Other nearby airports include Zurich (ZRH) Airport (75 miles or 148km away), Milan Bergamo (BGY) Airport (78.8 miles away), Milan Linate (LIN) Airport (96.4 miles away), and Milan Malpensa (MXP) Airport (97.2 miles or 240km away).

Switzerland

Switzerland has seven international airports. Zurich Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Switzerland, serving more than 194 destinations across 69 countries. It is the main hub for Swiss International Air Lines (Swiss Air) and is just 13km from Zurich city centre. Geneva Airport is another busy airport, servicing flights to over 100 destinations and seeing close to 18 million passengers per year. It is located on the Swiss-France border and is just 4km outside of Geneva city centre. Basel Airport, or EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, is unique in that it services three countries at once—Switzerland, France, and Germany. It is located in France, just 3.5km away from the Swiss city of Basel and offers flights to over 30 countries. Bern Airport is one of the smaller Swiss airports, located about 12km away from Bern city centre. It operates direct flights to and from 11 destinations in Europe. Lugano Airport is located close to the Swiss Alps in southern Switzerland, just 30km from the Swiss-Italian border. It is currently only open for seasonal flights. St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport is situated on the shores of Lake Constance in northern Switzerland, close to the borders of Austria, Germany, and Liechtenstein. It is a popular airport for business travellers and offers flights to select European destinations during the summer months. Sion Airport is a small airport in central Switzerland, servicing only five destinations across Europe. It is a good airport to fly to for access to ski resorts in the Valais region.

Austria

Innsbruck Kranebitten Airport is an international airport located 175km from Davos, Switzerland. It is also a domestic airport for those travelling within Austria.

Germany

Memmingen Airport and Bodensee Airport, Friedrichshafen are international airports in Germany that are relatively close to Davos, Switzerland, at 136km and 153km away, respectively. Friedrichshafen Airport also offers domestic flights within Germany.

Italy

Milan Malpensa Airport is an international airport located 240km from Davos, Switzerland. Milan Linate Airport and Milan Bergamo Airport also service the Milan area. Bolzano Airport is a domestic airport located 167km from Davos, Switzerland.

Transport options to Davos

Davos, Switzerland, is accessible by air, road, and rail. The closest airports are:

• St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport (ACH) in Switzerland—78.6 kilometres from Davos.
• Friedrichshafen Airport (FDH) in Germany—99.6 kilometres from Davos.
• Lugano Airport (LUG) in Switzerland—114 kilometres from Davos.
• Bolzano Airport (BZO) in Italy—120.1 kilometres from Davos.
• Zurich Airport (ZRH) in Switzerland—154 to 169 kilometres from Davos. A two-hour drive or two-hour-and-forty-minute train ride from the airport.
• Memmingen Airport (FMM) in Germany—136 kilometres from Davos.
• Innsbruck Airport (INN) in Austria—170 kilometres from Davos.
• Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) in Italy—240 to 250 kilometres from Davos.

The nearest airport to Davos is St Moritz Airport (SMV), which is dedicated to private jets and is 65 kilometres from Davos. Zurich Airport is the most popular airport for commercial flights, offering a similar driving time to St Moritz Airport but with less vulnerability to weather problems.

From Zurich Airport, it is a 148-kilometre drive or a 3-hour-and-17-minute train ride to Davos. Trains depart every hour from underneath the airport.

Frequently asked questions