Where to stay in Davos
Davos spreads along its high valley as two linked centres, Davos Platz and Davos Dorf, each with its own railway station and mountain lifts, plus quieter stays toward the side valleys and neighbouring Klosters. The choice is mostly about which lifts and which end of town you want: Platz is the busier hub near the Jakobshorn, Dorf sits by the Parsenn railway, and Klosters offers the prettier, calmer alternative on the same ski pass. It's a large, rail-served town, so car-free is easy, and it skews toward hotels over chalets.
Price level
$$$$
Getting there
Train-friendly
Ideal stay
4–7 nights
Best months
January, February, March
Best areas to stay in Davos
Where to base yourself, and who each area suits best.
Davos Platz
The main hub with shops, restaurants, the congress centre, and the Jakobshorn lift, busiest and most central.
Best for: Travelers who want amenities, dining, and a lift at hand.
Davos Dorf
The quieter northern centre by the Parsenn funicular and the lake, a touch calmer with its own station.
Best for: Skiers headed for the Parsenn who want a slightly gentler base.
Klosters
The smaller, prettier village down the line, more chalet-charming and calm, on the same linked ski area.
Best for: Couples and families who want village character with the big skiing close.
Side valleys (Sertig, Dischma, Flüela)
Quiet hamlets and mountain hotels up the valleys, big on cross-country and hiking, away from the town.
Best for: Walkers and cross-country skiers after peace and scenery.
What each price tier buys you
A quick sense of what to expect, and what to spend, across the range in Davos.
Apartments, hostels, and simpler hotels, and the side valleys, give the best value in an otherwise pricey, high-end town.
Comfortable three- and four-star hotels, many with a spa, fill Platz and Dorf, the mainstay of a ski week.
Polished four- and five-star hotels with full spas sit in both centres and in Klosters, at the top of the range.
Live prices and availability for your dates.
Booking tips for Davos
- Pick Platz for amenities and the Jakobshorn, or Dorf for the Parsenn railway; both are on the train line.
- For village charm on the same ski pass, base in Klosters down the line rather than in Davos itself.
- Davos books out for the January World Economic Forum, so avoid that week unless that's why you're coming.
Where to stay in Davos, your questions
The practical questions travelers ask most when choosing a base here.
- Where is the best area to stay in Davos?
- Davos Platz is the classic choice, the main hub with shops, restaurants, the congress centre, and the jakobshorn lift, busiest and most central. Davos spreads along its high valley as two linked centres, Davos Platz and Davos Dorf, each with its own railway station and mountain lifts, plus quieter stays toward the side valleys and neighbouring Klosters. The choice is mostly about which lifts and which end of town you want: Platz is the busier hub near the Jakobshorn, Dorf sits by the Parsenn railway, and Klosters offers the prettier, calmer alternative on the same ski pass. It's a large, rail-served town, so car-free is easy, and it skews toward hotels over chalets.
- Is Davos expensive to stay in?
- Davos is pricey compared with other Alpine bases. Comfortable three- and four-star hotels, many with a spa, fill Platz and Dorf, the mainstay of a ski week.
- Do you need a car in Davos?
- No, Davos is train-friendly and walkable, so most visitors base themselves centrally and travel by rail and lift.
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Other Swiss Alps bases
Weigh Davos against the other handpicked towns in the region.
Zermatt
$$$$$The Matterhorn, a car-free village, and the best splurge in the Alps.
Wengen
$$$$A car-free balcony village hanging over the Lauterbrunnen valley.
Grindelwald
$$$The Eiger over your shoulder and a lift to everything.
Lauterbrunnen
$$$The valley of 72 waterfalls, the Alps' most photographed floor.
Interlaken
$$$The gateway hub, convenient, lively, not the mountains themselves.
Lucerne
$$$A lakeside city that doubles as the perfect Alps on-ramp.
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