Laax is one of Switzerland’s biggest & best ski resorts & located in canton Grisons (Graubünden).
Where is Laax, Switzerland?
The
Laax ski resort & its largest village of
Flims is 21km west of the capital of canton Grisons,
Chur. The major city of
Zurich is 138km by road (1.5hr) to the northwest.
Flights to Laax
The gateway international airport for Laax is
Zurich. The Zurich airport has rail connections to Chur with one change required, then a direct bus can be taken to Laax. Alternatively, numerous
airport transfer &
car rental options exist but be wary of hefty security deposits if hiring a car in Switzerland.
Other airports that are can be linked to Laax without too much effort are
Milan Malpensa (MXP) (if driving!),
Innsbruck &
Munich. The airport at
Innsbruck only accepts flights from European & UK origins.
To search for a great deal on a flight to Zurich or other European airport, use our preferred
flight search engine.
Airport & Hotel Transfers
The most comfortable & simplest mode of transport to Laax ski resort is a private transfer direct to your hotel direct from Zurich airport or Chur. Private transfers offer convenience & great value for groups of three people or more. Search & book your transfer to Laax & Flims
here.
Train & Bus Transport to Laax
A sure way to
POW (Protect Our Winters) is by taking the train & bus to Laax. The Swiss rail & bus system is awesome, so one does not generally need to utilise any other transport means whilst in country.
From whatever origin, take a train to
Chur or
Ilanz & complete one’s journey to Laax by bus. Train journeys from Zurich airport to Chur take less than 2hr. From as far afield as Geneva airport, the journey is 5hr to Ilanz – but it is an oh so spectacular ride! See the eastern Switzerland rail map
here.
The city of
Chur has a superbly integrated train, bus & tram (light rail) station at its centre. From the train, walk to the end of the platform & take the escalators directly up to the covered bus terminal. Catch the regular
PostAuto route 81 bus to Flims (stop- Flims Dorf ,Bergbahnen)(40min travel time) or continue the short distance to Laax. See bus route map
here.
From Ilanz train station to Laax, take the
PostAuto route 411 bus (one every hour takes 30min). See bus route map
here.
Search & purchase train tickets to Chur or Ilanz
here.
If spending an extended time skiing in Switzerland & Europe and plan on travelling by train, consider getting a
Eurail Pass here.
Driving to Laax
The roads to Laax & Flims, unlike many ski resorts in Europe, are quite straight forward and shouldn't be too testing on the nerves! With the way west of Sedrun to Andermatt closed in winter to all cars, there are effectively only two roads leading to the ski resort in winter.
From Italy, Austria or eastern Switzerland, the major E43/A13 motorway provides the best link to Laax. From either direction, exit at
Reichenau near Chur and drive west on route 19 for 11km to Flims & a couple more to Laax. A journey from Zurich airport to Laax is around 155km & should only take 2hr.
To add a bit of spice to your sauce, if driving to Laax from Italy, an interesting alternative is to come via the minor road over the Lukmanier Pass (a.k.a. Passo del Lucomagno) to Disentis, then travel east for 37km on route 19 via
Ilanz to Laax & Flims .
Sick of driving and coming from Geneva or further west? Load the car onto the train at
Andermatt and enjoy the ride in the comfort of the carriage through to Disentis.
Switzerland does not have any road tolls on its major highways. A once off annual fee of approximately 40CHF (2018 price) covers all the country. It can be purchased at major border crossings or ask your car rental provider if already in Switzerland (or just do nothing & see what happens!) .
Car Rental & Hire
All the major airports & cities have car hire available. The closest rental location to Laax is Chur, but by far the best deals & widest range of vehicles are at the highly competitive airports at Zurich & Milan Malpensa.
If renting a car in Switzerland, read the fine print carefully because some locations charge exorbitant security deposits of up to CHF6000.
Search for all rental cars by location, availability & rate
here.
Nearby Ski Resorts
Laax is close to some of Switzerland’s best ski resorts. Closest is the fun
Brigels - a perennial Powderhounds favourite.
From Chur, the train & bus connections allow for easily travel to
Arosa,
Davos Klosters &
St Moritz and
Lenzerheide.
A host of smaller ski resorts can also be reached by public transport including the Chur local ski resorts of
Brambüesch, Hochwang &
Tschiertschen, plus some further afield like
Bivio &
Savognin.
Chur’s Rhaetian railway connects in the west with the Matterhorn Gotthard line at Disentis/Muster, opening a world of 'ski by rail' opportunity. Ski resorts at Disentis,
Andermatt Sedrun,
Aletsch Arena,
Crans Montana &
Zermatt are all directly accessible from the train. Go forth and explore!