Don't be put off by the length of the journey and the need to change trains, this is a fantastic journey, particularly once you have passed through Zurich.
The trains to Landquart depart from Basel at either 07 or 33 mins past each hour.
If the timings suit, the quickest connections in Landquart are possible if you can take the trains that leave at 33 mins past the hour.
Take these departures and connecting time between trains at Landquart station will be only 6 mins, but this is Switzerland, so making the connection in time is virtually guaranteed.
However, in order to make this optimum connection you'll need to have booked tickets for the end-to-end journey on SBB, or be travelling with a rail pass.
Six minutes is unlikely to be enough time, to book tickets for the RhB train on to Davos, on arrival in Landquart.
14 x connections per day
Change trains in: Landquart
Booking Tickets:
SBB and Trainline will sell tickets for this end-to-end journeys which involve taking a SBB train + the train(s) on to Davos which are operated by RhB
‘Individual tickets’ can be used on any train(s) on your travel date, but they tend to be comparatively expensive.
Supersaver tickets are cheaper, the portion of the journey by the SBB train can be discounted by up to 50%, but these tickets are train departure specific.
If you book a Supersaver ticket and a flight delay etc, causes you to miss a train you are booked on to, you will have to book another full-price ‘Point-to-Point ticket(s).
You can then apply for a refund of the Supersaver ticket, but the application costs CHF 10.
Hence it’s worth comparing the ticket price of a journey with the price(s) e of Saver Day Passes (see below) – they might save you money and can also allow for a less stressful journey.
Using Saver Day Passes:
Now that the Swiss Transfer tickets have been discontinued a Saver Day Pass may save you money, if you can book at least a couple of weeks ahead (usually), so that you can obtain the pass at a discounted price.
They can be cheaper than tickets for the end-to-end journey, though they are more likely to be a money saver if you will be making a day return trip between Basel and Davos, even if you can book in advance.
They can be used on;
They are not train specific, so can still be used in the event of a journey to Switzerland being delayed.
Though as they’re only valid for one day’s travel, the clue is the name, you’ll need to purchase another Saver Day Pass for your return journey, if you'll be coming back to Basel at a later date,
However, they need to be booked at least a day ahead of your travel date, so won't be an option if you book tickets at the station on arrival in Switzerland.
They're also cheaper the further ahead that you book.
Additional Information:
More general info is available on our GUIDE to taking the train to Swiss Ski Resorts.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
SBB | * | |
Trainline | * | |
Trainline | * |
These direct trains from Basel to Landquart (which are heading to Chur) are an exception to the standard 'clock-face' timetable which, Swiss national rail operator SBB uses for its other IC express train routes.
In some hours there are two trains from Basel to Landquart, in others there is just one and in a few hours there are none.
And this pattern of departures is random.
So when looking up this journey on SBB, you'll also see other journey options, which involve a change of train in Zurich.
If the timings of these direct trains don't suit, then making the connection in Zurich is relatively straightforward.
Also two of the late afternoon/evening departures are ICE-4 trains that are on route to Landqart from Germany, they substitute for the usual IC trains in the hours in which they operate.
The brand new LD/Twindexx trains are also gradually being introduced on this route.
The highlights of this train ride occur after the train has departed from Zurich where these trains will reverse direction.
From the left of the train (when facing the direction) of travel, there are fabulous views over Lake Zurich for more than 20 minutes.
Then around 10 minutes after leaving Lake Zurich behind, an even more spectacular lake, the Wallensee can also be seen on the left, before the train arrives in Sargans.
Then finally between Sargans and Landquart there are distant views of the Alps from both sides of the train.
Final Destination: Davos Platz or St Moritz
The trains that terminate at Davos Platz depart hourly, while the trains to St Moritz depart in every other hour.
All trains also call at: Klosters; and Davos Dorf*
*The train will make two station calls in Davos, it will call at Davos Dorf before arriving at Davos Platz, so check which station will suit you best prior to boarding.
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