Cheap Accommodation In Davos, Switzerland
Davos has a reputation that might make budget travelers hesitate before booking – it’s the Swiss Alpine town best known for hosting world leaders each January and for its serious ski slopes. But outside that narrow window, Davos is a genuinely accessible mountain destination, and one that rewards travelers who plan around the calendar rather than against it. Set in a high valley in the canton of Graubünden, surrounded by peaks that reach well over 2,800 metres, Davos offers hiking, lake swimming, and Alpine scenery that doesn’t disappear once the snow melts, and prices drop noticeably outside the peak winter and forum periods. Use the search box above to compare accommodation options in Davos and find the best deal for your dates.
Getting to Davos
Davos has no airport of its own, and that’s actually good news for budget planning – it forces you onto Switzerland’s excellent and reasonably priced train network rather than an expensive private transfer. Most travelers fly into Zurich Airport, then take a train, typically changing at Landquart, onto the scenic Rhaetian Railway line that climbs up into the mountains and terminates in Davos. The whole journey from Zurich takes roughly two and a half hours and the views on the final stretch are worth the trip alone. If you’re coming from Geneva or other parts of Switzerland, rail connections are straightforward, if a little longer. Buying a Swiss Travel Pass or booking train tickets in advance online will save a noticeable amount compared to walk-up fares, and driving is only worth considering if you’re already touring the Alps by car, since parking in Davos itself isn’t cheap.
Best Time to Visit Davos
If price is your priority, avoid January entirely – that’s when the World Economic Forum takes over the town and accommodation rates spike dramatically, often with minimum stay requirements. Peak ski season, from late December through February and into early March, also commands premium prices for anything close to the lifts. The real value in Davos shows up in the shoulder months: late spring, particularly May and June, and again in September and October, when the hiking trails are open, the weather is mild, and hotel rates fall well below winter levels. Summer, from July into August, is popular with hikers and families and prices sit in the middle, still cheaper than ski season but busier than the shoulder months. For anyone flexible with dates, targeting May or October in Davos is generally the smartest budget move.
Top Attractions in Davos
Much of what makes Davos worth visiting costs little or nothing beyond a lift ticket. Lake Davos, right on the edge of town, is free to walk around and popular for swimming in summer. The Schatzalp funicular carries you up to a historic hillside hotel and botanical garden with sweeping valley views, and while the ride itself has a fee, the walking trails once you’re up there are free to explore. Davos was also the setting that inspired Thomas Mann’s novel "The Magic Mountain," drawing on the town’s history as a health resort for tuberculosis patients in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and history-minded visitors can still spot traces of that era in some of the older sanatorium buildings. The Kirchner Museum, dedicated to the German Expressionist painter Ernst Ludwig Kirchner who lived in Davos for years, is a modest and affordable stop for art lovers. Jakobshorn and Parsenn, the two major mountains flanking the town, offer cable car access for hikers in summer and skiers in winter.
For Families and Kids
Davos works well for families without needing to spend heavily. The lakeside area has open space for kids to run around, plus swimming and pedal boats in the warmer months. Several playgrounds are scattered through town and are free to use. In winter, there’s a public ice rink and toboggan runs that don’t require full ski gear or lift passes, which can be a cheaper way to keep children entertained than a day on the slopes. Many self-contained apartments in Davos also come with kitchens, which helps families cut down on restaurant costs over a longer stay.
Outdoors and Nature Around Davos
This is really where Davos earns its keep for budget travelers, since the best of it is free. The surrounding valley has an extensive network of marked hiking trails ranging from easy lakeside walks to demanding alpine routes, and trail maps are widely available at no cost. Wildlife such as ibex and marmots are commonly spotted on higher trails, particularly around the Flüela Pass area outside town. In winter, cross-country skiing trails around Davos are considered some of the best in Switzerland, and many stretches are free to use without a pass. Even without spending on lifts or guided tours, a few days of walking through this landscape is enough to understand why people keep coming back.
Local Culture and Heritage
Davos carries an unusual double identity. For much of its modern history it functioned as a health resort, drawing patients from across Europe to its clean mountain air, a period that shaped both its architecture and its literary fame through Thomas Mann. In the latter half of the twentieth century it reinvented itself as a winter sports hub and, from the 1970s onward, as the host town for the World Economic Forum, which briefly turns it into one of the most talked-about places on earth each January. Outside that week, Davos settles back into a quieter identity as a working Alpine town, with Romansh and German cultural influences visible in local architecture, food, and festivals throughout the year.
Eating in Davos
Alpine Switzerland isn’t generally known as a cheap place to eat out, but there are still ways to keep costs down in Davos. Bakeries around the town centre sell affordable pastries and sandwiches that make a solid lunch, and supermarkets are well stocked for anyone self-catering in an apartment, which is a common and sensible strategy for longer stays. For a sit-down meal, look for smaller local restaurants slightly off the main promenade rather than those directly beside the lifts or lake, where prices tend to climb. Classic dishes like rösti, fondue, and raclette are widely available and, while not dirt cheap, are usually good value for the portion size, especially when shared. Lunch specials, often posted outside restaurants around midday, are typically the best-value hot meal you’ll find in town.
Accommodation Options in Davos
Davos accommodation spans a wide range, from simple guesthouses to five-star hotels that fill up during the forum, but there’s genuine budget middle ground for travelers who look beyond the biggest names near the lifts.
Budget and Cheapest Options
Smaller guesthouses and pensions, along with a limited number of hostel-style beds, offer the most affordable rates in Davos, particularly outside ski season. Booking early for winter weekends and the shoulder months still helps, since rooms in this price bracket are limited and go quickly once good weather or a snowfall is forecast.
Self-Contained Accommodation
Apartments and studios with kitchens are common in Davos and are often the best value for anyone staying more than a couple of nights, since they let you cook rather than rely on restaurant prices. This is a particularly popular option with families and groups splitting costs.
Family Accommodation
Larger apartments and some guesthouses in Davos cater specifically to families, often with extra bedding options and proximity to the lake or gentler ski runs. These tend to offer better value per person than standard hotel rooms once you’re travelling with more than two people.
Long-Stay Accommodation
Given how many visitors come to Davos for a full ski season or an extended summer hiking trip, long-stay rates on apartments are genuinely worth asking about directly, since weekly or monthly pricing often works out considerably cheaper per night than short bookings.
Luxury and Boutique Accommodation
Davos does have a well-established higher end, largely built around its history as a forum host and ski destination, with grand hillside hotels and boutique properties offering spa facilities and mountain views. These sit well above budget pricing but are worth knowing about if you’re travelling with a group willing to splurge on one or two nights.
Shopping in Davos
The main promenade through Davos is lined with shops selling everything from ski gear to Swiss watches, and while high-end boutiques dominate the strip, there are also more affordable spots for essentials, chocolate, and cheese to take home. Supermarkets are the most practical stop for self-caterers, and smaller general stores around the edges of town tend to have better prices than anything directly on the main tourist stretch.
Nightlife and Free Fun in Davos
Après-ski bars are the main evening draw in winter, and while drink prices reflect the resort setting, many places don’t charge a cover and are fine for just soaking up the atmosphere without spending much. In warmer months, evenings are quieter, and a walk around the lake as the light fades over the surrounding peaks is a genuinely free way to spend an evening. Stargazing away from the town’s lights is another no-cost option worth taking advantage of, given how clear the air gets at this altitude.
Suggested Budget Itinerary for Davos
Start the day with a bakery breakfast and a walk around Lake Davos before the crowds arrive. Mid-morning, take the Schatzalp funicular up for the views and a wander through the botanical garden trails, which cost little beyond the ride itself. Head back down for a self-catered or bakery lunch, then spend the afternoon on one of the marked hiking trails heading out from town, choosing a longer or shorter loop depending on energy levels. In the evening, cook in if you’re staying in a self-contained apartment, or find a smaller local restaurant away from the main promenade for a reasonably priced dinner. Finish with a quiet walk back toward the lake, where the mountain silhouettes against the night sky are, fittingly, the best free show Davos has to offer.