The best ski resort for Expats in Switzerland: Davos-Klosters. Insider Tips of a Ski instructor

The profession of a ski and snowboarding instructor definitely takes you to many different places. Only a few people on this planet are lucky enough to be born in the mountains. The rest of us, in order to find that pristine snow we love so much, need to leave home and move to at least 1000 meters above sea level.

Believe me when I say that this is the case for most ski and snowboard instructors. Approximately 80% of the instructors you’ll meet on the mountain are, in fact, "expats." Because of their love for snow, skiing, and snowboarding, many have left their home countries to live their best lives in the Alps. Personally, when I was a young instructor, I had the chance to work in many resorts around the Alps, including Kitzbühel, St. Anton, Verbier, and Kaprun. After many prestigious and well-known ski locations and resorts, I ended up in Davos, and I'm here to stay!

With such a curriculum of mountain resorts, you might ask why I stayed in Davos? Well, I can confidently say that Davos stands out as a gem of the Alps. I believe that this mountain town offers an unparalleled ski holiday experience for expats. Why? Simply because of its location and accessibility, its snow conditions, the affordable prices, the empty slopes, and the expat community. (if you wish to know more about Davos during winter you might find our “Guide to Davos in Winter” interesting).

In this article, I will break down, topic by topic, why Davos has proven time and again to be the winter destination for expats in Switzerland and why it convinced me to call this place “home.”

The most accessible resort for your Ski Trip

One of the factors that make Davos the go-to destination for expats is its exceptional accessibility. Located  in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Davos is seamlessly connected to major cities such as Bern, Zurich, Basel and St. Gallen by an extensive and efficient train network. Counting on the exceptional reliability of trains in Switzerland, you’ll be able to head to the station on a Friday afternoon and on a Saturday morning you’ll be on that first gondola ride that everyone dreams of. Pack your skies, jump on the train and in only 2 hours you’ll be right at the bottom of the lifts in Davos, it has never been this easy!

Another optimal solution, for whoever wants maximal freedom and flexibility, is reaching Davos by car. Once more, from most of Switzerland's urban areas, you’ll reach us in a couple of hours drive, through some of the most epic mountain scenarios you've ever seen. Top tip for all drivers: be aware of the traffic jam going back home after a weekend of skiing, that Sunday afternoon might be lethal!

Personally I love how smooth the train connection is. When I still had to go to Zurich on a weekly basis I would be able to jump on a 6am train, ski the whole day and make it back to Zurich for dinner time.

Unrivaled Snow Conditions

Imagine having perfect snow from the beginning of November all the way till the end of April, does that sound too good to be true? 

Well in Davos that’s reality. Because of its strategic location and elevation, snow conditions up here are pretty much ideal from the end of Fall all the way till the end of Spring (find more details about the best time to ski & snowboard in Davos in our latest guide). This means that already on a sad early December weekend, you’ll be able to escape the grayness of the city and enjoy perfectly groomed slopes. Similarly, on a sunny Spring day, while most people will be already thinking about summer holidays, you’ll be able to ski in a t-shirt getting your tun ready for the good season. 

Another benefit of Davos' location is the amount of snow falling each season. If you are already an expert skier or snowboarder looking for stunning off-piste conditions, our ski resort is your place to be. With a snowfall that can easily rival St. Anton in Austria or Whistler in Canada, Davos offers a terrain which is absolutely perfect to move your first steps off the piste and ride some epic powder lines.

Affordable Luxury

While Davos shares the same level of luxury as other elite Swiss resorts, it manages to stand out as a more cost-effective option for expats. The relatively lower cost of living in Davos compared to its counterparts makes it an attractive choice. This financial advantage extends firstly to the costs of ski passes: the ski experience that the four resorts of Davos-Klosters offer can easily rival world-famous resorts like Zermatt and Verbier. However, the daily lift pass will be around 15 CHF cheaper! A day of skiing in Davos will cost you around 84 CHF compared to the 100 CHF you will pay in Laax and St. Moritz.

Similarly, accommodation and food in the resorts are more affordable without sacrificing quality or comfort. Lastly, the après-ski experience will not break the bank: while it is almost standard to pay around 10-12 CHF for a beer in most top Swiss ski resorts, in many of Davos' bars during happy hour, you can satisfy your thirst for about 5 CHF.

Escape the Crowds

Alright, now imagine: you’ve just finished your working week in Zurich and you would like to relax on a ski weekend trip. You jump on the morning train and full of hope you get to Flumseberg or Laax . On this Saturday morning you’ll be stuck in the line to get up the lifts for a solid 45 minutes. Once that first obstacle is cleared, you’ll find yourself in overcrowded slopes, where yours and other’s lives are constantly on the line. 

Well, in Davos this scenario rarely ever happens. To be completely fair, this is also one of the reasons that really made me love this mountain: compared to most famous ski resorts, the slopes tend to be among the empties I’ve ever seen. 

This unexpected lack of crows is because Davos is not really regarded for its skiing but mostly for the World Economic Forum. Indeed not many know that this town offers some of the best ski conditions in Switzerland. 

A great example are the weekends, even on Saturdays and Sundays the slopes will not be packed, while during weekdays, you might actually be lucky to see someone skiing or snowboarding at all!

And it doesn’t stop here, really only few people know that the off-piste in Davos is world-class, this means that if you are a powder hunter, you’ll find untouched fresh lines even when the last snowfall has long gone! 

(if wish to know which ski resort in Davos is best for you, find more about it here)

A Community Unlike Any Other

Living in Davos for the past five years has given me a unique insight into the expat community that thrives here. The welcoming atmosphere and the shared love for skiing create a tight-knit group of individuals who understand the joys and challenges of expat life. Whether you're a seasoned skier or a newcomer to the slopes, Davos offers a warm and supportive community that enhances the overall expat experience.

The true magic of this place is that Davos is not a small mountain village but a vibrant city full of events and opportunities that most ski resorts lack. If you didn't know, Davos is actually the highest city in Europe. This translates into cinemas, theaters, swimming pools, climbing centers, gyms, restaurants, bars, and clubs. The variety of opportunities Davos offers has made my expat life much more colorful and vibrant, allowing me to meet and become friends with many people whom I probably would never have had the chance to get to know in a small mountain village.

As expats myself I can say: “I love Davos”. It offered me opportunities that I would have ever dreamed of back in my home country. If you want to know about our Expats life: you can check our Story here.

Conclusion

To sum it up, in my eyes, Davos stands out as the ultimate ski resort for expats in Switzerland. The seamless accessibility, unmatched snow conditions, affordability, and the charm of a less-crowded haven all contribute to the unique appeal of this Alpine paradise. As a ski instructor and someone who has embraced the expat life in Davos, I wholeheartedly recommend this extraordinary destination for those seeking a perfect blend of adventure, community, and alpine luxury. 

This blog is written by me - Willy, a ski and snowboard instructor from The Snow Experience Davos. If you’d like to join me on the slopes, check out what we offer—I’d be thrilled to be your personal guide in Davos-Klosters!