Arosa without a car: how to travel by train
Many ski trips begin with heavy ski luggage in the boot of a hire car. Arosa is one of those magical exceptions where that whole ritual is optional - and where skipping it makes the journey better, not worse.
Here is how to reach Arosa from Zurich Airport by train, why almost nobody who stays there needs a car, and what that means for your packing.
Zurich Airport to Arosa by train
1. Zurich Airport to Zurich HB. A short train ride that takes 10-12 minutes.
2. Zurich Hauptbahnhof to Chur. Trains run directly roughly every half hour and take around 1 hour 15 minutes.
3. Chur to Arosa. Cross the forecourt to the narrow-gauge Rhaetian Railway platform. Trains leave hourly and the journey to Arosa takes just over an hour.
4. Arosa station to your accommodation. The station is in the middle of the village. Most hotels are a short walk, but if yours is further afield, the local Hörnli-Express buses make a convenient loop and are free year-round.
Allow around three hours to travel by train from Zurich Airport to Arosa. We recommend this as a sustainable choice that’s simply more comfortable than driving up the winding mountain road.
Train tickets can be booked online, or at the station.
The train is the reason to come this way
The Chur–Arosa line opened in 1914 and climbs 25 kilometres up the Schanfigg valley, gaining well over a kilometre of altitude on the way.
The high point is the Langwieser Viadukt just past Langwies: a single-track concrete arch, 284 metres long, carrying the train 62 metres above the Plessur gorge on a 100-metre span. It was extraordinary engineering in 1914 and it still is.
Sit on the right-hand side coming up from Chur for the best views – don't spend the hour looking at your phone.
Your alternative, for context, is driving up the Schanfiggerstrasse: 30 kilometres, 360 corners and 1,320 metres of ascent from Chur, roughly 40 minutes in good conditions. It is a fine drive in September. In February, in the dark, or with those who feel carsick from winding roads, it is a challenging proposition.
What you no longer need to pack
The one genuinely good argument for driving to the Alps is luggage space. Ski gear for a family of four more than fills a car boot and would make travelling by train a challenge.
That’s where we come in. At Cirkel Supply, we specialise in premium skiwear rental. Rent your ski clothes online before your Arosa ski vacation and receive them at your hotel as you arrive. Our broad skiwear rental assortment offers ski jackets, ski pants, ski suits, midlayers and gloves from top brands such as Patagonia, Fjällräven and Ortovox.
Thanks to Cirkel Supply’s door-to-door delivery service and the local ski and boot rental stores, you can walk off the train with hand luggage only and avoid dragging heavy ski bags through the snow.
Your Arosa-Lenzerheide ski pass is also your train ticket
This is the detail that changes the maths, and many visitors don't know it.
During the winter season, a valid Arosa Lenzerheide ski ticket includes free second-class travel on the Rhaetian Railway and PostBus between Arosa, Chur, Lenzerheide and Tiefencastel. It applies to day and multi-day passes, four-hour and afternoon tickets, winter hiking and tobogganing tickets, and the TOPCARD.
Two conditions: you need to look the part - winter sports clothing or visible equipment - and single lift tickets and EarlyBird tickets don't count. The travel is valid from the day before your pass starts until the day after it ends.
In practice, that means the journey up from Chur, a day over the Urdenbahn to Lenzerheide, and the trip back down are all already paid for.
Why you don't need a car once you're in Arosa
Arosa sits at the end of the valley - you’re at the end of the road with nothing more to discover by car beyond the village.
Arosa is compact enough to cross on foot in twenty minutes. The free local bus links Innerarosa, the Obersee and Prätschli. The lifts start from the village itself, so there is no morning shuttle to the slopes and no evening queue back.
A car in Arosa is something you park for a week and pay for. Lift company car parks are charged year-round - CHF 5 for up to five hours, CHF 8 for a full day - and there is a night parking ban between midnight and 6am.
If you do drive, the sensible compromise is Park & Rail: leave the car in the garage in Chur and take the train up the hill.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Arosa from Zurich Airport?
Take the train to Chur (via Zurich HB), then the Rhaetian Railway to Arosa. Two changes, around three hours in total travel time.
How long is the train from Chur to Arosa?
Just over an hour, running roughly hourly through the day.
Do you need a car in Arosa?
No. The village is walkable, the local bus is free, and the lifts start in the village. Parking is charged and restricted overnight.
Is the train included in the ski pass?
Yes, during the winter season. Day, multi-day, four-hour, afternoon, winter hiking and tobogganing tickets and the TOPCARD include second-class RhB and PostBus travel between Arosa, Chur, Lenzerheide and Tiefencastel, while dressed for winter sports. Single lift tickets and EarlyBird tickets are excluded.
Can I rent ski clothes in Arosa?
Yes. Cirkel Supply delivers rented ski clothing to your accommodation in Arosa, so you can travel by train without a ski bag.
