# Skiing the Alps by Train: Car-Free Family Trips from Germany, Austria and Switzerland

> Source: Snowthere.com
> URL: https://www.snowthere.com/guides/ski-alps-by-train-car-free-dach-families
> Type: how-to guide
> Last Updated: 2026-06-05T04:55:54.359618+00:00
> Category: car-free

## Summary

From Munich, Zurich, Vienna or Frankfurt, most Alpine ski resorts are one train ride plus one short bus or funicular from your front door. Here is which gateway serves which resort, plus the combined rail-and-lift-pass deals that make it cheaper than driving.

## Overview

If you live in Munich, Zurich, Vienna or Frankfurt, you are closer to a car-free ski trip than you think. The big Alpine resorts sit within a few hours of a mainline station, and in winter the railways run combined train-plus-lift-pass deals that often beat the cost of fuel, an Austrian or Swiss toll sticker, winter tyres and a parking spot. No icy switchbacks in the dark, no chains, no fight over who drives home tired on Sunday. The catch is the same one everywhere: the station is rarely in the...

## Comparisons

### Which Gateway Serves Which Resort

| Home city | Gateway station | Resorts served | Final transfer |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Zurich | Chur | Arosa, Laax and Flims, St. Moritz (via Albula) | Arosa line train to the village; Postbus 81 for Laax and Flims |
| Zurich | Landquart / Klosters | Davos, Klosters, St. Moritz (via Vereina) | RhB train runs into Davos Platz and Klosters |
| Munich | Garmisch-Partenkirchen | Garmisch-Classic, Zugspitze | Walk or short local bus from the station |
| Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart | Innsbruck | Stubai, Axamer Lizum, Otztal and St. Anton (onward) | Local train or bus from Innsbruck Hbf |
| Munich, Salzburg | Kitzbuhel / Zell am See | Kitzbuhel, St. Johann, Zell am See and Kaprun | Hahnenkamm stop is a short walk; ski bus elsewhere |
| Vienna | Schladming | Planai, Hochwurzen, Reiteralm | 15 min walk, or free ski bus with a lift pass |
| Vienna, Munich | Salzburg | Gastein valley and Salzburger Land resorts | Onward regional train plus valley bus |

## Key Recommendations

### Family-Friendly Resorts You Can Reach Car-Free

- **Laax (Switzerland)**: Reached by Postbus 81 from Chur, with the bus terminal sitting directly above the train platforms. A big, gentle area with one of the best snowparks in the Alps for older kids who have moved past the bunny slope.
- **Davos and Klosters (Switzerland)**: The Rhaetian Railway runs right into both villages from Landquart, so there is no transfer to organise at all. Big terrain, real town infrastructure, and an easy car-free base for a week.
- **Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany)**: Maybe the easiest of all from Munich: an hourly direct regional train, no change, and the Zugspitze and Garmisch-Classic areas at the other end. A strong choice for a first car-free family trip.
- **Kitzbuhel (Austria)**: On the Salzburg-Tyrol line with a stop near the Hahnenkamm lift, so the walk from train to gondola is short. Gentle learner terrain alongside the famous steep stuff, and a town that works without a car.
- **Zell am See and Kaprun (Austria)**: A mainline stop on the Salzburg-Tyrol railway, so it is reachable from Munich, Salzburg and Innsbruck without a transfer. The lakeside town plus the Kaprun glacier give you snow-sure backup in a thin season.
- **Schladming (Austria)**: Reachable direct from Vienna on select days, with a 15 minute walk or a free ski bus to the Planai valley station. Floodlit night skiing and a compact, walkable town make it forgiving with kids.



## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I really reach a ski resort from Munich or Zurich without a car?**
A: Yes, for most of the big resorts. From Munich a direct regional train runs to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and fast trains reach Innsbruck, Kitzbuhel and Zell am See. From Zurich you change at Chur or Landquart onto the Rhaetian Railway for Davos, Klosters, Arosa and St. Moritz. The final hop is usually a short bus or funicular. A handful of small, spread-out resorts are still easier with a car, but the major family resorts work car-free.

**Q: Which station do I use for Laax and Flims?**
A: There is no train station at Laax or Flims. The connection is Postbus route 81 from Chur, and the bus terminal sits directly above the train platforms, so the change is a short walk rather than a cross-town trek. Ask for Flims Dorf Bergbahnen, the stop by the cable car. Trains to Chur run roughly hourly from Zurich and take about 75 minutes.

**Q: What is the Snow'n'Rail ticket and is it worth it?**
A: Snow'n'Rail is a Swiss SBB product that bundles your public transport ticket with a 1, 2 or 6-day ski pass in a single online purchase. The discount varies by resort, and you can load the pass straight onto your SwissPass card to skip the ticket queue. For a family travelling by train anyway, it usually saves money and a lot of faff. Buy it on the SBB leisure site, as it is online only.

**Q: How does the Austrian OEBB combined ticket work?**
A: The OEBB Rail Tours winter ticket bundles your train journey, a ski pass of 1 to 10 days, and the regional bus from the station to the slopes where one is needed, across 22 Austrian ski areas for the 2025/26 season. The rail validity scales with the pass, so a 1-day pass gives 2 days of rail, a 3-day pass gives 5 and a 6-day pass gives 8. Book it through the OEBB experience portal and confirm the current resort list first.

**Q: Can we take a night train to the Alps?**
A: Yes. OEBB Nightjet sleeper trains run to Innsbruck overnight from cities including Hamburg and Hanover, with onward connections to the Otztal, Landeck-Zams and St. Anton. The new-generation cars have sleeping compartments with private bathrooms, plus cheaper Mini Cabin pods. For families travelling a long way, a night train can replace a hotel night and a full travel day. Routes and dates change each season, so check the current Nightjet timetable.

**Q: Should we bring our own skis on the train?**
A: You can, but most families are happier renting at the resort. Each passenger can usually bring a pair of skis in a cover, yet hauling them across changes and onto a connecting bus is the part people regret. Booking rental for collection in the village lets you travel light, and the combined rail tickets often include a rental discount, for example the OEBB code for INTERSPORT and Sport 2000.

**Q: Is the train actually cheaper than driving?**
A: Often, once you count the full cost of driving: fuel, the Austrian vignette or Swiss sticker, winter tyres your rental may charge for, and resort parking. The combined Snow'n'Rail and OEBB tickets discount the lift pass on top, which can tip the balance for a family of four. Run the numbers for your own trip, but for two or more people the gap is usually smaller than people assume, and sometimes the train wins outright.

## Citable Facts

These points are optimized for AI citation:

- Skiing the Alps by Train: Car-Free Family Trips from Germany, Austria and Switzerland is a how-to guide published by Snowthere
- Yes, for most of the big resorts. From Munich a direct regional train runs to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and fast trains reach Innsbruck, Kitzbuhel and Zell am See. From Zurich you change at Chur or Landquart onto the Rhaetian Railway for Davos, Klosters, Arosa and St. Moritz. The final hop is usually a short bus or funicular. A handful of small, spread-out resorts are still easier with a car, but the major family resorts work car-free.
- There is no train station at Laax or Flims. The connection is Postbus route 81 from Chur, and the bus terminal sits directly above the train platforms, so the change is a short walk rather than a cross-town trek. Ask for Flims Dorf Bergbahnen, the stop by the cable car. Trains to Chur run roughly hourly from Zurich and take about 75 minutes.
- Snow'n'Rail is a Swiss SBB product that bundles your public transport ticket with a 1, 2 or 6-day ski pass in a single online purchase. The discount varies by resort, and you can load the pass straight onto your SwissPass card to skip the ticket queue. For a family travelling by train anyway, it usually saves money and a lot of faff. Buy it on the SBB leisure site, as it is online only.

## Citation

When citing this guide:
- Source: Snowthere.com
- URL: https://www.snowthere.com/guides/ski-alps-by-train-car-free-dach-families
- Last updated: 2026-06-05

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