For six days between Christmas and New Year, Davos stops being only a ski resort and becomes the spiritual home of European ice hockey. The Spengler Cup, first played in 1923, is the oldest invitational tournament in the sport, and the 98th edition runs from 26 to 31 December 2026 inside the Vaillant Arena. Six teams, a sold-out rink, and a town in full festive flow: it is one of the most atmospheric sporting weeks in the Alps.
It is also a logistically demanding one. Davos sits at 1,560 metres at the end of a mountain valley, the dates fall in the busiest snow week of the year, and parking near the arena is scarce. This guide covers what the week looks like, how to arrive comfortably from Zurich in winter, where to base yourself, and how to fold the tournament into a longer Alpine stay -- including the quiet transition into the World Economic Forum that follows a few weeks later.
The tournament, in brief
The Spengler Cup is hosted by local club HC Davos and contested by a rotating field of six teams -- a mix of European club sides and an invitational selection. The 2026 line-up includes HC Davos alongside Adler Mannheim, Frolunda HC, Ilves Tampere, SCL Tigers and a U.S. Collegiate Selects side. Group games run across the week, with the final traditionally played on 31 December.
Faceoffs are typically scheduled in the afternoon and evening -- recent editions opened games around 15:10 and 20:15, with the final at midday on the 31st. The atmosphere is famously warm: the same crowd returns year after year, and the festive timing gives the whole event the feel of a winter reunion rather than a sterile sporting fixture.
Where it happens -- and why parking is the catch
Every game is played at the Vaillant Arena (Eisstadion Davos), in the heart of Davos Platz. The venue is central and walkable from most of the resort's hotels, which is exactly why driving yourself is rarely the right call during tournament week.
Davos has limited central parking, the streets are narrow and snow-lined, and demand peaks precisely on the dates of the Cup. A chauffeur sidesteps the whole problem: you are dropped a short walk from the arena, the car waits off-site, and you are collected at the door when the final whistle goes -- no circling for a space in the cold, no walk back to a distant garage at 23:00.
Arriving from Zurich in winter
Most international visitors arrive through Zurich Airport. The drive to Davos is roughly 150 km and takes about two hours in clear conditions, via the A3 and A13 before the climb up the Landwasser valley through Klosters. In late December that final stretch is a genuine mountain road in winter: snow, ice and the Wolfgang pass are all part of the picture.
This is where a professional chauffeur earns the fee. Our winter cars run proper winter tyres and carry snow chains, drivers know the valley, and timing is built around the conditions rather than against them. We track your flight, so an early snowfall or a delayed inbound does not leave you stranded at the terminal. The table below gives indicative one-way fares from Zurich Airport -- estimates to confirm at booking, never a firm quote.
| Vehicle | Typical use | Zurich Airport to Davos (~150 km) |
|---|---|---|
| Mercedes E-Class | 1-2 passengers, light luggage | from CHF 525 |
| Mercedes S-Class | 1-2 passengers, premium comfort | from CHF 675 |
| Mercedes V-Class | up to 6-7 passengers, ski bags | from CHF 675 |
| Mercedes Sprinter | groups, large luggage / gear | from CHF 900 |
Choosing your vehicle
The right car depends on your group and your luggage. A couple travelling light is well served by the E-Class or, for a more formal arrival, the S-Class. Families and groups carrying ski equipment will want the V-Class, where bags and boots travel without compromise. Larger parties or those moving gear for several people are best in the Sprinter.
All four are part of our Mercedes fleet and prepared for Alpine winter conditions. Pricing follows a simple structure -- a local fare for short hops within Davos (within 25 km), a per-kilometre rate for longer transfers, and an hourly rate when you want the car on standby for the evening.
- Local transfers within Davos (up to 25 km): from CHF 140 (E-Class), CHF 180 (S-Class), CHF 160 (V-Class), CHF 350 (Sprinter).
- Hourly standby for match evenings: from CHF 100/h (E-Class), CHF 140/h (S-Class), CHF 130/h (V-Class), CHF 180/h (Sprinter).
- All figures are estimates to confirm, not firm quotes -- final pricing depends on dates, timing and route.
Where to stay during the Cup
Davos splits into two centres -- Davos Platz, where the arena and most of the grand hotels sit, and the quieter Davos Dorf a little further up the valley. For tournament week, Platz keeps you within walking distance of the rink and the festive bustle.
Suggested addresses span the spectrum. For five-star comfort, the InterContinental Davos and Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvedere are the established names; the Hard Rock Hotel Davos brings a livelier, central option close to the Platz. A short drive away, Klosters offers a calmer, more village-feel base -- worth considering if you want quiet evenings between games. These are suggestions to help you plan, not partner properties; book directly with the hotel.
Pairing hockey with the slopes -- and Klosters
The Cup falls in peak ski season, and that is part of its charm. The Parsenn, Jakobshorn and Pischa areas are all on the doorstep, so a day on the snow before an evening game is entirely realistic. With a chauffeur on hourly standby, you ski in the morning, are collected at the lift station, change at the hotel, and arrive at the arena warm and on time.
Klosters, ten minutes down the valley, deserves its own mention. Long favoured for its discretion, it shares the Parsenn ski area with Davos and makes an elegant, low-key counterpoint to the tournament crowds. A car makes the two-resort rhythm effortless -- slopes and village by day in Klosters, hockey by night in Davos.
From the Cup to the Forum
The Spengler Cup also marks the start of Davos's most intense season. A few weeks after the final, the same valley hosts the World Economic Forum in mid-January -- and the logistics tighten further: road access is controlled, security is heavy, and demand for chauffeurs far outstrips supply.
If your December visit is a prelude to a January return for the Forum, it is worth securing your transport early. We run a dedicated WEF Davos service built around the access constraints of that week, and clients who attend both events often arrange them together so the same standard of car and driver carries through the season.
Booking and timing
Tournament week overlaps with Christmas and New Year travel, so chauffeur availability is finite and books out early -- particularly for the V-Class and Sprinter. We recommend confirming airport transfers and any match-evening standby well in advance.
Tell us your flight details, group size and hotel, and we build the itinerary around the game schedule. You receive a clear estimate to confirm before anything is fixed, and from there the week runs itself: collected at the airport, driven over the pass in safe hands, and waiting at the arena door each night.
Frequently asked questions
The 98th Spengler Cup runs from 26 to 31 December 2026 at the Vaillant Arena in Davos, with the final traditionally played on 31 December. It is the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world, first held in 1923.
About 150 km and roughly two hours in clear conditions. In late December the final stretch through Klosters and over the Wolfgang is a winter mountain road, so we build in extra time and run winter tyres with chains on board. A one-way transfer starts from around CHF 525 in an E-Class -- an estimate to confirm at booking.
We would advise against it during tournament week. Central parking in Davos is scarce, the streets are snow-lined, and demand peaks on the Cup dates. A chauffeur drops you a short walk from the arena and collects you at the door afterwards, with the car waiting off-site.
Yes -- the Cup falls in peak ski season and the Parsenn, Jakobshorn and Pischa areas are all close. With a car on hourly standby (from CHF 100/h), you ski in the morning, are collected and changed at the hotel, and reach the arena in good time for the evening faceoff.
Davos Platz keeps you within walking distance of the arena. Suggested addresses include the InterContinental Davos, the Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvedere and the more central Hard Rock Hotel; nearby Klosters offers a quieter base. These are suggestions to help you plan -- book directly with the hotel.
Yes. The Forum follows in mid-January, when Davos access is controlled and demand is high. Many clients arrange both the Spengler Cup and the WEF together; we run a dedicated WEF Davos service and recommend booking that week well in advance.