The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2027 runs from 18 to 22 January at the Congress Centre in Davos Platz. For the people who attend, it is a week of meetings; for the people who organise it — executive assistants, delegation coordinators, security teams — it is above all a transport problem: one alpine valley, one main axis, a regulated perimeter and more demand than the region can absorb.
This guide covers the operational side: how to arrive, how movement works inside Davos during the Forum, when to book what, and what a realistic transport budget looks like. It draws on what our chauffeurs practise every edition. For the service itself, see our WEF Davos chauffeur pillar; for rates and hotels, the dedicated pages linked throughout.
The terrain: why Davos is hard in January
Davos sits at 1,560 m at the end of a valley road, its life strung along a single main axis, the Promenade. During the Forum, the centre operates under a security perimeter with badge checks and mandated drop-off points, set by the authorities for each edition. Add winter conditions and several thousand delegates moving between the same handful of venues, and every journey needs a margin.
The practical consequence: transport that works at WEF is planned transport. Ad-hoc solutions — hailing a taxi between meetings, improvising a late-night return — fail precisely at the moments that matter.
Getting there: the arrival options compared
Zurich Airport (ZRH) is the principal gateway — the most direct road access to Davos. The train is a reliable alternative but involves a change (usually at Landquart) and leaves the last mile inside the WEF perimeter to solve. Private aviation arrives via ZRH or, conditions permitting, a regional aerodrome or helicopter link — always to be confirmed case by case, since Davos itself has no airport.
| Option | Route | Notes for WEF week |
|---|---|---|
| Private transfer | ZRH → Davos, ≈ 150 km, 1 h 50–2 h 15 + margin | Door-to-door, flight tracking, work en route; book months ahead |
| Private transfer | GVA → Davos, ≈ 380 km, 4 h 30+ | Possible but long; ZRH is the sensible gateway |
| Train | ZRH → Landquart → Davos | Reliable, but a change, luggage handling and the last mile at destination |
| Private jet | ZRH or regional aerodrome, then road | Regional fields / helicopter subject to aircraft, slots and weather |
The planning timeline for organisers
WEF logistics reward the early. Hotels and the regional premium fleet saturate months before January, and the best transfer windows go first. A realistic sequence:
- 6+ months out — block hotel rooms and reserve vehicles for your dates; both condition everything else.
- 3 months out — confirm the delegation size, the provisional programme and the vehicle mix (S-Class per principal, V-Class or Sprinter for teams).
- 1 month out — share flight numbers, hotel confirmations and, where relevant, your security team's contact and badge details.
- The week before — lock the day-by-day schedule with your transport coordinator; changes during the week are normal and absorbed in real time.
Moving inside Davos during the Forum
Inside the perimeter, the model that works is full-day disposal: a dedicated car and chauffeur that follow your agenda, waiting nearby between meetings and repositioning within the access rules. Point-to-point rides re-booked leg by leg lose exactly what WEF week punishes — continuity.
Checkpoints add journey time at peak hours; schedules are built with those margins. Drop-off points depend on the edition's rules and your accreditations — your chauffeur coordinates each one, with your security detail where relevant.
Hotels and drop-offs
Where your delegation sleeps shapes the week. Closest to the action: the Hilton Garden Inn, directly opposite the Congress Centre, and the Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvédère on the Promenade. The AlpenGold Hotel — the 'golden egg' above Davos Dorf, renamed from InterContinental in 2021 — trades proximity for elevation and views; the car matters there. The Schatzalp is car-free, reached by funicular from Davos Platz, with luggage handled at the valley station.
Many delegations base in Klosters, 12 km away: calmer addresses, better availability, and a 15–20 minute private shuttle morning and evening. Our WEF Davos hotels guide covers access hotel by hotel.
A typical WEF day, from the transport side
07:00 — pickup at the hotel, often in Klosters or on the heights; the car was positioned earlier. 08:00 — drop-off at the Congress Centre or a first bilateral; the chauffeur moves to a holding position. Through the day — repositioning as the agenda shifts, a meeting overruns, a slot moves; the coordinator rebalances vehicles across the delegation. 19:00 onwards — receptions and dinners along the Promenade and in the hotels. Late — the return leg, whatever the hour. The same rhythm, five days in a row.
The assistant's checklist
- Dates and delegation size (principals, staff, security).
- Flight numbers and arrival times — the transfer is timed to the aircraft, not the booking.
- Hotel confirmations, including any Klosters basing.
- Provisional programme: venues, bilaterals, evening events.
- Security team contact and any badge / vehicle-access details.
- Luggage and equipment volume — it decides between S-Class, V-Class and Sprinter.
- One named coordinator on your side; you get one on ours.
Budget: what WEF transport costs
During Forum week, indicative rates per transfer run from 750 CHF (E-Class) through 950 CHF (V-Class) and 1,000 CHF (S-Class) to 1,400 CHF (Maybach); full-day disposal from 1,150 CHF to 2,490 CHF (Sprinter) depending on the vehicle. January rates reflect real operational costs — extended days, chauffeur accommodation in the valley, a fleet blocked for your dates. All figures are estimates to confirm by quote; our WEF Davos prices page explains the variables.
One budgeting rule matters more than any figure: availability beats price. The regional fleet is reserved months ahead, and a delegation that books late is not negotiating a rate — it is hunting for a car.
Frequently asked questions
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2027 is scheduled for 18–22 January 2027 at the Congress Centre in Davos Platz, Switzerland.
Zurich (ZRH), about 150 km from Davos — 1 h 50 to 2 h 15 by road outside peaks, with extra margin during Forum week. Geneva is possible but roughly 380 km away.
Davos keeps you closest to the Congress Centre; Klosters, 12 km away, offers calmer addresses and better availability, with a 15–20 minute private shuttle morning and evening. Many delegations split between the two.
A common pattern is one S-Class per principal plus a V-Class or Sprinter for staff and luggage, coordinated under a single point of contact. The right mix follows from your headcount and programme.
It is reliable for the approach — with a change at Landquart — but it leaves luggage and the last mile inside the WEF perimeter to solve. Most delegations use it, if at all, for staff rather than principals.
Indicatively during Forum week: 750–1,400 CHF per transfer and 1,150–2,490 CHF per day at disposal depending on the vehicle, estimates to confirm by quote. Booking early matters more than the rate — capacity runs out first.