Zurich Airport to St. Moritz, over the Julier.

The drive

South on the A3 past the Walensee, down the Rhine valley on the A13, and into Chur — the oldest town in Switzerland and the point where the motorway ends and the mountains start. From there the road climbs the Julier valley to the Julier Pass at 2,284 m, then drops into the Engadin at Silvaplana with St. Moritz a few minutes further.

About two hours fifty. The motorway section moves quickly; the pass is the part that rewards a driver who knows it. St. Moritz sits at 1,822 m, so this is a genuine climb — worth remembering if you have come off a long-haul flight and plan to ski the next morning.

The pass, and what happens when it closes

The Julier is kept open through the winter and is one of the more reliable high passes in Switzerland — it is the main artery into the Engadin, so it gets cleared as a priority. Even so, extreme weather closes it occasionally.

When that happens there is a well-established alternative: the Vereina car-carrying rail tunnel from Klosters to Sagliains, which puts the vehicle on a train through the mountain. It adds time and cost, and we would tell you about it before setting off rather than after. This is the kind of thing worth asking any operator before you book a February transfer.

Arriving in the Engadin

St. Moritz splits into Dorf up on the hill and Bad down by the lake, and the difference matters when you are carrying luggage — they are not comfortably walkable from one another. We drop at your hotel door, whichever side you are on.

The same road serves the rest of the valley: Celerina, Pontresina, Samedan, Sils and Silvaplana are all a few minutes away, and Corviglia, Corvatsch and Diavolezza are the ski areas. If you are here for the season openers, the Snow Polo on the frozen lake or White Turf, expect the valley to be busy and book early.