Zurich. Finance on the doorstep, the mountains two hours behind it.
Zurich is the dependable Swiss arrival. It takes any aircraft, it rarely closes for weather, and it is the road head for Davos and the Engadin. The one thing it will not do is bend the curfew.
The airport
Zurich at a glance
- CodesZRH / LSZHAt Kloten, about 12 to 13 kilometres north of the centre of Zurich.
- Private arrivalsGeneral Aviation CentrePrivate and corporate movements are handled at the GAC, separate from the main passenger terminals.
- HandlingSeveral companiesOperators at the GAC include Jet Aviation, Cat Air Service and BHS Aviation, with opening hours typically between 05:30 and 22:30 depending on the company.
- Curfew23:30 to 06:00The airport operates between 06:00 and 23:30, and the night curfew is applied strictly.
Zurich is slot coordinated, and the last half hour before the curfew is reserved for recovering delayed flights rather than for new departures. Your operator will plan the aircraft around it; we plan the car around the aircraft.
Journey times
From Zurich by road
| To | Good conditions | Winter or heavy traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Zurich centre, Paradeplatz and the Bahnhofstrasse | 20 to 30 minutes | 40 to 55 minutes |
| Zug | 40 to 55 minutes | 55 to 80 minutes |
| Lucerne | 1 hour to 1 hour 15 | 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 50 |
| Bad Ragaz | 1 hour to 1 hour 15 | 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 50 |
| Klosters | 2 hours to 2 hours 15 | 2 hours 30 to 3 hours 15 |
| Davos | 2 hours to 2 hours 30 | 3 hours or more in forum week |
| St Moritz and the Engadin | 2 hours 30 to 3 hours | 3 hours 30 or more |
| Basel | 1 hour to 1 hour 20 | 1 hour 30 to 2 hours |
Realistic ranges, not promises. The climb into Graubünden is the variable part: snow, the Landquart to Davos road and, in forum week, security checkpoints on the approach to the town.
Why clients choose it
The reliable arrival for eastern Switzerland
Samedan is closer to St Moritz and there are smaller fields nearer Davos, but Zurich is the airport people actually use, because it is the one least likely to be shut by weather. It sits low, it has full instrument approaches, it takes every size of aircraft and it has the handling capacity to turn an aircraft round properly. The price is a two to three hour drive at the far end, which in winter is part of the trip rather than an inconvenience.
The rest of the year Zurich is a straightforward business arrival. The banks, the family offices and the insurers are twenty to thirty minutes away outside the rush, and much of what our clients book here is a car for the day rather than a single transfer: three or four meetings in the city, then back to the aircraft.
Operating reality
What your flight department will be working with
The detail that decides whether the plan holds.
- The curfew is real. The airport runs from 06:00 to 23:30 and there is no informal flexibility at the end of the evening: a late departure becomes a morning departure
- The half hour before 23:30 exists to recover delayed flights, so a charter departure has to be slotted well before it
- Slots are required. In the week of the World Economic Forum both slots and aircraft parking are the binding constraints, and both are arranged long in advance
- Passengers are escorted between the General Aviation Centre and the aircraft, which is quick but means the car meets a defined point rather than wandering the ramp
- Helicopters are used heavily for the Davos leg in forum week, which cuts more than two hours of road to around half an hour, in daylight and acceptable weather
- For the Engadin, some clients fly on to Samedan rather than drive. It is daylight only and weather sensitive, so we always keep a road plan alongside it
Onward
Where Zurich passengers go next
Request a quote
Tell us the arrival
Date and time, tail number or operator, passengers and luggage, and where you are going. If it is Davos or the Engadin in winter, tell us the week: it changes everything. We reply with a clear price and an honest journey time. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Zurich transfers
Are these your own cars?
No. Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. In Switzerland cars are arranged through operators we know, and one person at Odyssey holds the whole movement together.
Is Zurich or Samedan better for St Moritz?
Samedan is about ten minutes from the town, but it is high, daylight only and weather sensitive. Zurich is two and a half to three hours away by road and almost always open. Many clients plan for Samedan and hold Zurich behind it.
How long is the drive to Davos in forum week?
Longer than the map says. Two to two and a half hours is normal outside the forum. During it, allow three hours or more, and expect checks on the approach to the town. Many clients fly the last leg by helicopter.
Can we depart late in the evening?
Only before the curfew at 23:30, and in practice a good deal earlier than that because the final half hour is reserved for delayed flights. We will tell you the realistic last departure when we quote.
Can you hold a car for a day of meetings?
Yes. An as directed car for the day is common in Zurich. See hourly and as directed.
Can you arrange the aircraft as well?
Yes. See private jet charter.