The two contiguous halves of the town, Davos-Platz and Davos-Dorf, are strung along a four-kilometre ribbon of low-key development on the floor of the Landwasser valley. Bustling Platz is where most hotels and amenities are; low-key Dorf is generally where locals take refuge; and the giant Congress Centre is between the two. The main street, Promenade, lined with shops and hotels, feeds traffic one-way from Dorf to Platz; parallel one block to the south is quieter Talstrasse, which is one-way from Platz to Dorf. The town is dominated by the giant Weissfluh (2844m), which rises immediately to the north, flanked by various smaller peaks such as the Strelagrat (2545m) and Schwarzhorn (2670m). On the other, south, side of the town looms the Jakobshorn (2590m), framed by parallel side valleys. There are outlying suburbs on both sides, linked to Davos proper by bus or train – east of Dorf, beyond the pretty Davosersee lake, is Davos-Wolfgang; west of Platz is Davos-Glaris – but these are quiet hamlets with few facilities.

Davos lies at the far end of a circular train line from Chur, the eastern half of which runs via Landquart and Klosters, the western half of which runs via Filisur: there are some direct trains as well as plenty of one-stop connections. All trains stop at both Davos-Dorf and Davos-Platz, although the latter is the main terminus. Postbuses run direct from Chur.

There are two branches of the tourist office – one opposite Dorf station, the other at Promenade 67 in the middle of Platz (both mid-June to mid-Oct Mon–Fri 8.30am–6pm, Sat 8.30am–4pm; April to mid-June & mid-Oct to Nov Mon–Fri 8.30am–6pm, Sat 8.30am–12.30pm, Dorf closes Mon–Fri noon–1.45pm; Dec–March Mon–Fri 8.30am–6pm, Sat 8.30am–5pm, Sun 10am–noon; 081/415 21 21, www.davos.ch). Both have stacks of English information about the town and the surrounding area, and can also provide information on services such as transporting your baggage from hotel to hotel while you hike or cycle some of the multi-day mountain routes between Davos, Arosa and Lenzerheide. A Guest Card gives free unlimited use of Davos’s excellent public transport, covering buses and trains between Platz and Dorf, and along 15km of the valley floor; the city buses stop at all points of interest in the town, and also run out to Wolfgang, Glaris and up the Flüela road to the base station of the Pischa ski area.