Hello! I'm probably moving to Switzerland finally next summer, after some delays!

I will be officially hired in Zürich but it sounds like long term i may need to be in the office only 1-2 times per week. I live to ski, and working from home (digital cartography) i like if possible get an hour of skiing in between projects. I also am a frequent traveler when the world permits, so airport access is nice. And on top of that, tax savings in other cantons and cheaper rent mean not a ton of reason to be in Zürich and trying to get out every weekend, doing the inverse instead. We also will bring a 4x4 car, but preferring to make use of annual train pass.

I was thinking some of the best spots for a reasonable easy commute to Zürich HB or Enge Bahnhof area (where the office is), but with quick ski access, might be:

- Ziegelbrücke - for Flumserberg quick access but nonstop trains to Enge easy to Linthal and beyond onna weekend
- Sargans - on the main train route, can catch night trains to Budapest (my partner's home town) and great ski access, good trains to Zürich HB and Airport.
- Zug - closer to the mountains, lower tax, but not necessarily easy to get skiing in on a weekday morning when work is light
- Chur - great crossroads for skiing, and not much further than Sargans or Flumserberg, faster train than commuter trains.
- Any others? Does anybody live further out and commute to Zürich sometimes for work? Would love to live near Andermatt or a bigger skiing area
- Avoiding Zürich Oberland and north of the main rail line as that seems to make a weekend trip to the high Alps a lot longer, with slow connections to Zürich too

You covered many options already. I would probably start with Chur and see if you like it. Many options for skiing but still a little town. Other places are more geared to commuting but it's also personal.

Check if you're allowed to live outside of the canton. Usually not if you're non-EU.

My personal favorite would be either Amden or Flumserberg. The former is probably a shorter commute, the later has more skiing-options.

One or two commutes to Zurich from there should be doable in a week.
But you will need a car.

These are small villages, though.

Zug: Rigi, Sattel-Hochstuckli, Seebodenalp
Einsiedeln: Hoch Ybrig, Mythenregion, Brunni-Alpthal, Sattelegg, and some local lifts.
Schwzy: Mythenregion, Stoos, Rigi
Luzern: Wirzwelli, Klewenalp, Engelberg, Oberrickenbach, Melchseefrutt, Sörenberg
Altdorf: Attinghausen-Brüsti, Altdorf-Eggberge, Gitschenen, Ratzi (those have all just one Skilift), Biel-Kinzig, Andermatt
Glarus: Braunwald, Elm, Amden
Sargans: Flumserberg, Pizol, Malbun, Wildhaus, Unterwasser.
Landquart: Flumserberge, Pizol, and Klosters-Davos
Chur: Tschiertschen, St. Peter, Arosa, Lenzerheide, Obersaxen, Flims-Laax

Not exhaustive. There are always some local single lifts.

Flums is more than 4 times larger, higher and mainly north facing. In a bad year - and there have been some - Amden doesn't even open.

Commuting time is actually shorter from Unterterzen (where the Flumserberg lifts start)

To Landquart add Chur (they're pretty close to each other), therefore anything within decent striking distance thereof. So Lenzerheide/Arosa, Flims/Laax and Obersaxen in particular. Unless you love a small town atmosphere go for Chur in this region. Even St Moritz isn't too far.

Sargans is only about an hour from Lech/St Anton and Damuls if that helps.

This is the most important thing you'll have to deal with. If you're non-EU (your profile says American) then you're limited to the canton that granted you your permit. It may be possible to live in another canton, but that requires the new one to also grant you a permit and for the current one to agree to the change.

If you also have Hungarian nationality and can get an Hungarian passport then that would make the move easier all round since you'd bypass the non-EU hiring criteria and could live anywhere in Switzerland you want to.

A friend lives in Davos, workes in ZH 1-2 days a week.

Wherever you choose, don't forget that the ski season is only about 4 months long these days. You need somewhere to keep you amused for the other 8 months as well.

Klosters and Davos have good train links to ZH. My husband used to take the first train to town on Monday mornings.