Lugano: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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CHF 119 - 698 Holiday Inn Lugano Centre
 The Holiday Inn Lugano Centre is located in the residential district of Paradiso, within walking distance of the beautiful lake and the promenade.
Th… MoreCHF 150 - 434 Hotel du Lac
 Situated on the lakeside, a stone´s throw from the centre of Lugano, the Hotel du Lac hotel offers splendid views over the Lugano Bay and a grea… MoreCHF 107 - 395 Hotel Federale
 This family-owned hotel is centrally located just a short walk from Lugano town centre and its breathtaking lakeshore, and the famous Piazza Riforma w… MoreCHF 95 - 218 Hotel Dischma
 The Hotel Dischma is located 300 metres from the funicular station and from the Lugano-Paradiso boat pier on Lake Lugano. It offers you free Wi-Fi and… MoreCHF 150 - 460 Hotel De La Paix
 The Hotel de la Paix is housed in a stylish 18th-century building near Lake Lugano, about a 10-minute walk from the city centre and the railway statio… MoreCHF 110 - 260 Hotel Besso
 The newly renovated Hotel Besso is centrally located, near the Main Train Station of Lugano. It offers free Wi-Fi all over the hotel.
Start the day w… MoreCHF 106 - 138 Hotel Calipso
 The family-run Hotel Calispo is situated in Lugano-Paradiso, only 2 minutes´ walk from Lake Lugano and offers you fully en-suite rooms and a ple… MoreCHF 93 - 201 Acquarello Swiss Quality Hotel
 The Hotel Acquarello is located in the Old Town of Lugano, right at the lower terminus of the funicular connecting the centre to the main railway stat… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lugano: Guide
Lugano is a lake-side city in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of southern Switzerland. Part of a temperate micro-climate, Lugano offers palm-trees, picturesque boulevards, stunning views of the lake and Alps, and plenty of opportunity of outdoor and indoor activities. Lugano also makes a good base for visiting other cities and sites in the area. The city is dull and lifeless, but a nice place to relax in summertimes.
Get in
By plane
Lugano has a small international airport with flights arriving from many European cities especially Italy, England, France and Germany. Milan's airports are 1 1/2 hours away by bus or train and are served by easyJet and Ryanair. , and offer discount web special prices to Lugano from many parts of Europe.
By train
Trains leave for Zurich (3hr) and Milan (40min-1hour) as well as Geneva (via Zurich or Locarno-Domodossola: 5h30' with 1 or 2 train-change, 6h30' via Milan with 1 train-change). Note that getting to Geneva or points west it is faster to go via Zurich or Locarno as the trains are more frequent and faster.
By car
By bus
There is a shuttle service between Lugano and Milan - Malpensa Airport. See this link: http://www.starbus.info/pagina_orari.php
By boat
Note that a small part of the lake is actually in Italy so bring your passport if you plan on exploring by ferry.
Get around
Lugano is small enough to get around on foot, and many of the streets are pedestrian-only, but the hills above the lakefront are very steep so the bus might be a better option on the way up to the train station if you have a lot of bags. Taxis can be found on the main roads. Ferries and Funiculars are great options for seeing the views.
For more information:
Swiss Miniature Village, Via Cantonale, Melide-Lugano. Tickets: Adults CHF12, Children to 15y CHF7.
Parco Civico
Swimming
Mountain biking
Casinò Lugano , via Stauffacher 1, Tel. +41-91-9737111, Fax +41-91-9737149, email: info@casinolugano.ch. Open every day from 12AM-4AM (Fridays and Saturdays closing time at 5AM). Tables open at 2PM.
The cafeteria in the Manor Department store offers a wide variety of tempting International dishes, ranging from sushi to pasta. Fresh fruits and vegetables arrayed in stylish displays are almost a painting themselves. Wine and beer are available as are a wide range of other beverages. This was one very pleasant discovery on a recent trip.
Argentino, Piazza Riforma, Tel. +41-91-9229049. Excellent pizza, great service. They offer 2 sizes of pizza, price ranges around CHF15-20.
Youth Hostel Lugano, Via Cantonale 13, (91) 966 27 28 (lugano@youthhostel.ch).
Hotel Pestalozzi, Piazza Indipendenza 9, +41 (91) 921 46 46. (fax: +41 91 922 20 45. A very clean and livable family-run hotel with some en-suite rooms and some not. English (and German) are spoken. Single rooms start at 62 Chf. without shower or toilet. http://www.attuale.com/pestalozzi.html
Backpackers Montarina, Via Montarina 1, Lugano, +41 (0) 91 966 72 72. (fax: +41 (0) 91 966 00 17). http://www.montarina.ch/
Grand Hotel Eden, Riva Paradiso, 1, Tel. +41-91-9859200, Fax +41-91-9859250.
Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, Viale Castagnola 31, Tel. +41-91-9732555, Fax +41-91-9732550, email: info@villacastagnola.com
Principe Leopoldo & Residence, Via Montalbano 5, Tel. +41-91-9858855, Fax +41-91-9858825, email: info@leopoldohotel.com. Rates: CHF450-1,950.
Police (Polizia) – Emergency only: 117
Lost Property Office (Ufficio oggetti smarriti), City of Lugano Police, Via Beltramina 20b.
Tourism Center / Lugano Turismo , Direzione, Piazza Indipendenza 4, Tel. +41-91-9110404, Fax +41-91-9211460, email: info@lugano-tourism.ch.
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikitravel article "Lugano". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 license.
Funicolare Lugano Citta - Stazione, telephone +41 91 800 72 28/29. This funicular links the old center of the town on the lake shore to the railway station higher up the hill.
Funicolare Lugano Paradiso - Monte San Salvatore, telephone +41 91 985 28 28. A funicular which runs from Lugano to the top of the Monte San Salvatore, with spectacular views of the Lake of Lugano, the isthmus of Melide, the Monte Generoso and the Italian enclave of Campione d'Italia on the other side of the lake. http://www.montesansalvatore.ch/
See
Do
Boating
Hiking
:Bike rentals:
:: SFR Railway Station Lugano, Tel. +41-512-215642
:: Balmelli Sport, Via Pioda 12, Tel. +41-91-9235867 Learn
Buy
All the major labels and designer boutiques can be found here, as well as the usual Swiss and Italian knick-knacks.Eat
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Drink
In the summer your best bet is just to wander along the lakeside promenade and open air bar/cafes. Check local listings for clubs and shows as venues come and go with the seasons.Sleep
There are a wide range of hotel options right in town, from atmospheric B&Bs to posh four stars to comfy and communal hostels. Be sure to book ahead in the summer, but the rest of the year it's possible to just show up and find something as long as your budget is flexible.Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Contact
There are a few internet cafes in town, try near the train station.Stay safe
Lugano is as safe as most cities in Switzerland, but the density of expensive purses, watches, and sunglasses may make pickpockets more of a problem. The usual cautions apply to walking alone late a night, especially after bars and clubs close before dawn.Important Numbers
Fire Department (Pompieri): 118
City of Lugano Police: +41 (0)58 866 82 50 (piazza Riforma), +41-58-8668111 (Via Beltramina 20B)
Civic Hospital (Ospedale Civico): +41-91-8116111 (via Tesserete 46 )
Emergency Ward (Pronto Soccorso), Civic Hospital: +41-91-8116006
Ambulances (Ambulanze): 144
Doctor and dentist on call: 1811
Emergency Service - Street aid: 140
Mon-fri: 7:30AM - 12AM, 1:30PM-5PM
Phone: +41-58-8668250Cope
Get out
Trains leave hourly for Milan and Zurich where you can transfer to any destination in Europe.