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Practicalities
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Lugano's
train station
overlooks the town from the west, linked to the centre by a short funicular or by steps down to Via Cattedrale. The
tourist office
is in Palazzo Civico, between Riforma and the lake (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30/6.30pm; April-Oct also Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-2pm; tel 091/913 32 32,
www.lugano-tourism.ch
).
Boats
around the lake (IR & ER no discount, SP free) depart from opposite the tourist office. One of Switzerland's best-value
HI hostels
(complete with swimming pool) is at Via Cantonale 13, Savosa (tel 091/966 27 28,
www.youthhostel.ch
; A?5-10/$8-16; closed Nov-March; bus #5 to Crocifisso from the stop 200m left out of the train station); another HI hostel is at Figino, southwest of town (tel 091/995 11 51; A?5-10/$8-16; closed Nov-March; postbus from Riforma to Casoro). The SB
Montarina
, behind the station at Via Montarina 1 (tel 091/966 72 72,
www.montarina.ch
; A?10-15/$16-24), also has dorms. Affordable
hotels
include
Ginevra
, Via Ginevra 7 (tel 091/923 61 70; A?15-20/$24-32).
Molinazzo
(tel 091/605 17 57) is one of several lakeside
campsites
in Agno, a short train ride west. Lugano is blessed with fine espresso, served at
La Cafferia Cattedrale
, Via Cattedrale 6, and reasonably priced
eateries
on all the central squares: Piazza Cioccaro, the lower terminus of the funicular, is home to a big
Inova
and
Sayonara
(for pasta not sushi), while
La TinA?ra
, off Via dei Gorini, behind Riforma, has tasty Ticinese chicken stews and
Hotel Pestalozzi
has a good vegetarian restaurant. Although the many bars and cafA©s around Riforma are packed with evening
drinkers
, hip Luganesi tuck themselves away elsewhere: off Via Vegezzi, east of the post office, pumping
La Salsita
doubles as cool drinking-den and Mexican eatery, while in the unlikely warren of the Quartiere Maghetti nearby is
Etnic
(closed Sat eve & Sun), with superb inexpensive Mediterranean-style food, beer, cocktails and a cosy studentish atmosphere.
If you're going south to
Milan
, ask at Lugano station for a free city-transport pass with your train ticket. Heading north, reserve at the train station a day ahead for the scenic four-hour
Palm Express
postbus journey (June-Oct daily, otherwise Fri-Sun only), which follows the shoreline of Lake Como northeast to Chiavenna (passport needed), then heads into the spectacular Val Bregaglia and over the Maloja Pass to the famous Swiss resort of
St Moritz
. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Switzerland,
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