A day in Locarno and Lugano from Zurich
Srikanth is planning a day trip from Zurich to visit Locarno and Lugano on May 19th. He wants to know if he can cover key sights like Pizza Grande, Castello Visconti, and more in one day and whether the boat ride to Gandria is free with the Swiss Travel Pass. The advice suggests focusing on one city due to the ambitious plan.
- It's best to focus on either Lugano or Locarno to make the most of your day.
- The boats to Gandria from Lugano are included with the Swiss Travel Pass.
- If you can, consider visiting Morcote, which is beautiful and easily reachable by bus or boat from Lugano.
AI-generated summary-
Hi
i would like to spend a day covering Locarno and Lugano.from zurich.(may 19th)
i can leave zurich early in the morning say around 7.30 am
i would like to cover
Locarno (Pizza Grande,Castello Visconti) and Ascona
Lugano: Pizza della reforma,cathedral of st laurance and Gandria
Bellizona castle
pls let me know if this is possible to do in one day and return back to zurich same day.
also should i first cover locarno or go to lugano. i thin bellizona is some where in the middle.
Is the boat ride to gandria from lugano free with the swiss pass?
If you think there is adequate time i can cover Morcote
Thank you for taking the time to answer and pardon me if there are any spelling mistakes
Srikanth v
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Bonjour!
I think that your plan is very ambitious! It would be a very very long day spent mostly on trains…
This region is beautiful and definitely deserves more time. From Zurich, you will more than likely arrive in Ticino through Bellinzona. The castles are very close to the train station. From there, it will be either going to Locarno or Lugano. Ascona is very close to Locarno (a 15-20 minute bus ride) and Gandria is about the same from Lugano. Going to Morcote is a very good idea as this village is absolutely stunning. You can go there either by bus or boat from Lugano (in both cases, it will take you close to an hour considering schedule, waiting time and the « ride » itself. And, yes, the boats are included in the Swiss Travel Pass.
If you can only spend one day in this area, I would recommend to focus on only one city and its vicinity (for example Lugano, Gandria and Morcote or Locarno and Ascona).
Hi Srikanth,
A fast, direct train will get you to Lugano in a little over 2 hours. You could return via the Gotthard Express route if you have the time and interest as well.
I’d also focus on just one town (Lugano and Gandria for example) and maybe add Mt. Bre as well. The castles of Bellinzona are a short walk from the train station as LeVoyageur notes, so if it interests you it is easy to do.
Read about my weekend in the Ticino region here for some ideas on the area.
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