Locarno on Lake Maggiore: excursion, travel and accommodation tips 

There are excellent train connections to Locarno. It can be reached by car as well via motorway 13. Traffic in town can be busy.

Traveling to Locarno by train

To me, the best way to travel to Locarno is by train. The obvious routes are:

• From Lugano (0h35) or Bellinzona (0h25) in the Ticino.
• Via the scenic Centovalli Railway from Domodossola (in Italy) or Brig (2h40) in the Valais.
• From Lucerne in northern Switzerland, either via the Gotthard Base Tunnel (2h00), or over the Gotthard mountain route via Göschenen and Airolo (3h10).

Find more details in my Ticino travel tips, and plan your journeys to or from Locarno with the Swiss timetable.

Traveling to Locarno by car

You can reach Locarno by car too. If you do, check if your accommodation offers affordable parking. There is little free parking in the town center.

If you arrive from the north and have to pass the Gotthard car tunnel, be warned that waiting times can be long: up to several hours on weekends and during holidays.

The rail station of Locarno and "Locarno FART"

All regular trains to and from the east of Locarno arrive at, and depart from, the rail station "Locarno".

There's the underground train station "Locarno FART" too. That's where you'll find the local Centovalli trains to and from Domodossola/Brig. You'll reach the underground station via a staircase just outside the Locarno station.

FART stands for the Italian local transport company "Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Ticinesi". 

Finding your way in Locarno

There are buses to get around within the town and the various districts. The area consisting of the town center, lakeside boulevard, and train station is small. So just walking to wherever you like to go is perfectly doable too.

I wouldn't recommend driving here. There are lots of one-way streets and a pedestrian zone. The traffic can be busy.

When I talk about Locarno, I actually mean Locarno and its few adjacent villages.

• Locarno and the district of Muralto are one town in practice and they're both on the lake. The Locarno train station is, in fact, located in Muralto.
• Minusio is on the lake as well, a bit further east.
• You'll find Orselina 200 m higher, on the slopes of Mount Cardada, overlooking the rest of town. This is where you'll find the Madonna del Sasso sanctuary.

Public transport in the area around Locarno

The best way to conveniently get around in the Locarno area is public transport. Trains get you to the other main towns of the Ticino, boats and buses bring you to lakeside villages on the Swiss and Italian parts of the Lago Maggiore.

Getting to the pretty valleys near Locarno is easy too. There are frequent buses into the Valle Maggia, and the Centovalli train gets you to the villages west of Locarno.

Buses into the Valle Verzasca operate a bit less frequently, especially in low season: check the schedules in advance.

Public transport is free for hotel guests

If you spend the night in or near Locarno, you can profit from free local travel with the Ticino Ticket. It includes a lot of transportation throughout the canton, either for free or discounted.

The best months for a trip to Locarno are mid-March to October.

Locarno in March and April

By mid-March, you'll see the first signs of spring in the low and warm Locarno region. March and April are the perfect time to visit the city in peace and quiet. The Ticino is popular with the Swiss in the Easter weekend though.

It's a shoulder season, so your excursion options are somewhat limited. The boats on the lake only start operating by mid-April, for example.

Locarno in May and June

May and June are pleasant months for a trip to Locarno. Pretty much all activities in the region are accessible. Most hiking trails are too. Heatwaves are less likely than in July and August.

Locarno in July and August

July and August are the warmest months. It can get hot in the city. You can cool down on the lake and the local mountain Cardada-Cimetta.

Locarno in September and October

September and October are less touristy. Autumn will gradually set in. The hills and valleys on the lake still look pretty. By mid-October, some attractions (such as the lake boats) stop operating.

Locarno in November, December, January and February

To my taste, Locarno is less attractive in winter. Due to its low elevation, snow in town isn't likely. You'll have to travel quite a bit to reach the high-altitude ski resorts in the Gotthard mountains or further north.

The holiday atmosphere and Christmas markets are more prominent in western and northern Swiss cities.