Doing the Best of Switzerland in 12 days in September. Logistically speaking, is there enough time to visit Lake Como and see a town or two instead of our “free day” in Lugano? Would it be worth the time/effort or would we be missing out on Lugano? Thoughts and opinions?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16052 posts
Lugano is worth a day. How many days do you have a available to see Lugano?
If you must absolutely see lake Como, you can take the bus to Menaggio (about 1 hr ride), which is a nice town, and maybe also take the ferry across to Bellagio or Varenna. Or you can take the train to the city of Como (a city not a town) and maybe see nearby Cernobbio, which is a nice town. I wouldn't bother to see the city of Como itself. I'd prefer to stay in Lugano than visit Como for sure.
Posted by
Chicago
3125 posts
Another option would be to go to Locarno, Switzerland for the day. Just a short 30-minute train ride from Lugano. We found it less crowded than Lugano and really like it.
Posted by
San Diego, California
5604 posts
Altho I usually find Roberto's input invaluable, I respectfully disagree with him on this. We were on this RS tour a few years back, and Lugano was our least favorite stop. And- having just returned from Lake Como, ( for our second visit), I would encourage you to visit Menaggio ( smaller) and Bellagio ( nice buzz, quality shops and food.)
Have a great trip!
Posted by
OP
13 posts
Our thought was exactly that, bus then ferry. Any tips of the logistics of tickets/transportation?
Posted by
San Diego, California
5604 posts
Buy the ferry tickets once you're at the dock. 15€ for an all day pass on the middle lakes region.
Safe travels.
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3279 posts
If you do visit Como, take the funicular that’s close to the ferries and zoom up to Brunate for a Spectacular view of the city, the lake and the alps. The Funicolare run every 30 minutes and take 7 minutes to make the trip. Costs about €6.