We will be staying at the LuganoDante and the Hotel Federale Lugano.

We will be traveling by train from Lugano to Riva San Vitale each day. Please download the SBB app on your phone. It will be helpful in navigating the train system in Switzerland.

Tipping details – Per the Switzerland Tourism website, “In Switzerland, the guest is not obliged to tip. In many restaurants, however, it is customary to pay a tip. This amounts to approximately 10 percent or it is rounded up to a round amount.”

Dress code – casual

Train information – Trains run from Milano Malpensa hourly to Lugano. Anyone flying to Malpensa should follow the signs to the train and head downstairs. Trains leave terminal 1 at 19 minutes past the hour, every hour. (If you miss the train, just take the next one.) You do not need to purchase train tickets in advance, as you can purchase them at the machines in the train station or at the ticket office.  

Credit/Debit cards and Cellphones – please call your bank/credit card company and cellphone company to let them know you will be traveling out of the country.

Please check this section of the website for live updates!

7/17/24: Good afternoon from Lugano, Switzerland! Please make sure that you check the agenda for updates. One very important update is that Sara Steinert Borella will meet our group promptly at 9am at the stairs at the Lugano Train Station to ride with us to Riva San Vitale on 7/18/24. If you miss the 9:06am train, you can take the next train.

7/16/24: Hi from Lugano, Switzerland! The weather is beautiful and a lovely 86 degrees (or 30 degrees Celsius) and I look forward to meeting you all at the welcome reception and dinner tomorrow night at the LuganoDante’s restaurant, Flamel.

Please note that for me, the trains seemed a bit confusing when coming from the airport in Milan. To try to make it a bit easier, I have provided very detailed instructions below. If you have any issues, please contact me via the cellphone number I provided in our know-before-you-go email. (Seriously, please text anytime you need to on this trip; I will respond as soon as possible!)

Train instructions from the Milan airport: First, when you get off the plane in Milan, you follow the signs to the train which are clearly labeled in the airport. It will seem like you have missed it, but you have not (it is just quite a walk from the terminals). Just keep going and following the train signs. You will purchase your ticket at the train ticket counter which is in a room behind glass doors, (I believe the signage is red), if you have not already purchased your tickets from the app. Once your ticket is purchased, you will receive two items, a receipt and a ticket. The receipt says “Prog. Turno” and this is the platform for your train. My ticket noted that I was originating at the Malpensa Aeroporto, destination of Lugano, and via Cantello Gaggiolo. The update board at the tracks listed a different city name, (Biasca I believe). The train was on time, and came at 19 after the hour. (If you miss one, just take the next one at 19 after the hour.) You’ll ride the train through several towns before “Lugano” appears as an option on the update board inside the train.

For the Dante: When you get off the train in Lugano, you have to get off the train, off the platform (via the down escalator), and follow the signs for the Citta/Funicular. This is a tram/shuttle system. The vehicle appears green, behind a glass wall and a turnstile. Get on the funicular and ride until it stops. Step off, turn left, and the hotel will on the right.

For the Federale: When you get off the train in Lugano, get off the platform, then ride the escalator UP. Cross the cobblestone to the bridge, walk down, follow the path, and you will bump into the Federale.

7/12/24: We are looking forward to meeting everyone in Switzerland!

7/10/24: The weather outlook is stunning for our time in Switzerland – a high of 89 each day!

7/9/2024: Less than 8 days until we meet in Switzerland!