Lugano-Agno Airport, Switzerland

Getting to Lugano by plane is very easy. The city has its own airport located about 15 minutes (6km) away near the A2 Milan-Basel highway. Lugano-Agno airport is serviced by domestic flights departing from Zurich and Geneva. Flights from Zurich to Lugano take approximately 50 minutes. The two airlines that fly into Lugano are:

The airport has a shuttle bus service that brings passengers into the centre of Lugano. The shuttle runs between 08.00 – 18.30 on weekdays and between 10.00 – 18.30 on weekends, with transfers timed to coincide with flight arrivals. The shuttle drops passengers off at the Swiss Federal Railway Station in the centre of Lugano.

As Lugano-Agno Airport is quite small it means check-in times are relatively quick. If you have return flight from Lugano then it might be useful to know that check-in times normally take about 20 minutes.

CAR HIRE FROM MILAN and LUGANO AIRPORT
Car Rentals Milan Airport

get the best deals on Rentals from a major supplier: RentalCars

If you are considering hiring a car then we please take note of some our previous guest’s comments and issues:

  • There are cars for hire from many companies and some are very popular, (generally the cheapest) and at busy times the offices sometimes see queues, (despite pre-booking) of an hour.
  • A number of car hire companies are “offsite” and these require waiting for buses and on return you will need to ensure you know the route.
  • Ensure you check the car before departure for any damage
  • You will be asked to take increased insurance and this increases cost
  • The car you booked is often not the car you get

NOTE: When hiring a car you need to ensure the driver has a credit card to pay the deposits, insurance etc. Another persons card, even your spouse will not be accepted and you will not be able to rent the car. Don’t forget your driving license.

Malpensa Airport, Milan, Italy

When you arrive at Malpensa Airport (Milan, Italy) you are approximately 80 minutes away from Lugano by road. There is an express bus services connecting Malpensa Airport to Lugano which drops passengers off in the centre by the main station. The buses run regularly (almost hourly) throughout the year. It is always advisable to make an online reservation with the any bus company before your arrival at Malpensa Airport. Shuttle schedules and seat reservations are all available on the Jet Bus website. A return ticket to Lugano costs approximately 50 Euros. An alternative service is the Malpensa Express which makes around 10 return journeys a day from the airport to Lugano and Bellinzona. You can also make seat reservations and see the bus schedule on their website below.

Malpensa Airport, Milan
Jet Bus Reservations
Malpensa Express Reservations

Another option is to catch a train from Milan to Lugano. Trains leaving Milano Central pass through Monza and Como before arriving at Lugano main station. There is often a short delay at the Italian/Swiss border town of Chiasso where passports are checked. The entire journey however still only take around 1.5 hours. An average single ticket costs less than 20 Euros and can be purchased from the SBB Rail site.

Swiss Federal Railway – SBB Online
Travelling to Lugano By Train From Zurich Airport

FROM LAKE COMO TO LAKE LUGANO

The two lakes are relatively close together. There are two main access points to Lugano and its lake. The first is via Como/Chiasso and across the border into Switzerland.

if you already near the train station in Como the easiest way to reach Lugano city is to take a direct train, the journey will take about 40 min. You can check the time table on http://www.sbb.ch/en

The second is via the pass over from Menaagio through Porlezza and onto Lugano. This takes you via the Italian part of Lake Lugano and through a border crossing on the way.  This route can be taken by bus and both are 30-45 minutes by car, depending on where you start.

Lake Como Ferry timetable – You may need this if you are staying on the eastern shore of Lake Como

Lugano to Lake Como