Lugano is one of the best kept secrets in Europe -- visually stunning scenery, mild climate, great shopping (and I hate shopping), and everything operates with the efficiency that only the Swiss are famous for. It's great any time of the year. I wish I could make it my home.
Locarno … Excellent town in the Italian part of Switzerland. The view for the lake is awesome. For cheap pizza, try the Coop pizzeria across from the Dépendance dell'Angelo in Piazza Grande.
HI - Lugano-Savosa Hostel - "The Oasis" in Lugano … This is a beautiful, beautiful hostel. Easy to get to (possible to walk or take a quick bus ride), helpful staff (who speak perfect English, Italian, and German), good breakfast (though it is an extra 8 francs), clean rooms and bathrooms. I enjoyed my stay in this gorgeous city and hostel.
Backpackers Montarina in Lugano … I stayed last November and was really impressed. The view from the private rooms with balcony would lead one to think they were staying at a premium hotel.
Backpackers Montarina in Lugano … This place is really clean and right by the train station. The staff were really helpful, too.
Baracca Backpacker in Aurigeno … This is a beautiful little hostel. It is off the beaten path. So it's a walk to get to, but worth the trip. There is a seasonal waterfall right in back and two others nearby that are nice for swimming and hiking. The hostel has a garden of fresh herbs for picking and using with dinner.
Backpackers Montarina in Lugano … This is one of the best hostels I've never seen. I'm from Milano and I usually come here during the hot Milano summers to rest and enjoy the sun, the swimming pool, and the fresh breeze in the night!
Backpackers Montarina in Lugano … What a great place. It's quiet, friendly, and in the middle of a truly beautiful town. It has a good swimming pool and table tennis, if that's your thing. Check out the lake as well; it's a stunning place. If I ever come back to this neck of the woods I'll be staying here.
Backpackers Montarina in Lugano … Seriously wonderful hostel — one of the extremely few and even farther between hostels in Europe that is really more comparable to a hotel. The grounds are BEAUTIFUL (palm trees in Switzerland!), Lugano is amazing, and the hostel is very, very nice and more importantly very clean. The staff were great, even tracking down our mailing address in Germany to mail my husband's passport which he'd accidentally left at the front desk. Before we'd even had a chance to call them, they'd already sent it off with a nice note. Great service, great location, great rooms....GREAT HOSTEL!
Backpackers Montarina in Lugano … One of the best backpackers we stayed at. Very clean and it is an old 19th century villa, with the paintings on the roof. Very good facilities, though the kitchen is small, (read one person only) and you have to go through it to get to one of the showers. Beautiful views looking over the water. Above the train station, but not noisy. Walk into town is good but get the funicular back up.
Backpackers Montarina in Lugano … Superb. Mind-boggling. This is Lake Como, but for 15 euros a night. Just don't go there. It's my paradise, not yours.
HI - Lugano-Savosa Hostel - "The Oasis" in Lugano … The family and staff who operate this hostel are "first class" professionals. It really a place that operates in the tradition of what hostels were meant to be. They are great at accommodating older, single travelers like me. It's a great mix of families, young travelers, and the occasional old farts like me. The hostel sits on a lovely bluff overlooking the Lake Lugano and the mountains around the lake. In the mornings you can see deer in grazing in the on the grounds around the property. It is a five-minute bus ride to or from the train station only five stops. You can be in the Center of Lugano in eight minutes by bus or fanicular. The breakfast (from an American's perspective) is delicious and healthy! The last time (a few years ago) when I was there, they had Internet access. I hope they will have Wi-Fi on the property by my next visit (which I hope will be soon). It is a peaceful place to relax, swim, contemplate nature, and lively enough for good socialization and…
Backpackers Montarina in Lugano … Couldn't believe this was a hostel. The garden and pool are great!
Backpackers Montarina in Lugano … I stayed here in November. It was brilliant. It's the cleanest hostel I have ever stayed at. The staff were friendly and the town lovely, so plan to spend more than a couple of days.
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