Swiss Diamond Hotel Olivella, Lugano

Advantages: Vibrant, cosmopolitan city and stunningly beautiful lakes
Disadvantages: Pricey, dirty and plagued by annoying gypsies

.... However, when you look beneath the surface you start to notice that this isn’t the real Italy after all, but a sort of Germanicised Italy. The streets are clean and have little or no graffiti, the people are quiet and reserved and everywhere you look there is the distinct ‘scent’ of money in the air. There is a bank on virtually every street corner! If you reach Lugano by train you will need to take the funicular railway down to the town centre. The ferry point is close to the main square and from there you can explore the lake. Lake Lugano is not a particularly big lake and is surrounded by steep wooded mountains, which makes it look very ‘fjord’ like. One interesting lakeside village is ‘Campione’, an anomaly of politics and geography, being a sovereign Italian territory completely surrounded by Swiss land. Overall, I was less... Read review

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Advantages: A haven of scenic beauty
Disadvantages: nothing worth mentioning though language can be problem for english speaking tourists.

..., Lugano, and Neuchtel offer sailing, water-skiing and canoing. Rowing can be done on Lake Zurich. hiking is a national passion in Switzerland, and hikers are very well catered for. Approximately 50,000km of trails lead through all kinds of terrain in this spectacularly beautiful country.We went to rhein falls on the first day.It is a photographer's delight.We had luggage with us and there was no place to put it. So we had to drag it with us all the way up and down the stairs.While coming back to the platform we found out that the place where people were depositing their belongings for a ride in boat was very near to platform. Advice: If you have luggage with you then go down to the left from platform,its hardly 50 meters.The person who takes care for the luggage charges 1 frank per suitcase. SHOPPING: Chocolates :Swiss chocolates are world... Read review

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Advantages: Spectacular scenery, Italian food, great ferries, not overrun by tourists
Disadvantages: Attractions close smack in the middle of the day, credit cards rarely accepted

...'t go that won't take their cards Italian attractions honor only cash. If you visit Switzerland which is less than an hours drive away remember they use Swiss Francs. They do take Euros at Swiss tourist attractions but expect change back in Swiss Francs. Bellagio Bellagio is the epitomy of Lake Como, a pretty lakeside town perched on the promontory of the Y where the lake splits into two. It's a great place to sit at a hotel café and people-watch - judging by car registrations and overheard conversations you'll mainly be watching Italians, Germans and Dutch with the odd Brit or American group. Afterwards you can enjoy the windy steep alleys, or if like us you have young kids or a stroller you can merely walk slowly up and down them. Villa Calotta The Villa Calotta is in Tremezzo on the western shore. It can easily be reached by ferry... Read review

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