The Switzerland - Ticino Untour

Book your Ticino, Switzerland vacation with Untours and look forward to a glorious trip amidst mountain peaks, pristine lakes, and dramatic valleys. Enjoy the beauty of Italy's lake district, on the Swiss side of the border! Italian culture meets Swiss efficiency in Ticino: Mediterranean cuisine and trains that run on time.

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WHAT TO DO ON YOUR SWITZERLAND TICINO VACATION

Day trips and sightseeing: Between picturesque towns, museums with world-class collections, castles, palazzos, gorgeous lakes, lovely valleys, excellent hiking and Mediterranean food and wine, you will wish you had booked a several-months' trip. There is so much to do in Ticino and the rest of Switzerland that we list only a few of the many possibilities: There are the cultured cities of Locarno, Ascona, Bellinzona, Lugano. Explore Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore. Alpine highs not to be missed: Cardada, Monte Tamaro, Ritom, Monte Generoso, Robiei.

Ticino’s musuems contain some world-class collections: Museo dei Fossili del Monte San Giorgio, this Museum in Meride exhibits a selection of fossilized animals and plants from the unique UNESCO World Heritage Site of Monte San Giorgio. Municipal Museum of Modern Art in Ascona and, for a change of pace, the Swiss miniature village near Lugano. Ventures into Italy -- Domodossola, Lake Como, Milan – are easy day trips from Ticino. Castles include Visconti Castle in Locarno; Castelgrande, Castello di Montebello and Castello di Sasso Corbaro in Bellinzona. There is a range of famous rail journeys: the Palm Express, Glacier Express, Bernina Express and the spectacular ride to on the Centovalli Railway through some of the most dramatic valleys in the world.

Off-the-beaten-track attractions that can’t be beat: Buying fresh bread at your local bakery every morning and buying dinner ingredients at open-air markets, playing a game of bocce at our farewell get-together, seeing a performance with the clown Dimitri in Verscio, tasting Ticinese (red and white) Merlot, a well-kept secret.

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Dee McConnell - Transportation Specialist and Co-Team Leader - Switzerland and Holland Untours
Barcelona is the next Untour on my list. I like locations close to water, and I'd really love to see some Gaudi architecture.
Read more about Dee.

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS UNTOUR?

The Switzerland - Ticino Untour Includes:

One or two-week stay in a private apartment, in the bustling, Italian-speaking city of Locarno on the shore of Lake Maggiore.
Suggestions for booking your international flight from the U.S. to Zurich, Switzerland, or we can purchase tickets on your behalf. (More information on Untours' air policies here.)
An 8 or 15-day Swiss Rail Pass valid on trains, buses, lake ships; free entry to over 400 museums in Switzerland.
Lots of pre-planning advice from our US staff who have not only seen the apartments but also stayed in them.
Our staff will meet most flights and escort you to your new home or offer transfer assistance at the Zurich airport with detailed instructions that allow you to reach your Swiss village independently with ease.
You will be given an orientation the following day by our expert English-speaking staff, many of whom have been welcoming Untourists to their country for over 25 years.
A Swiss Ticino Dream Book - publication researched and written by Untours staff, chock-full of suggestions for scenic hiking trails and day trips.
An Untours-sponsored group activity such as a walking excursion into the Ticino Valleys, guided tour of Bellinzona castles or a boat trip to Gandria on beautiful Lake Lugano.
Typical Italian lunch or Pasta and bocce party (selected dates) with your new and old friends.
Welcome supplies of bread, milk, cheese, eggs so you don’t have to look for a grocery store right away.
On-site support services and emergency contact when you need it.

Here's what our customers say about how much there is to do in Switzerland Ticino:

"We love the whole experience of the Untour - walking around a small village at our leisure exploring - wandering down alleys and living like the locals do - shopping in their markets and bakeries, getting gelato a few times a day - hopping on and off trains, buses and funiculars to see with ease the wonderfully scenic areas and charming towns." Alan Dee

"Everything was so very well done! You are a gift to those who love to travel without the burden of following a flag, fan, umbrella, etc!!"
Hazel Lewis

"The beauty of Locarno and Lugano is outstanding. We enjoyed the trains to Stresa and the lake boat back to Locarno. We enjoyed Post bus trips into some of the valleys north of Locarno, and we enjoyed the Piazza Grande in the evenings when it did not rain." Marilynn Coe

"Location is everything. I think the town of Locarno is great. The trains, busses and ferry system were very convenient. The people who represented Untours were very helpful and kind." Roger & Lynn Burkart

"We were constantly delighted by the amazing contrasts that this little country provides: Ticino's Mediterranean ambiance juxtaposed with the majesty of the snow-capped mountains and glaciers along the Bernina Express route. Or, the upscale hotels and shopping of Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse played off against the stone villages of the upper Verzasca valley or the many, exquisite early churches (e.g. Biasca, San Quirico in Locarno) with their lovely frescoes." Stanton Linden

"The excursions in Ticino, around Locarno were very nice, beautiful and easily accesible." Sondra Lemberg

"This was our sixth Untour. We'd return to any of them in a heartbeat - but Ticino ranks way up there! So much to do that can't be covered in two weeks. Also, Italian culture & warmth with Swiss efficiency = a great combination!" Bob & Fausta Lynch

“I was surprised to find the ‘Mediterranean’ feel of Locarno. My granddaughter loved the fashions and the shopping. She was overwhelmed by the pastry shops and delicious goodies! The mountains and water of the Verzasca Valley were a marvel, from the stone formations to the stone houses and barns." Shirley Lathrop