Lake Lugano lies across the Italian-Swiss border, where lakeside villages back onto the surrounding mountains, including the World Heritage Site, Monte San Giorgio.
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We were in both Lake Como and Lugano last May and found Lake Como (and the little towns) far more interesting. I've stayed in both and love each. They are different - Como more Italian of course which may make it seem less squeaky-clean than Lugano, an Italian-speaking but thoroughly antiseptic Swiss city.
As compared to Lake Como, Lake Garda is less refined, but in a mystifying and wild way that makes you feel like automatically relaxed amongst the hues of greens, blues and wooden accents. Even the towns and villages sprinkling the shoreline are far more subtle and more traditionally Italian than Lake Como.
In France the closest for tourist interests would be Colmar or Strasbourg. In Italy that would be Milan, perhaps Como may be slightly closer. But these are 3-4 hours away each way. Check train schedule with www.sbb.ch.
Is there a direct train from Zurich to Como? Yes, there is a direct train from Zurich to Como. We usually find around 29 direct trains on the route from Zurich to Como every weekday.
The Price of visiting Lake Como and Lake MaggioreThe Italian Lakes are definitely not a budget destination, however, there are ways to make a trip there more affordable. Due to the increased popularity, Lake Como is more expensive than Lake Maggiore in terms of accommodation and food.
Further north, one of the most beautiful areas to live on Lake Maggiore is the village of Cannero Riviera. The village is famous and appreciated for its particularly mild microclimate, which favours the flourishing of luxuriant Mediterranean scrub.
By Train. For our day trip from Como, Italy to Lugano, Switzerland, we took the train from Como San Giovanni station to Lugano station. We bought tickets from vending machines (multiple language options) at each station just before the train departed. Our 2nd class tickets cost €20 per person one way.
Perfect Pairings: Lake Como & Portofino. Dive into the abundant beauty of Lake Como and Portofino on this breathtaking tour of Italy. Combining the tranquillity of Lake Como with the glitz and glamour of Portofino, this idyllic break takes you to new levels of R&R.
Lugano, the largest town in the holiday region of Ticino, is not only Switzerland's third most important financial centre and a conference, banking and business centre, but also a town of parks and flowers, villas and sacred buildings.