By train to the lake

Locarno station is just a few steps from Hotel La Palma au Lac, about a four-minute walk along the Muralto lakeside promenade. You can arrive without a car, directly from German-speaking Switzerland – and two of the finest train journeys in the Alps leave from the very same station.

Treno Gottardo: direct from Zurich, Basel and Lucerne

Südostbahn’s (SOB) Treno Gottardo runs direct to Locarno from Zurich, Lucerne and Basel along the Gotthard Panorama Route: the old mountain line with its spiral tunnels and the church of Wassen, which you see three times. From Zurich the journey takes about 3 hours 20 minutes, from Lucerne just over 3 hours and from Basel about 4 hours 20 minutes. The trains have large windows and low-floor boarding, easy even with luggage.

Centovalli railway and Vigezzina: Locarno–Domodossola

The Centovalli railway leaves from the underground station next to the SBB station – in Italy it is called the Vigezzina. In under two hours it covers 52 kilometres to Domodossola, over 83 bridges and through 31 tunnels, past deep gorges, waterfalls, chestnut woods and small stone villages. Since 1923 it has been one of the most spectacular rail journeys in the Alps; from Domodossola you can continue towards the Simplon or the Italian shore of Lake Maggiore.

Lake Maggiore Express: train and boat in one day

In the warmer months the Lake Maggiore Express combines the Centovalli railway, the train from Domodossola down to the lake and the boat that brings you back to Locarno across Lake Maggiore – all in a single ticket. A whole day between mountains and islands, starting and ending a few steps from the hotel.

Public transport included with the Ticino Ticket

Every guest staying at Hotel La Palma au Lac receives the Ticino Ticket: for your whole stay, trains and buses in Ticino are free in second class, and many cable cars, boats and attractions offer discounts.

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