Switzerland Under the Palm Trees: Ticino with Kids in and Around Lugano

Ticino with kids: four days in Lugano by train and completely without a car

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Somewhere beyond the Gotthard, the first small nose is pressed against the train window. Outside, the landscape turns greener, the houses suddenly have loggias and more and more palm trees appear between the mountains. The light softens, and at some point the next announcement comes in Italian rather than German.

Hello, Ticino! We spent four days travelling as a family from Munich, entirely without a car. We wanted to find out how well Ticino works with children by train, whether Switzerland really is as expensive as its reputation suggests, and which day trips around Lugano are genuinely fun with kids in tow.

Our short version after these few days: Mediterranean Ticino is wonderfully easy for families. And anyone who has crossed the Alps by train quickly understands why the journey itself can be part of the holiday. Switzerland doesn’t always have to be expensive, and in this post you’ll find a tip or two for exactly that.

From Munich to Lugano: six hours of scenery on the big screen

The train from Munich to Zurich takes a little over three and a half hours. From there it continues south, past orchards and lakes, through the imposing mountain world of the Gotthard region and finally into Ticino.

While the landscape outside grows more and more Mediterranean, the children can stand up, play and stretch their legs whenever they like. For us that is one of the biggest advantages over a long car journey: nobody sits strapped into a seat for hours, asking every ten minutes when we’ll finally be there.

Many Swiss InterCity routes even have dedicated family coaches with a small playground on the upper deck. There are also family areas with space for pushchairs. In the timetable and in the SBB Mobile app you can spot the right coaches by the little bear symbol. Even so, it’s worth checking in advance which train is running on your particular connection, because not every route heading south has a family coach.

Swiss Travel Pass and free train travel for children

Tickets get a little complicated for a moment, but families in particular can save a fair amount here. The Swiss Travel Pass covers trains, buses and boats and is only sold to travellers who do not live in Switzerland or Liechtenstein. Children under six travel free anyway. Children aged six and under 16 get the free Swiss Family Card, provided a parent holds a valid Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Travel Pass Flex or Swiss Half Fare Card.

Important: The Swiss Family Card is not issued automatically. The easiest way is to order it together with your ticket. If you forget, you can still pick one up at a staffed Swiss ticket counter.

If you’d like to experience the famous panoramic route over the Gotthard on your way south, you have two options. The Gotthard Panorama Express connects Lucerne and Lugano and combines a boat trip with a train ride. It runs seasonally, in 2026 from 18 April to 18 October. There is a surcharge of 24 francs for the compulsory seat reservation, and the train section is offered in first class only.

A more straightforward alternative is the Treno Gottardo, which runs year-round along the historic mountain line. It has no large panoramic windows, but the journey is fully included in the Swiss Travel Pass and, on the mountain stretch, the view outside is exactly the same.

 

Arriving in Lugano: palm trees at the door and the lake below

Once in Lugano, it isn’t just the language that changes, but the air as well. It smells of warm stone, oleander and just a little of the lake. From the station we take the bus up the hairpin bends to Albonago and, a short while later, we’re standing in front of the Reka Holiday Village Lugano-Albonago.

We’re repeat visitors at Reka, so we were really looking forward to this. The suitcases are barely unpacked before the children are in the pool.

In Switzerland, Reka stands for affordable family holidays. Behind the name is the Swiss Travel Fund, a non-profit cooperative that has been making sure holidays don’t fail because of the budget since 1939. Hardly anyone in Germany has heard of it, yet a week at the Lugano-Albonago holiday village starts at 1,089 francs for a family of four.

The holiday village sits on the slopes of Monte Brè above Lugano. Seven buildings are grouped around a small village square, with a playground, the osteria and the Rekalino kids’ club in between. You stay in apartments with your own kitchen, and right at the top is the infinity pool with views over the city and the lake. Just behind it lies the toddler area with a slide and water play.

Childcare at the Rekalino is included in the price during the week, by the way, and you also get the Ticino Ticket free of charge at check-in. We’ve written up everything you can do with it in a separate post full of day trip ideas around Lugano.

Monte Brè: an outing above the rooftops of Lugano

Our first proper excursion doesn’t take us far at all. Albonago is one of the intermediate stops on the historic funicular up Monte Brè, and the stop is only a few minutes’ walk from the Reka holiday village. So we don’t have to go down into Lugano to the valley station in Cassarate first, but can board the little railway practically on our doorstep.

The ride alone is fun for the children. The carriages are narrow and stepped, there’s a gentle jolt as it sets off, and with every metre upwards the view over Lake Lugano opens out further.

At the top, we follow the chestnut trail towards Brè. The path leads through shady woodland, past old stone walls and small clearings. Lizards bask on the warm stones along the way and the children collect chestnut husks that apparently absolutely have to come home with us.

The village of Brè itself is small and wonderfully full of nooks and crannies. Narrow lanes run between the old houses, artworks decorate the façades, and a few restaurants sit in between.

We deliberately planned nothing else for this morning and simply let ourselves drift.

We take the funicular back down, this time all the way to the lake. And there, of course, a gelato is waiting, along with a short stroll along the shore.

By boat to Gandria

The next day we swap the funicular for a scheduled boat. The trip to Gandria is one of our favourite things from these few days. The boat glides calmly through the water. The further we travel, the narrower the lake becomes. The slopes grow steeper and at some point pastel-coloured houses appear.

After around 30 minutes the boat docks in Gandria, though depending on the service it can take a little longer. The small village sits right against the rock and looks rather as if someone had simply glued the houses to the hillside. Narrow lanes, steps, washing lines, sleeping cats and small workshops make it a perfect place to set off without any real plan.

We wander through the alleys and eventually end up at the bottega right by the landing stage. With a view of the water there’s cake and a little break before we move on.

We had actually wanted to cross to the other side of the lake in the afternoon, to the old cellars and the customs museum in Cantine di Gandria. That didn’t happen, because by the time we got back to the jetty our boat had already left and the next connection no longer fitted our schedule.

So our most important Gandria tip for families is this: photograph the timetable at the jetty before you set off. The boats run reliably, but not particularly often.

Lugano with kids: old town, park and plenty of gelato

For Lugano itself we take a whole day and don’t even try to squeeze as much as possible into as little time as possible. We start in the old town and stroll through the lanes and along under the arcades. In between there are market stalls, small shops and, of course, endless opportunities for an espresso or a gelato.

After that we carry on into Parco Ciani. While the children disappear onto the playground with a scoop of pistachio ice cream, we find ourselves a shady spot under the old trees and look out over the glittering water.

Later we walk past the lido and stop for a moment by the diving tower. That would actually have been the perfect next item on the programme. We decide to save it for our next visit, though, because at some point the legs get tired.

Rather than dragging the day out, we head back to Albonago. The children jump straight back into the pool, we play a round of table tennis, and in the evening the lake slowly turns pink.

Is Switzerland really that expensive?

The short answer is yes, Switzerland is more expensive than the surrounding countries. Lunch for the whole family quickly runs into three figures. No travel report can talk that away.

What you can influence, though, are quite a few of the costs.

That’s why an apartment with its own kitchen was such an important point for us. Making breakfast yourself, packing a picnic for lunch and either cooking in the evening or heading spontaneously to the osteria gives you far more flexibility than a classic hotel with half board.

When it comes to shopping, it’s worth doing one bigger supermarket run down in the valley. The supermarkets in Lugano are noticeably cheaper than the small shops and kiosks right by the attractions. Shop properly once, take the bus back up and you’re set for the next few days.

Another big plus is the Ticino Ticket. It makes buses and trains free throughout the canton. On top of that, there are discounts of roughly 20 to 30 percent on various mountain railways, boat trips and museums.

And on the journey itself, the Swiss Family Card saves families a good deal too.

All in all, our holiday days therefore came in well below what we would have expected to pay for a comparable family holiday at a Swiss family hotel.

Our 5 tips for Ticino with kids

1. Reserve seats in the family area.
On the long journey in particular, it makes a difference when everyone has their own seat and the children have somewhere to play in between.

2. Order the Swiss Family Card together with your ticket.
It isn’t issued automatically and can save families a decent amount of money.

3. Plan the heights and the water for different times of day.
Mornings on the mountain are pleasantly quiet and cool, while later in the day the pool and the lake are exactly right.

4. Make use of the childcare at the Reka holiday village.
The Rekalino programme runs on weekdays and is included in your stay.

5. Bring a water bottle.
Lugano has plenty of fountains with drinking water. That saves money and unnecessary plastic bottles while you’re out and about.

Palm trees in the morning, the Isar in the evening

On our last morning we head to the pool one more time. Then it’s time to pack the suitcases, catch the bus, board the train and travel back north. Six hours later we’re standing at Munich central station again. In a jacket pocket there’s a chestnut from Brè, and in our heads the realisation that the south is sometimes far closer than you think.

What stays with us from these days isn’t necessarily the big sights. It’s the small moments in between: the first palm tree at the train window, the gelato after the funicular ride, the children at the bow of the boat, the chestnut trail to Brè and the evenings by the pool and under the pergola at the Reka holiday village. That’s exactly why we love Ticino so much.

Frequently asked questions about a family holiday in Ticino

When is the best time to visit Ticino with children?

For a family holiday, the months from May to early October work particularly well. Ticino can get very hot in high summer, which is when a pool or a lake nearby is definitely a plus. Another one goes to the air conditioning in the Reka apartments. For hikes and longer excursions we find May, June and September especially pleasant. Outside the school holidays, prices are often lower too.

Is Lugano worth a long weekend?

Absolutely. For three days we’d focus on three things: a trip up Monte Brè, a boat ride and a day in Lugano. If Swissminiatur, the Museo in Erba or longer hikes are also on the list, we’d plan a full week instead. You’ll find every destination in detail in our day trip tips around Lugano.

How expensive is a family holiday in Ticino?

Eating out and leisure activities are noticeably more expensive in Switzerland than in Germany or Italy. With a holiday apartment with a kitchen, a proper supermarket shop and consistent use of the Ticino Ticket, though, the budget stays well within reason. On our trip, the total costs came in considerably lower than we had initially expected. A week for four at the Reka Holiday Village Lugano-Albonago starts at 1,089 francs (as of August 2026).

Can you travel around Ticino with children without a car?

Yes, and very easily. Switzerland is our model country when it comes to car-free travel. Trains, buses and boats connect Lugano with plenty of key day trip destinations. With the Ticino Ticket, buses and trains are free throughout the canton. We spent the entire trip without a car and didn’t miss it once.

Do children travel free by train in Switzerland?

Children under six travel free. Children aged six and under 16 get the free Swiss Family Card if they’re accompanied by a parent with a valid Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Travel Pass Flex or Swiss Half Fare Card. The easiest way is to order the card together with your ticket.