Lugano is small enough to get around on foot, and many of the streets are pedestrian-only. Walking is also the best way to see the city and you can literally walk from one end of town to the other in well under an hour. Exploring by foot also gives you an intimate look at the beautiful town, and allows you to duck into a little café or shop when the walking gets tedious.

The main bus hubs are Lugano Centro for TPL and ARL, and for Autopostale the nearby underground station beneath the Autosilo Balestra. There are also good connections from the Stazione FFS and by the lakeside.

If you wish to stay within the Lugano area, it is best to use the TPL (Trasporti Pubblici Luganesi; www.tplsa.ch) bus line. A short-journey ticket (30 minutes)costs about 1.90Fr,1-day travelcard for 1 zone is about 7.20Fr, or you can purchase a short-journey multi-journey travelcard (up to 6 trips) for about 9.50Fr, which can be used by multiple people. Tickets for TPL buses must be purchased prior to boarding the bus from the automated machine.

If you are visiting the surroundingareas of Lugano, you should use the Autopostale bus system (www.autopostale.ch); these are the yello buses. Tickets for Autopostale buses can be purchased from the bus driver, or from the main bus terminal located in downtown Lugano(Autosilo Balestra). Reference the website for exact bus lines and ticket prices.

There is usually no requirement to show drivers your tickets, the honor system is used here. However, there are ticket inspectors and fines for `free-riding` are high so don`t try to abuse the system.

You may have mixed results with trying to buy your ticket on the bus, particularly with an APE card. Although most busses seem to have machines capable of doing so, it isn`t standard practice and drivers may seem at a loss. The standard procedure is to buy your ticket before you get on; note that in the polite and relaxed Luganese society, busses will wait patiently for you to purchase your ticket and then board (make sure you acknowledge the courtesy with a respectful `Grazie!`).

Funicolare Lugano Citta - Stazione: The funicular links the old center of the town on the lake shore to the railway station higher up the hill. Starting at 5:20am till 11:50pm throughout the year and runs every 5 to 10 minutes.

Funicolare Lugano Paradiso - Monte San Salvatore: This funicular links Lugano (Via delle Scuole 7, Lugano Paradiso) with the top of the Monte San Salvatore, with beautiful views of Lake Lugano, the isthmus of Melide, the Monte Generoso and the Italian enclave of Campione d`Italia on the other side of the lake. Tickets cost about 23Fr; Return is about 30Fr.

Funicolare Monte Brè: This funicularlinks Lugano (Via Ceresio di Suvigliano 36) to the top of the Monte Brè.A single fare costs about 16Fr; Return is about 25Fr.

Regular pedestrian ferry services are operated by Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano (SNL) and serve many locations around the lake. Main routes are to Gandria, Ponte Tresa, and Porlezza (IT). SNL also operates tourist cruises.

Note: While much of Lake Lugano is in Switzerland, a large portion of it is in Italy so take your passport when on a boat.

Taxis are readily available in Lugano from numerous locations and on all the main roads. Be aware that the minimum charge for taking a taxi (regardless of how far you are traveling) is around 15-20Fr. This is the fixed fee for taxis (quite high compared to other cities), so no haggling or shopping around is required. You can also often pay in euros. Waiting taxis can always be found at the train station or across from the main shopping square downtown (across the street from Manor).

The town of Lugano and the lakefront itself are ideal for bikers. You can rent a bike at the railway station in Lugano. Prices generally start at about 30Fr per day, depending on the type of bicycle.

We do not suggest driving once you get to the city of Lugano, most of the streets are pedestrianized and parking is hard to come by. We suggest you inquire about parking at your hotel (typically at a daily parking fee). While there are multiple parking garages located in Lugano, many fill up quickly during peak tourism time, and street parking is often hard or impossible to come by.