Pauline, please tell me about Locarno, what makes you like the town? We will be in Como for four days in Oct. and are thinking of taking a train to Locarno, should we?

We spent a week in Locarno in 1996 and have been back a few times for the night. I do not recommend this part of Switzerland for the hiking (it is not as good as on the northern side of the Alps), but this is a nice region. The really interesting part is the small Swiss towns up north of Locarno, in the vallies of the Alps. They are full of these old stone houses with stone roofs - beautiful.

Locarno is a nice town and would give you a feel for Switzerland. There is a nice central square, lots of shops and restaurants, very lively. It is right on the lake and you can take a boat into Italy. You could plan a day trip to Locarno and then take the boat to a town in Italy on Lake Maggiore where you can take the train back to Como.

Locarno is not so exceptional that it is worth really going out of your way for it. You might be better off spending the day exploring the villages around Lake Como - but if you feel like a nice day trip and want to experience a bit of Switzerland, I would recommend Locarno.

Pauline from Slow Travelers

I was in Locarno in July and absolutely loved it. Actually, I stayed in Minusio, about 1K along the promenade at Albergo Navegna, right on the lake. It was gloriously beautiful. Must sees/dos in the area include the Centovalli train (2 hours from Domodossolo to Locarno and incredible scenery) and Bellinzona with its three Roman castles dating back to the 1200's. A hydrofoil trip from Locarno to Stresa was a fun way to see the towns that surround the lake from the water. I also took a great bike ride from Camedo to Locaro. Take the train to Camedo, rent a bike there and return it at the bottom of the hill. The scenery was great, I stopped to ride a gondola to the top of a mountain and the entire ride was "solo decendere!" I could easily spend a month in the area.