Coach Hire Across Switzerland

Locarno and Lake Maggiore Coach Hire

Locarno has one listed coach park, at the station in Muralto. Several valleys around it have length limits that rule out a full-size coach. Check the vehicle against the road before you fix the programme.

Muralto station and the Piazza Grande

The coach park at the SBB station in Muralto is paid and allows up to 24 hours. The Piazza Grande is a few minutes on foot. No official coach set-down rules exist for the Piazza, so the driver agrees the drop-off point in advance.

Ascona's two official lists disagree on where coaches park, so the operator checks with Ascona. Brissago has no fixed coach spaces; there, the police decide. Boats from Ascona reach the Brissago Islands in about 20 minutes, from March to early November.

Full-size coach interior with reclining seats and aisle
Full-size coach interior with reclining seats and aisle

Valle Verzasca by the rules

The valley road admits coaches with no trailer and a maximum length of 12 m, height of 3.70 m and width of 2.55 m. Stops at the Verzasca dam, in Lavertezzo and in Brione are limited to half an hour, and the driver stays in the cab. For longer waits the coach goes to Gerra Verzasca or Sonogno.

Inside Lavertezzo village it only drops the group off, then pulls into a turning space 200 m up the valley. The road is narrow, so the driver avoids meeting the PostAuto.

Airports for a group arriving in Locarno

Stadiums and arenas a coach can reach

  • Stadio del Lido — Football and athletics stadium by the lake (Via Respini), opened in 1926; up to 10,000 spectators, 1,000 of them seated

Coach day trips from Locarno

  • Madonna del Sasso (Orselina; road for vehicles up to 10 m) — about 2 km, about 5 min
  • Ascona — about 3 km, about 10 min
  • Verzasca dam (Contra) — about 9 km, about 20 min
  • Brissago — about 9 km, about 15 min
  • Lavertezzo (Ponte dei Salti) — about 18 km, about 30 min
  • Bellinzona (castles) — about 25 km, about 35 min
  • Sonogno (end of the Valle Verzasca) — about 32 km, about 1 h
  • Lugano — about 43 km, about 55 min
  • Stresa, Italy (Lake Maggiore) — about 54 km, about 1.5 h
  • Como, Italy — about 72 km, about 1.5 h
  • Domodossola, Italy (by Lake Maggiore and Verbania; the Centovalli road is closed to coaches) — about 83 km, about 2 h
  • Andermatt (through the Gotthard road tunnel) — about 105 km, about 1.75 h
  • Luzern — about 165 km, about 2.75 h
  • Zürich — about 202 km, about 3.25 h

Where a coach can stop in Locarno, and other rules

  • Zurich Airport (ZRH) is about 217 km by road from the Piazza Grande, about 3.5 h in light traffic, through the Gotthard road tunnel. Milano Malpensa (MXP, Italy) is about 107 km (about 2 h) and crosses the Swiss-Italian border. Lugano Airport has no scheduled airline flights; it serves general and business aviation.
  • Railway station: Locarno station (SBB) is in Muralto, a few minutes on foot from the Piazza Grande; trains run to Bellinzona and on to the north, and the Centovalli railway to Domodossola starts in Locarno.
  • Coach parking is scarce in the Locarno area. The tourist office lists one coach park for Locarno, at the SBB station in Muralto (paid, up to 24 hours). For Ascona its two lists differ (Piazza Caglioni, or 3 spaces at the car park on the Viale Papio 8), so the operator confirms with Ascona; Brissago has no fixed coach spaces (ask the police). No official coach set-down rules for the Piazza Grande were found.
  • Narrow roads with coach limits (tourist office rules for tour buses): the Centovalli road takes vehicles only up to 2.30 m wide between Intragna and the Italian border, 10 m long and 4 m high, so a full-size coach cannot use it; the road to Madonna del Sasso is for vehicles up to 10 m long and 4.80 m high. In the Vallemaggia mountain roads the limit is 10 m and there are no official coach parks.
  • Valle Verzasca (official 2026 guide for private buses): coaches up to 12 m long, 3.70 m high and 2.55 m wide, no trailers; up to 13 m only with a special permit from the canton, applied for at least a week ahead. Works between late April and September 2026 restricted coach transit, and no permits over 12 m are issued for now. Coaches park for longer only at Gerra Verzasca (Larici and Froda) and Sonogno (3 spaces); at the Verzasca dam, Lavertezzo and Brione they may stop for at most 30 minutes with the driver staying on board, and in Lavertezzo village only to set down, then wait at a turning area 200 m towards Sonogno. Avoid meeting the PostAuto line 321 on the narrow road.
  • Gotthard: the A2 Gotthard road tunnel (Göschenen to Airolo, about 17 km) is the main road link between central Switzerland and Ticino. It is a single tube with one lane in each direction. ASTRA is building a second tube; when it opens, the existing tube will be closed for refurbishment, and even with two tubes only one lane in each direction will be open. Heavy goods vehicles are metered at the portals (the Tropfenzählersystem, 150 m between lorries).
  • Passes: the Gotthard pass road is closed in winter (from November, with no fixed date), and traffic uses the tunnel. The A13 San Bernardino tunnel towards Chur has a maintenance programme from 2026 to 2029, with night closures announced separately.
  • Locarno Film Festival (80th edition): 4 to 14 August 2027, with open-air screenings on the Piazza Grande. Moon&Stars concerts on the Piazza Grande: 15 to 25 July 2027. Hotels fill early and the centre is busy on both.
  • Cross-border day trips: a coach based in Switzerland may take a group into a neighbouring country and back. The road rules, charges and any low-emission rules of that country apply on its roads, so the operator checks them before the trip.
  • Cabotage: under Article 20 of the EU-Switzerland Land Transport Agreement, a coach operator established in an EU state may not carry passengers between two places in Switzerland. A group journey that starts and ends in Switzerland therefore needs a vehicle from an operator established in Switzerland. Coaches may carry groups across the border in both directions; these occasional services need no authorisation, but the coach carries a journey form (Fahrtenblatt).
  • Road charges: coaches and other buses over 3.5 tonnes pay the flat-rate heavy vehicle fee (pauschale Schwerverkehrsabgabe, PSVA) for every day they are in Switzerland, on all public roads, and need no motorway vignette; foreign-registered coaches pay the PSVA online through the BAZG "Via" portal or app before entering Switzerland. Minibuses and cars up to 3.5 tonnes need the motorway vignette (the e-vignette linked to the number plate, or the sticker) to use motorways and expressways (Autobahnen / autoroutes / autostrade).
  • Speed and driving bans: on motorways and expressways coaches may drive at up to 100 km/h (articulated buses and scheduled buses with standing places excepted); heavy vehicles are otherwise limited to 80 km/h. The Swiss night driving ban (22:00 to 05:00) and the Sunday and public-holiday ban for heavy vehicles do not apply to vehicles carrying passengers.
  • Drivers' hours: coach drivers follow the Swiss ordinance ARV 1, aligned with the EU rules: at most 9 hours of driving a day (10 hours twice a week), a break of at least 45 minutes after 4.5 hours of driving and at least 11 hours of daily rest, recorded by tachograph. Drivers of foreign-registered coaches must keep the same driving, break and rest rules in Switzerland. In domestic traffic, professional drivers of cars and of minibuses with up to 16 seats besides the driver follow ARV 2 instead.
  • Winter: Switzerland has no general winter-tyre obligation, but a vehicle must be fit for the road conditions and the driver must keep control of it at all times; the Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) recommends winter tyres from October to Easter. Where the sign "Schneeketten obligatorisch" / "chaînes à neige obligatoires" / "Catene per la neve obbligatorie" (sign 2.48) is shown, at least two drive wheels on the same axle must be fitted with snow chains.

Where a smaller vehicle is better

The Centovalli road is closed to full-size coaches. Put the group on the Centovalli railway to Domodossola, just under two hours, and send the coach round by Lake Maggiore and Verbania. The road up to Madonna del Sasso and the Vallemaggia roads take vehicles of up to 10 m. For those, a midi coach or a minibus does the job.

North through the Gotthard

Zurich Airport is about 3.5 hours away through the Gotthard road tunnel, a single tube with one lane each way. Milan Malpensa is about 2 hours across the border. A coach from an EU operator may bring a group into Ticino but may not carry it between two Swiss places, such as Locarno and Lugano.

What organisers ask us

When are the big summer events?

Moon&Stars runs from 15 to 25 July 2027 and the Film Festival from 4 to 14 August 2027, both on the Piazza Grande. Hotels fill early and the centre is busy.

Is Cardada open in late autumn?

Not between 9 November and 18 December 2026, when Cardada shuts for its maintenance period. Plan Madonna del Sasso or the lake for those weeks instead.

How far are the Bellinzona castles?

About 35 minutes by road. The three castles are a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the visit fits easily into a half day from Locarno.

More group trips by coach

Vehicles, each with a driver