Opening Reception: LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura - Piazza Bernardino Luini 6, 6900 Lugano
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura is the new Arts Centre dedicated to the visual arts, music and the performing arts, which promises to become one of Switzerland’s most important cultural institutions, with the aim of promoting a wide range of art and establishing Lugano as a cultural crossroads between northern and southern Europe. 

Summit: Palazzo dei Congressi (Convention Centre) - Piazza Indipendenza 4, 6900 Lugano
Located in the heart of Lugano, the Palazzo dei Congressi is an ideal location for Adventure Travel World Summit. It is set within the bounds of Parco Ciani, a beautifully landscaped city park with views of Lake Lugano and the peaks of Monte Bré and Monte San Salvatore. The Palazzo offers a spacious foyer for networking and a world-class amphitheatre for plenary sessions. Concurrent sessions will take place throughout the convention centre and in the historic Villa Ciani, connected to the Palazzo by an internal passage.

Swiss Travel Pass 
Thanks to our partners at Swiss Travel System, all registered delegates to ATWS 2022 who reside outside of Switzerland will receive a complimentary First Class 6, 8, or 15 day Swiss Travel Pass which provides unlimited access to the Swiss Travel System network as well as complimentary entrance to over 500 museums and exhibitions.

Delegates are encouraged to register early to secure a limited number of 15 and 8-day passes which will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. After registering, delegates will receive an email with a unique promotional code to redeem for a Swiss Travel Pass. Redemption instruction can be found here.

By air
Lugano can be reached most conveniently by flying into Zurich, Geneva, Bern or Milan.
Swiss International Air Lines is offering special airfare discounts for delegates who choose a Lufthansa Group flight into Zurich or Geneva. Upon registration, all delegates will receive instructions and a link to explore these special rates. In addition, SWISS has made it possible to fly to ATWS CO2-neutral. Visit swiss.compensaid.com to learn how to reduce the CO2-emissions of your flights either through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), the sponsorship of certified climate protection projects, or a combination of both options.

By train
Switzerland is very well connected with the European rail network, and the train might be the most convenient way to travel to Lugano from most Central European countries. Crossing Switzerland from north to south (Basel to Lugano) only takes three hours. Also, with your Swiss Travel Pass, you only need a ticket to and from the Swiss border.

For train travel information and timetables in Switzerland: www.sbb.ch

By car
Coming from Milan: take the Laghi A9 motorway in the direction of Como-San Gottardo or the A8 motorway in the direction of Varese-Stabio (Gaggiolo). Advised exit: Lugano Sud.
Coming from Zürich: take the A2 motorway in the direction of San Gottardo-Chiasso-Italy. Advised exit: Lugano Nord. 

Please remember that to drive on Swiss motorways it is necessary to be equipped with the motorway sticker that is to be applied onto the car windshield (the cost: CHF 40.-, valid from January to December) it may be purchased at Customs (Gaggiolo – Stabio, Ponte Tresa, Chiasso). 

PARKINGPAY: Download the application via Google Play or App Store, which allows the payment of the parking time in the Lugano car parks via smartphone. Ask in the shops, to operators and hoteliers for the parking discount voucher (CHF 2.- or CHF 5.-) to be included in the application.  

Distances to Lugano

Milan – 77km
Zurich – 227km
Basel – 287km
Bern – 302km
Geneva – 446km
Rome – 644km
Paris – 856km
Berlin – 1048km
London – 1152km

Distances from Airports by train. 

• Zurich Airport (ZRH):
  2h to Lugano by train
• Milano Malpensa Airport (MXP):
  1.45h to Lugano by train

Transport within Switzerland
Discover Switzerland with its unique public transport network. No matter where you want to go, Switzerland offers a unique opportunity to get there in a Swisstainable way. You can visit beautiful lakes, remote villages, even the top of a mountain by train, bus or boat.

Public Transportation
All registered delegates who reside outside of Switzerland will receive a complimentary Swiss Travel Pass providing 6-15 days of unlimited access to the Swiss Travel System network, which includes public transportation within the city of Lugano. 

Rental car
In over 90 stations, up to 4’500 vehicles are ready to be rented: from small cars to family vans, from luxury limousines to utility vehicles and from convertibles to 4WD cars. Whatever your needs are, we have the perfect car for you – and you benefit from attractive prices.
Learn More

Taxi
Would you like to travel to the airport with more privacy and without having to transfer? Then travel by taxi or limousine.
Learn More

Map of Switzerland
Learn More

Map of Lugano
Learn More

Various regulations apply for entering Switzerland depending on the passport that you hold. To find out if you are required to apply for a visa, please visit the website for the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) who is the responsible authority in Switzerland. You can find a list of nationalities and their requirements for entry here. 

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs maintains a helpful website here as well.

Several hotels of various categories and price ranges have been selected by Ticino Turismo and blocked at special room rates for ATWS delegates. See a map of these hotels here. These special rates will not last and local hotels will sell out, so book early to secure your accommodation. 

Lugano offers a wide variety of hotels, ranging from 1* to 5* and luxury accommodations, belonging to well-known brands or family-run. Some of the hotels are housed in historical buildings whereas others offer more modern lodgings. Because Lugano is a rather small city, all hotels are walking distance from the Palazzo dei Congressi (Convention Centre) or easily reachable by a short bus ride.

Reserve Hotel Room

In Switzerland we’ve always cared deeply for nature. Sustainability is in our DNA. Learn more about our strategy to preserve Switzerland as a sustainable travel destination – for generations to come.

Learn More

Climate
The climate is moderate with no excessive heat, cold or humidity. From July to August the daytime temperature range is 18 to 28 °C (65° – 82° F) and from January to February the range is -2 to 7 °C (28° – 45° F). In spring and autumn, the daytime temperature range is 8 to 15 °C (46° – 59° F).  

Depending on the altitude the temperature range may vary. It is highly recommended to visitors to pack a sweater, good walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, a compact umbrella and/or a light rain coat. 

Languages
Switzerland has four unevenly distributed languages and a wealth of dialects.  

• German (63.5 %): the most widely spoken language in Switzerland: 19 of the country’s 26 cantons are predominantly (Swiss) German-speaking. 
• French (22.5 %): spoken in the western part of the country, the “Suisse Romande.” 
• Italian (8.1 %): spoken in Ticino and four southern valleys of Canton Graubünden.  
• Rhaeto-Rumantsch (0.5 %): spoken in the only trilingual canton, Graubünden. The other two languages spoken there are German and  

Travelling within Switzerland is very easy as English is widely spoken.  

Electricity
The voltage in Switzerland, as in most of Europe, is 230V/50 Hz.
Switzerland uses type C (2-pin) and Type J (3-pin) plugs. (Type C 2-pin plugs also fit J sockets.)  

Currency
Switzerland remains with the Swiss franc, usually indicated as CHF. While Switzerland is not part of the European Union and thus is not obliged to convert to the Euro, many prices are nonetheless indicated in euros so that visitors may compare prices. Merchants may accept euros but are not obliged to do so. Change given back to the client will most likely be in Swiss francs.  

Credit Cards
The safest and easiest form of money are traveler’s checks and credit cards. The cards most used are American Express, MasterCard and Visa. 

Tipping
Tipping is not mandatory in Switzerland however rounding the bill up if you got a good service will be appreciated but not expected.  

Emergency Calls
117–Police
118–Fire
144–Ambulance
1414–Swiss Rescue
112–European emergency number
More practical information about Switzerland can be found on the following website: https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/planning/about-switzerland/general-facts/