Driving to Lake Maggiore: Gotthard, San Bernardino & Clever Alternative Routes Reviewed

You feel the moment your holiday truly begins immediately: after the cool bends and dark tunnels of the Alps, the light of the south suddenly breaks through the windscreen. The deep, shimmering blue of the water opens up, the air softens, and already far before the border at Valmara, the first palm trees reach skyward. Finally, you’ve arrived. However, depending on your chosen route, the journey there can either be a relaxed panoramic drive or a nerve-wracking test of patience. Those travelling by car from the north face one main question: Gotthard Tunnel or San Bernardino?

The Bottleneck: A2 via the Gotthard Tunnel

The route via the Swiss A2 motorway and the Gotthard Tunnel is the direct, classic path for most travellers from western and northern Germany. At 16.9 kilometres long, it is the third-longest road tunnel in the world – and unfortunately, also one of the most prone to traffic jams. Particularly during major travel waves at Easter, Ascension Day, or Pentecost, the approach turns into a seemingly endless metal snake. This Pentecost, traffic backed up for over 20 kilometres in front of the north portal, resulting in a gruelling waiting time of more than three hours for travellers.

When is the best time to drive through the Gotthard?

If you choose the A2, you should definitely avoid weekend peak times. To circumvent the infamous traffic jam in front of the Gotthard Tunnel, driving during the week is strongly recommended. But even on weekdays, timing is crucial: arriving at the Gotthard Tunnel between 5:00 and 6:00 AM on a weekday gives you the best chance of passing through without significant delays.

Should weekend travel be unavoidable, plan smartly. Use the Gotthard-Nord service area (southbound) or earlier service stations for a final fuel stop and comfort break before the stop-and-go begins. If you are travelling in summer and are flexible, driving in the late evening or early morning hours is often the most relaxed option.

The Scenic Alternative: A13 via San Bernardino

The San Bernardino Tunnel on the A13 motorway is far more than just a last resort. It is the most important Gotthard Tunnel alternative on the way to Lake Maggiore. Located in the beautiful canton of Grisons, this tunnel connects the villages of Hinterrhein and San Bernardino. At a relatively short 6.6 kilometres, the tunnel, opened in 1967 – making it thirteen years older than its Gotthard counterpart – is often the smoother choice.

This route is particularly attractive for holidaymakers travelling from Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, or eastern Switzerland. Passage through the San Bernardino Tunnel is fully covered by the standard Swiss motorway vignette. There are no additional special fees for this route. The same currently applies to the Gotthard, though this is expected to change in the future.

Tips

1. If you want to drive over the Gotthard Pass: leave the motorway very early. The infamous traffic jam is not just directly in front of the tunnel but spread over longer sections (traffic light phasing).
2. Don’t try to be clever and rejoin at the last entrance before the tunnel: the entrances are automatically closed when there’s a jam over 2km long (and as punishment, you’ll have to drive back several kilometres).
3. Check alternative routes like the Simplon.
4. Avoid Saturdays & Sundays during holiday periods in Germany and Switzerland.
5. The earlier the better, or the later the better: drive during off-peak hours. Early morning or late evening.
6. Think carefully about whether you really want to take a long detour to change your route. If the Gotthard is very busy, the San Bernardino usually also gets congested, and most importantly: so do the access roads. For those who don’t have to make a detour for San Bernardino (especially guests from Bavaria and the Lake Constance region), the Bernardino route is better; for guests from the Freiburg region and further north, the long detour to San Bernardino is usually not worth it.
7. And even if you don’t want to read this now: just factor in an extra 2 hours in summer and bring patience. Even if it’s annoying – once you exit the tunnel, you’ll feel like you’re already in Italy!

Passes Instead of Tunnels: When the Journey is the Destination

Should traffic also build up at the San Bernardino Tunnel, or if you simply don’t fancy tunnel tubes, the historic San Bernardino Pass road offers a spectacular alternative route. The pass road stretches for 17 kilometres and winds through a rugged, almost lunar high-mountain landscape. The pass was built between 1818 and 1823 and is generally open to traffic from approximately late May to late October – the exact dates depend heavily on current snow conditions.

This option also exists at the Gotthard: the legendary Gotthard Pass is an extremely popular alternative route to the tunnel. If you take the pass road, you can make a fascinating stop at the summit in the historic Sasso San Gottardo Museum. This former, top-secret fortress now houses the permanent exhibition “Mythos Gotthard” and offers one of Europe’s largest historical defence systems with deep insights into kilometres of bunker systems, troop accommodations, and cannon emplacements in the rock, as well as a breathtaking panoramic platform.

The Final Leg to Your Holiday Home

Whether you choose the A2 via the Gotthard or the A13 via the San Bernardino – in Ticino, the roads for drivers converge again. From here, the specific journey to Cannobio by car is wonderfully straightforward:

1. Exit the respective motorway at Bellinzona Süd.
2. Consistently follow the signs towards Locarno.
3. Continue towards Brissago / Cannobio / Italia.
4. You will reach the beautiful coastal road SS34, which leads directly along the lake shore.
5. After passing the border crossing at Valmara (Dogana), Lakeview Cannobio Resort is approximately 800 metres further on the right, just before the actual entrance to Cannobio itself.

Alternative Travel Options Without a Car

Even though the flexibility of having your own car seems unbeatable for a camping or glamping holiday, Cannobio is by no means only accessible on four wheels. The region is excellently connected to the public transport network. You can conveniently travel by train to Locarno (Switzerland) or Verbania (Italy) and from there use the regional bus lines that run regularly along the coastal road. Those travelling from further afield should use Milan-Malpensa Airport, from where shuttle buses and car rental stations enable a smooth onward journey north to the lake.

Plan your journey smartly, adjust your departure time to traffic flows, and enjoy the drive through the majestic Alps as the first carefree day of your holiday in Ticino and Piedmont.