Arrival on Campus

Arrival on Campus
Flying on your own
Group Flight
Currency
Permits
Adapters
Clothing
Toiletries
Linens
Shipping Personal Belongings
Cell Phones and Cell Phone Service
Beyond Cell Phones

Arrival on Campus

New students should plan to arrive on campus the first day of orientation between the hours of 10:00 am and 5:30 pm. If you cannot arrive before 5:30 pm (17.30), please call +41 91 985 22 71. After regular business hours, please call +41 79 211 4689. This will be indicated in the mailing sent to you by Admissions concerning the orientation schedule. Students arriving before that day should plan on staying in a nearby hotel. Similarly, students arriving outside the above mentioned office hours should also arrange to stay in a hotel. The following are recommended hotels, but for additional options, see the Lugano Tourism website.

Villa Principe Leopoldo*****
http://www.leopoldohotel.com
Email: info@leopoldohotel.com
Tel. +41 (0)91 985 88 55
Fax +41 (0)91 985 88 25

Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola*****
http://www.villacastagnola.com
Email: info@villacastagnola.com
Tel. +41 (0)91 973 25 55
Fax  +41 (0)91 973 25 50

Splendide Royal*****
http://www.splendide.ch
Email: welcome@splendide.ch
Tel.  +41 (0)91 985 77 11
Fax  +41 (0)91 985 77 22

Grand Hotel Eden*****
http://www.edenlugano.ch
Email: welcome@edenlugano.ch
Tel. +41 (0)91 985 92 00
Fax +41 (0)91 985 92 50

Hotel de la Paix****
http://www.delapaix.ch/
Email booking@delapaix.ch
Tel. +41 (0)91 960 60 60
Fax. +41 (0)91 960 60 66

Hotel Colorado***
http://www.colorado.ch/en/
Email: hotel@colorado.ch
Tel. +41 (0)91 994 16 31
Fax. +41 (0)91 993 12 66

Hotel Federale***
http://www.hotel-federale.ch
Email info@hotel-federale.ch
Tel. +41 (0)91 910 08 08
Fax. +41 (0)91 910 08 00

Art Hotel Stella Lugano***
http://www.hotel-stella.ch/
Email: info@arthotelstella.ch
Tel. +41 (0)91 966 33 70 
Fax. +41 (0)91 966 67 55

Hotel Besso**
http://www.hotelbesso.ch
Email: info@hotelbesso.ch
Tel. +41(0)91 967 23 12
Fax. +41(0)91 967 40 12

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Flying on Your Own

We advise you to fly to either Zurich or Milan. The train trip from the Zurich airport to Lugano takes about three hours. Bus transportation from the Milan airport to Lugano takes about one hour. Youth fare plane tickets are issued on a round-trip basis and you are free to use the return portion of the ticket at any time within twelve months after the date of issue. Because of the low cost of youth fare tickets, IATA Airlines have stopped providing refunds for lost tickets. It is possible to fly into Lugano, usually from Zurich, but this costs considerably more than flying into Zurich or Milan.

For more information regarding flights into Milan as well as information on bus and train schedules, please refer to the following:
SEA Milan Airports - Malpensa - Linate
Bus Information from Milan Malpensa Airport: Star Bus and Malpensa Express
Trains - SBB CFF FFS Online-Travel Online

For information on limousine service to and from Milan: EC Limousine Service

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Group Flight

You can travel to Switzerland from the USA at the beginning of each semester in the company of a Franklin College staff member on our group reservation with Swissair. The completed Group Flight reservation form should be sent to the New York office with a check for payment. Upon receipt, you will receive an acknowledgment and individual reservation information.

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Currency

Your first few hours in Europe will be easier if you arrive with a minimum amount of foreign currency in your pocket. If you are traveling on the group flight you will not have time to change money at the airport. If you travel independently to Zurich or Milan, you will need money to get to Lugano. We suggest that you carry the following amounts, depending on your mode of travel:

• Group flight - 200 Swiss Francs (CHF)
• Independently to Zurich – 300 Swiss Francs (CHF)
• Independently to Milan - 100 Euros

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Permits

The Office of Student Life and the Office of Admissions will work closely with you to ensure that the documentation you need to attend Franklin College is prepared in advance and ready for submission upon your arrival in Lugano.

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Adapters

Voltage in Switzerland is 220v. Students bringing appliances, computers, etc., from countries operating on 110v or 120v will need adapters for plugs and voltage converters. Some appliances only require an adapter and not a converter because their power supply cord already accommodates the dual-voltage capability.

Appliances that commonly require adapters and converters:

• Hair Dryer
• Electric razor

Appliances that generally only require an adapter:

• Computer
• Digital camera

It is important to bring necessary adapters and converters to school because they are somewhat difficult to find in Lugano. Generally, basic electrical adapters and converters can be found at your local travel store, online, or at a hardware store and are relatively inexpensive.

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Clothing

We strongly recommend that students be economy-minded in planning for their stay in Europe. Past experience has shown that students tend to bring more clothing, appliances and other items than they will actually need for their stay in Switzerland. Though palm trees grow on our grounds, we do enjoy four seasons in Lugano. Warm winter clothing is necessary (boots, coats, gloves), and we suggest that rain gear be packed for our sometimes wet, rather than white, winters.

The following is a list of suggested items to pack for your living in Lugano. Other items such as class materials, cleaning supplies, etc. can be purchased in the local shops in town.

Clothing:

Jeans and other pants plus one or more good pairs of trousers
Three nice dresses or skirts for women
Bathrobe, pajamas and slippers
Sports jacket and tie for men
Sweaters and one heavy jacket
One or two pairs of very comfortable shoes
Hats, gloves and scarves
Warm winter coat and raincoat
Tennis shoes and bathing suit
Hiking boots (should be very comfortable to walk long distance and keep your feet dry).
Bath towel and washcloth (or you can buy these in Switzerland)
Bed Linen, pillow and blanket
Toiletries (just enough to get started; these can be purchased here)

Extras:

Folding umbrella
Travel alarm clock
Backpack, optional but useful
Portable music player, I-Pod/CD player and CDs
A camera
Computer

While it is possible to ski before the winter break, the best skiing opportunities come up in the early spring. If you are interested in participating in soccer, basketball, swimming and yoga, plan to pack the gear necessary to participate.

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Toiletries

A wide selection of toiletries can be purchased in Lugano. As the orientation schedule is a busy one, bring enough toiletries for a few days. Many major hair care brands can be found in Lugano but if you are particular about a brand, bring your own supply of shampoo and conditioner to school.

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Linens

While linens can be purchased in Lugano, it is important to bring a set of linens for use within the first few days of arrival. Several days into orientation, shuttles will be scheduled to enable you to shop for linens and other dorm room needs at the IKEA in the nearby shopping area at Grancia.

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Shipping Personal Belongings

You can ship personal belongings to the College in advance. Boxes mailed from the US typically take 4 - 6 weeks to arrive in Lugano. When labeling the boxes, make sure to mark it as containing used items to avoid heavy customs costs. Also, if customs officials must open your box, an inventory of the box may be helpful and avoid too much searching through your clothes.

Boxes should be addressed as follows:
Student Name
c/o Franklin College Switzerland
Via Ponte Tresa 29 6924
Sorengo (Lugano)
Switzerland

Students who choose this option should plan to mail their boxes in mid to late July so that they arrive in late August or early September.

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Cell Phones and Cell Phone Service

Cell phones are the main means of communication between students on campus. Cell phones for Switzerland can be purchased easily in Lugano. Dual-band phones allow the user to use the cell phone in both the United States and Europe. If you intend to bring a cell phone with you to school it must be a dual-band cell phone to work with the European network.

Currently, there are three different service providers in Lugano for cell phone service. These include: Swisscom, Sunrise and Orange.

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Beyond Cell Phones

Upon arrival, students traveling on the group flight from the United States will be allowed one free phone call home. There are pay phones accessible to all residence halls, and phone cards can be readily purchased in gas stations and at kiosks in Lugano.

It is better to purchase phone cards in Lugano rather than use cards purchased in your home country. Many students have also found that programs for Internet telephony, like Skype are very useful in staying connected with family and friends back home.

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