Working in Ticino but staying in Lugano, Como or Milan?

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1
Hello everyone,

I have accepted an offer to work in Switzerland in Stabio which is right on the border with Italy.

Can anyone assist me whether is best for me to stay? I am considering Lugano, Como and Milan.

Also, what is the difference between a B and a G work permit for an EU17 citizen other than the fact with a B work permit you can only live in Switzerland?

Thank you and looking forward for any replies

2
Stabio.

Tom

3

A G permit means you can work in Switzerland, but must return to Italy at least once a week.

https://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home…g_eu_efta.html

With a B permit you must live and work in Switzerland.

https://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home…b_eu_efta.html

4
Anywhere that is not Italy and is Stabio or north of Stabio.

5
Mendrisio could be iffy.

Stabio, depends where you work and where you live.

My wife used to live in Stabio, 100m from the border, so from there to most of Stabio would be a no go unless you'd be working within walking distance.

But it's cheap, and close to Italy for restaurants, bars, and shopping.

Do you know in which part of Stabio your job is?

Tom

6
I almost put "not Mendrisio" because of *that* roundabout......!

7
http://www.astra.admin.ch/autobahnsc...x.html?lang=de should be better from 2016

I would live in or around mendrisio, there are some nice places. If it's too small town i guess lugano is fine too, but then you have the daily commute and it's more expensive. The important thing is not living south of your work place, because going in the same direction of the frontaliers (g permit italian commuters) is suicide. Of course it also depends where your social life will be.

8
Being a local I can only say that your best bet of you don't want to succumb to road rage is to hang around "here". You may want to consider living up the hill in Arzo, Meride or Tremona as well. That is if you enjoy hills / mountains, etc. Of course if you're looking for the metropolitan "movida" you're best served either in Lugano or Como. Lugano has the advantage that you're moving commuting "against" the traffic - if you chose to drive.

OTOH Stabio will have a train connection to Mendrisio in about 10 days or so.

Cheers from "here"

Paul

9
Thank you for your replies, there were all really helpful. It seems that either Lugano/Mendrisio or Como are the best choices for me. But I am 26 years old and I would like to live in a place were it has a good nightlife as well. It is hard for me decide. Maybe I should visit all of them before I start work once more to make my mind.

So I guess upon my decision above, I will have to decide what type of visa should I apply for.

10
Anywhere around Stabio would not have a great nightlife unless you make it yourself at your house or a friends'. I would focus on Como or Lugano. Como is probably more interesting in that respect. It feels younger too.

11

Lugano, Varese and Como are acceptable viable options, but Milano is too far away

12
Varese and Como are NOT, unless you like sitting in traffic!

Tom

13
How much traffic? Would it take more than 30min from como to stabio with traffic? From lugano how long will it take?

14
T R A F F I C ! ! It's chaotic in the scientific sense. It should take you 30 minutes from Como but it could take you 45 or more than an hour it depends on just too many variables (i.e. schools, rain, holidays, etc). it also depends on your work shift... Consider that TI has a daily influx of 55-60k italian workers, most of them driving (and too many with no passengers at all....)... oh and you'll be stuck wih the same lot in the evening when you drive back to Como. IMHO not a good choice.

what time are you supposed to be on the job?

From Lugano it would take about 20 minutes and as I said rush hour traffic is going north so you should be safe. But of course Switzerland is more expensive, etc.

Paul

15
it will flow through nicely if you're across the border by 0515. Let's just say if you move north on the highway in the morning and south at night - especially through ANY tunnel - you are in the hands of the gods.

you really want to be heading south in the morning and north in the evening and you want to avoid tunnels and certain pinch-points in the traffic.

16
Thank you so much really, I appreciate your help. It seems Lugano is the best option for me despite that is more expensive.

17

I see. Well, alright, dealing with traffic (public transport and car-traffic) on a weekend visit to Ticino and to do so while living there certainly is a bit of a difference.

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Even on weekend-visits, I got the impression that public transport in the area leaves room for improvement

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18

Everything depends on the comparison. Lugano, a very nice place, is NOT expensive at all by Zürich standards

19
hi, do you know that frontaliers ( G permit ) doesn't pay krankenkasse?do you know that with you live in Italy with a swiss salary you can have a great life?I'm italian if you need more information let me know! ciao

20
But that would be the version reloaded, imho, not for dummies.

We don't know if OP speaks Italian, and whereas Swiss local bureaucracy can sometimes be nasty, the Italian version of it is a nightmare.

I'm none of those who look down on Southern Europe in general and Italy in particular (as a matter of fact, I know quite well what Switzerland's problems are, and there are loads of them), but I don't think that for a newbie in Switzerland and, at the same time, in Italy, to be a commuter from Italy would be an easy task.