Bellinzona doesn’t have a wide choice of accommodation, and what there is wins no prizes for style or imagination. The campsite nearest town is Bosco di Molinazzo, by the river in Molinazzo, a northern suburb (091/829 11 18, fax 829 23 55; April–Sept), but there are no hostels within reach.

Of the hotels, Tsui-Fok, 150m southeast of Indipendenza at Via Nocca 20 (phone & fax 091/825 13 32; a), is a pretty simple Chinese restaurant with four inexpensive rooms upstairs. San Giovanni is more convenient at Via San Giovanni 7 (phone & fax 825 19 19), another restaurant (this time Ticinese) with upstairs rooms, though they’re better kept and more pleasant. Both of these have shared-bath rooms only. Croce Federale, Viale Stazione 12 (091/825 16 67, fax 826 25 50), is the most pleasant of four hotels on this street by the station, well located on the edge of the pedestrian zone and with comfortable, unremarkable rooms. Unione, Via Generale Guisan 1 (091/825 55 77, fax 825 94 60; closed Christmas to mid-January), is Bellinzona’s best, with efficient service but rooms that don’t make it above ordinary.