Bellinzona city of three castles: 931 km via Chur and the San Bernardino – and back

Bellinzona is the capital of the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino and, with around 45,800 inhabitants, its second-largest city after Lugano. It lies on the valley floor east of the river Ticino, at the foot of the Gotthard massif, where the Sopraceneri gives way to the Sottoceneri. Anyone moving from Berlin to Bellinzona brings their household goods from the EU customs union into Switzerland. Items you have used for at least six months and will continue to use in Ticino remain duty-free – declared as removal goods with the signed form 18.44, a list of items and proof of your new residence. We collect everything in Berlin and reassemble it in Bellinzona.

On the way from Bellinzona to Berlin, the list with both addresses goes to the Swiss export customs office, after which the goods are declared to German customs. For this too you receive a fixed price after the survey; our liability is governed by the German Commercial Code (HGB), and you can add higher cover.

From Moabit the AVUS and A10 lead onto the A9, which we follow to Nuremberg; then via the A6 to the Feuchtwangen/Crailsheim interchange, then on the A7 to Memmingen and the A96 to Lindau. A short stretch runs through Austria on the A14 past Bregenz, then across the Rhine into the St. Gallen Rhine valley and onto the Swiss A13: via Sargans and Chur, through the Viamala and the 6.6 km San Bernardino tunnel into the Misox and down to Bellinzona. That is around 931 km and approx. 14 h by lorry including breaks.

On German motorways lorries over 3.5 t drive at no more than 80 km/h (§ 18 para. 5 StVO), and after four and a half hours of driving a 45-minute break is mandatory. For the short stretch through Vorarlberg, lorries over 3.5 t pay the Austrian GO toll via GO-Box. One day's driving time is not enough for the whole route, so two drivers take turns or we stop overnight before the border; between 10 pm and 5 am lorries are banned from driving in Switzerland. The San Bernardino tunnel is 6,596 m long and has been open to traffic since December 1967; in Bellinzona the A13 ends at the A2. The route via Basel, Lucerne and the Gotthard road tunnel (A2) is an alternative if roads are closed. Unloading takes place at your address in Bellinzona or, on a return move, in Berlin.

Above the old town stand the three castles of Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro, linked by remains of the town wall and the Murata; they have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Below lie the squares Piazza Collegiata with the collegiate church, Piazza Nosetto with the town hall under arcades and Piazza Governo with the seat of government. Since 2 April 2017 twelve former municipalities such as Giubiasco, Sementina, Claro and Gudo have been part of the city – which today consists of 13 quartieri. Access and parking vary greatly between old-town lanes and villages on the plain; we check your address in advance. You register with the city's residents' office (Controllo abitanti); the municipality tells you the deadline and documents.

If you come back to Berlin, you have two weeks to register at the citizens' office (Bürgeramt). We apply to the district office's road traffic authority for the parking restriction outside your new Berlin address, and the signs go up 72 hours beforehand. You hand over your flat in Ticino as soon as the lorry is loaded – moving out and departure fall on the same day.

For initial orientation for Berlin–Bellinzona and back; only the fixed price we give you after the survey is binding:

For the good 931 km over the Alps we quote from €3,700, the same in both directions. Heavy vehicle fee, customs clearance and a second driver are listed as separate lines in the quote; it becomes binding after a free survey.

The load in cubic metres has the biggest influence. On the Alpine route there are also the good 931 km, the Swiss heavy vehicle fee, customs clearance and two drivers or an overnight stop. At the destination it matters whether the lorry stops in an old-town lane or outside a house on the plain. Extras: furniture assembly and parking restrictions; you can save with a shared load.

For the move to the cantonal capital, you put the services together yourself:

• Private move – the whole household to Bellinzona
• Company move – office with IT listed separately
• Furniture transport – individual pieces over the Alps
• Shared load – small household, shared lorry
• Move with assembly – dismantled on the Spree, reassembled on the Ticino
• House clearance – what is left in Berlin cleared broom-clean

Ticino is one of many destinations we drive to from Stromstraße 21. The locations overview shows the regions at a glance; all long-distance routes are listed under long-distance moves.

Are you moving to Ticino or from Bellinzona back to Berlin? We look at your belongings, go through form 18.44 and the list of items with you and send the fixed price in writing. Guide price from €3,700. Free survey on 01625978461.