70th birthday trip to Lake Como
Jan 11th, 2012, 04:38 PM
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70th birthday trip to Lake Como
Hi,
I am hoping someone can help us. We are planning a 70th birthday trip to Lake Como area and perhaps a little of Switzerland ending up with 2 days in Venice. We know Lake Como area a little and will be staying at the apartments owned by Grand Hotel Serbelloni for the first week. For the 2nd week we would like to see a little of Maggiore, drive up into Switzerland for a few days and end up in Venice which we know fairly well. We are trying to decide which way to go and also where to stay. Lake Garda are is supposed to be beautiful. Do we skip Maggiore this time and head toward Venice? We enjoy fine hotels if they are worth the price or lovely small hotels that are more unique.
Also, we are having a terrible time finding airflights from Boston to Milan that don't have long stopovers. American Airline flies to NYC and it is straight to Milan from there. Does anyone have any suggestions,esp on the way back if we leave from Venice?
Thanks so much for any help. This used to be fun and easy!!!
I am hoping someone can help us. We are planning a 70th birthday trip to Lake Como area and perhaps a little of Switzerland ending up with 2 days in Venice. We know Lake Como area a little and will be staying at the apartments owned by Grand Hotel Serbelloni for the first week. For the 2nd week we would like to see a little of Maggiore, drive up into Switzerland for a few days and end up in Venice which we know fairly well. We are trying to decide which way to go and also where to stay. Lake Garda are is supposed to be beautiful. Do we skip Maggiore this time and head toward Venice? We enjoy fine hotels if they are worth the price or lovely small hotels that are more unique.
Also, we are having a terrible time finding airflights from Boston to Milan that don't have long stopovers. American Airline flies to NYC and it is straight to Milan from there. Does anyone have any suggestions,esp on the way back if we leave from Venice?
Thanks so much for any help. This used to be fun and easy!!!
Jan 11th, 2012, 05:03 PM
#2
First, look into your flight options home from Venice. For most U.S. travelers, the first leg home out of Venice departs at an excruciatingly early hour. You might want to reverse the order of your trip. What is your home airport?
FWIW, we fly in/out of LAX, and I love the Swiss Air non-stop to Zurich with easy connections to all of Italy.
Research the cost of the highway vignette (tax/toll) required to drive in Switzerland. Depending on where you want to go, trains might work well for such a short period of time in the country. Where you want to go in Switzerland might also determine whether Maggiore or Garda makes better geographic sense.
FWIW, we fly in/out of LAX, and I love the Swiss Air non-stop to Zurich with easy connections to all of Italy.
Research the cost of the highway vignette (tax/toll) required to drive in Switzerland. Depending on where you want to go, trains might work well for such a short period of time in the country. Where you want to go in Switzerland might also determine whether Maggiore or Garda makes better geographic sense.
Jan 11th, 2012, 05:23 PM
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Click on my name to find my trip report from 2009 celebrating our 50th in Venice, Bellagio , and the mountains. We stayed in the same apartments in Bellagio.
I would not head west if you plan to end in Venice. I would see the Dolomites and Garda.
I would not head west if you plan to end in Venice. I would see the Dolomites and Garda.
Jan 12th, 2012, 01:14 PM
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Hi Bob,
I think we will not stay in Stresa but if we feel like a long day's ride, we might go for the day. So after our week in Bellagio,where we will do daytrips. We would like to spend a little time going north (we will have a car) Lugarno area? and then down to Lake Garda area with the last 2 nights in Venice. We will have 7 days to do this. We can fly out of Venice at 1 and go straight to New York and then home to Boston. We welcome any ideas for good hotels,and restaurants in the places you recommend.
thanks for your help
I think we will not stay in Stresa but if we feel like a long day's ride, we might go for the day. So after our week in Bellagio,where we will do daytrips. We would like to spend a little time going north (we will have a car) Lugarno area? and then down to Lake Garda area with the last 2 nights in Venice. We will have 7 days to do this. We can fly out of Venice at 1 and go straight to New York and then home to Boston. We welcome any ideas for good hotels,and restaurants in the places you recommend.
thanks for your help
Jan 12th, 2012, 03:35 PM
#5
Lugano or Locarno? After visiting either, I would head back to Lake Como, go north to Colico, then east to Sondrio, through the mountains to Trento, and then south to Riva del Garda. Drive along the shore of Lake Garda (we enjoyed Malcesine on the eastern side) to Verona and then head to Venice. IME, this is at the very least two days of driving.
FYI, Lugano (the town) is a very easy day trip from Bellagio even without a car. The above route would be entirely in Italy, so if you visited Lugano by public trans you wouldn't need to buy the Swiss vignette.
FYI, Lugano (the town) is a very easy day trip from Bellagio even without a car. The above route would be entirely in Italy, so if you visited Lugano by public trans you wouldn't need to buy the Swiss vignette.
Jan 12th, 2012, 03:38 PM
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Stresa is a long trip---your call.
I do like the Swiss village of Soglio on the road toward St. Moritz---go for lunch.
Also, an amazing place is the Val Versasca just north of Locarno. You could drive there in the AM and then stop at Lugano on the way home.
In the Dolomites, we love the village of Ortisei in the Val Gardena and the HOtel Grones---see my trip report.
I do like the Swiss village of Soglio on the road toward St. Moritz---go for lunch.
Also, an amazing place is the Val Versasca just north of Locarno. You could drive there in the AM and then stop at Lugano on the way home.
In the Dolomites, we love the village of Ortisei in the Val Gardena and the HOtel Grones---see my trip report.
Jan 13th, 2012, 05:09 PM
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Thanks, Jean and bobthenavogator,
We now have some Michelin maps and that helps. My husband wants to know the driving time, not distance from Bellagio to Davos, from Bellagio to Verona, and Davod to Verona. We are trying to decide where to stay for a night while we are doing our week after Bellagio, perhaps heading toward switzerland, sppending some time meandering through the lower mountain area, staying perhaps on Lake Guarda visiting Verona as a day trip. Places to stay? In Soglio-Palazza Salis--tired or worth staying there? We like nice places and excellent food.
thanks,
jjashworth
We now have some Michelin maps and that helps. My husband wants to know the driving time, not distance from Bellagio to Davos, from Bellagio to Verona, and Davod to Verona. We are trying to decide where to stay for a night while we are doing our week after Bellagio, perhaps heading toward switzerland, sppending some time meandering through the lower mountain area, staying perhaps on Lake Guarda visiting Verona as a day trip. Places to stay? In Soglio-Palazza Salis--tired or worth staying there? We like nice places and excellent food.
thanks,
jjashworth
Jan 14th, 2012, 10:00 AM
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I stayed at Palazza Salis about 4 years ago. My room was very nice and a great breakfast was included. You'll have loads of fun driving the tiny streets. Not a lot to do there, but it is one of the most wonderful places I have visited.
Jan 14th, 2012, 10:08 AM
#10
Swiss Air has good prices out of Boston to Zurich. take a look. I use www.mappy.com and ww.viamichelin.com as well as google maps to get driving times as well as mileage( you can set miles as an option over kilometers.)
Jan 14th, 2012, 01:32 PM
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Thanks Happy Trvlr. Checked out Bos to Zurich. United is double what it would be to fly from Bos to JFK and straight to Milan. Swiss Air is more. mappy.com is French and not good for us. Think we will stick with flying out of NYC even though we hate to. Still looking for hotel suggestions in the Lake Garda area and the mountains before we get to Garda.
The maps will help a lot.
Thanks
The maps will help a lot.
Thanks
Jan 14th, 2012, 01:35 PM
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Hi Scat Cat,
We looked at Pallaza Salis but not all the reviews were very encouraging. Would like an interesting town somewhere near there with a nice hotel, and excellent food. We will be spending only one night on the way to Garda and then spent a few nights somewhere on the lake before heading to Venice.
We looked at Pallaza Salis but not all the reviews were very encouraging. Would like an interesting town somewhere near there with a nice hotel, and excellent food. We will be spending only one night on the way to Garda and then spent a few nights somewhere on the lake before heading to Venice.
Jan 14th, 2012, 03:41 PM
#13
I just booked BOS-ZHR on Thursday and it was by far the lowest price, by $300.less per ticket, but then, different dates,different prices!
I use Mappy.com in English, upper left where you see a flag, click on it and then choose United Kingdom.
I use Mappy.com in English, upper left where you see a flag, click on it and then choose United Kingdom.
Jan 16th, 2012, 01:24 PM
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We have decided to stay 2 nights in Davos, stopping at Sondrio on the way. Then we would drive to Trento, maybe for lunch, and then down to Lake Guarda. Malcesine seems like a nice location and we could do a day trip to Verona. Anyone stay in Hotel Castello or Berecus? Looking for a nice place on the water. We would enjoy a smaller boutique hotel if it is on the water. We would then spend our last 3 nights in Venice. We have been there before but have never been out to the islands. Hope this seems good. Not too much driving but a good taste of some mountains. We think we would like to take the cooking class at Il Caminetto in Varenna. Sounds like a lot of fun. So--we have a plan!! What do you all think?
Jan 18th, 2012, 06:18 AM
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We have decided on our itinerary. We will drive to Davos, after a week in Bellagio. After 2 nights there, we will drive to Trento and then on to Riva Del Garda for 2 nights. We will then drive to Venice, stopping for most of a day in Verona. We think, from comments from other travers who are our age--it would be much easier to take a taxi or limo from Malpensa right to Mennagio and then ferry across to Bellagio. Anyone out there have suggestions and a good limo service?
Will let you know how this works out.
jjashworth
Will let you know how this works out.
jjashworth
Jan 18th, 2012, 08:43 AM
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Driving to Davos and then to Trento is very inconvenient and time consuming---I would rethink that.
If you have a driver to Bellagio where do you plan to get the car. I am sorry, but your plan does not compute for me.
If you have a driver to Bellagio where do you plan to get the car. I am sorry, but your plan does not compute for me.
Jan 18th, 2012, 04:32 PM
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Sorry--we plan to rent a car in Bellagio toward the end of the week we are there, perhaps using to for one day of driving somewhere and then back to Bellagio. We will then have a car and head toward St. Moritz (not staying there) and then Davos for 2 nights. Then we plan to head toward Bolzano, down to Trento and then Riva Del Garda for 2 nights. Then 3 nights in Venice and then home. We enjoy driving and the directions seem to say about 4 hours maybe without stopping. We have a whole day. Is this not a good idea? Are we looking at a longer trip from Davos than we think? Another route?
We want to take a taxi or limo from Malpensa to probably to
Menaggio and then ferry across to Bellagio as driving is not easy on the Bellagio side. After 9 hours of travelling, the thought of waiting for a bus or train, then other transportation and then a ferry just is a bit too much. So we are willing to splurge on the limo or taxi. We assume we can rent a car in Bellagio or one town near by when we need it.
Hope this better explains our plans.
We want to take a taxi or limo from Malpensa to probably to
Menaggio and then ferry across to Bellagio as driving is not easy on the Bellagio side. After 9 hours of travelling, the thought of waiting for a bus or train, then other transportation and then a ferry just is a bit too much. So we are willing to splurge on the limo or taxi. We assume we can rent a car in Bellagio or one town near by when we need it.
Hope this better explains our plans.
Jan 18th, 2012, 05:44 PM
#19
As far as I know, there is no car rental company in the mid-Lake Como area. Definitely in the town of Como and probably in Lecco (wrong direction for you), but not Bellagio, Menaggio or Varenna.
You're not going to have much time in St. Moritz if you're not spending the night. I don't think you've factored in how slow mountain driving can be. When is this trip, anyway? You'll want to know when sunset will be so that you can do all of your driving in daylight.
You're not going to have much time in St. Moritz if you're not spending the night. I don't think you've factored in how slow mountain driving can be. When is this trip, anyway? You'll want to know when sunset will be so that you can do all of your driving in daylight.
Jan 18th, 2012, 06:15 PM
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You can rent in Como or Lugano but neither is very convenient.
And,why Davos? It is on the other side of the mountains and is hard to access from the Como area. I would stay in the Engadine valley and skip Davos. Others know the area better than I, but we liked the Hotel Messer in Guarda---also in my trip report with some pics.
And,why Davos? It is on the other side of the mountains and is hard to access from the Como area. I would stay in the Engadine valley and skip Davos. Others know the area better than I, but we liked the Hotel Messer in Guarda---also in my trip report with some pics.
