All depends on the weather which is not predictable unfortunately. You can take the motorway via the San Gottardo tunnel all the way to the Ticino. If there would be heavy snowfall you could get a problem as snow and ice equipment is inforced by law in Switzerland if you drive on snow or ice. And driving like this is sometimes even difficult for used drivers (see the many accidents).
So my honest meaning is: Yes, it is possible but I would prefer to recommend not to drive in November.
pore

pore, thank you for your input.
Snow and ice equipment? You just changed our mind. We might give up rent-a-car idea, and just use public transportation. Or, enjoy Switzerland when we can vacation in spring or summer.
Again, I appreciate you taking the time to answer. Best regards.

If you have never driven in snow I definitely would not recommend doing so through the Alps. There are some highways - near major cities and into/through the major tunnels. But much of the driving is on roads that are one lane in each direction with unpaved shoulders and frequently near significant drop offs. This is especially true on the Italian side.

The winter gear for the car wouldn't be a problem - the rental company will provide it - but after having seen the results of a few inches of snow in Cincinnati (NOT a southern city IMHO) I always reco people drive in snow only if they are very experienced.

Separately you really don;t want to be in the Italian lakes in November. Many places (hotels and rests) are closed for the season, the countryside is brown and crunchy and the beauty just won;t be there.

The title of this thread jerked me right back to the many scary moments I had in winter in Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Italy back in the 60's.

I lived on an army post in Germany and used to take winter trips, mainly for skiing. I remember my little VW sedan fishtailing on mountain roads on the way to Gstaad, Switzerland. I was terrified!

But the most memorable event occurred when my car did a 360 plus another 180 spin on a narrow road returning from Selva di Gardena in the Dolomites of Italy. I'm not kidding. The car made a complete circle, then a half circle and ended up sliding backwards down this road. Fortunately, the road was lined with a strong rock wall, so we did not plunge 1000 or so feet down into the valley.

I was not driving. My driver was a friend from Idaho who had driven a lot on snowy mountain roads in Idaho. She was very cool and confident about the driving, and the only damage my car suffered was a dent in one fender. My nerves were not undamaged.

You might have clear roads and good driving, but I wouldn't count on it.

My guidebook lists three train routes that go through the Alps. I'd definitely be interested in doing one or more of those. My guide lists the Glacier Express, the Engadine Express, and the Palm Express.

Thank you everyone. I knew I will get good advice. And you're right, many hotels I checked out around Como ARE closed in November.
I did look at trains in the meantime, and it looks like a better option. Not crazy about hauling luggage, but we will have to pack light. Very light. Train routes you mention look amazing. Even if it's fraction what it looks like in the photos, it will be much prettier than our flat Texas.
Thanks again. You've made up my mind!