bobthenavigator Lake District Itinerary
 

Ok I will try this again
I will have aprox 10-12 days to tour the Lake District at the beginning of Sept.
Bob, you wrote in a thread somewhere that the lakes should be divided into 3 parts and can be done reasonably in 12 days.
This sounds perfect for me.
I am a single and not too worried about booking ahead, although I will probably want my first 2 nights booked.
Flying into Milan. I am thinking Varenna first.
I need to get down to Santa Margherita after.
What would your perfect 12 day itinerary be for the Lake district?
Anyone else is of course welcome to jump in.
Thankyou

You could have responded to your original thread to bring it to the top rather than creating a new post. Be patient - perhaps Bob had an evening out.

I would definitely book ahead for September otherwise you may be disappointed.

Bob is travelling!

FYI, many of us think the 'Lake District' is a delightful area of Cumbria in the NW of England where Beatrix Potter did her thing. A more detailed thread title would be good.

That's right, bellalinda. "Lake District" tells readers that you refer to the beautiful English locale. Try "Italian Lakes" or the actual lake names. Have fun planning. J.

just got back from Northern Italy - Torino, Bellaio, Mantova and Milan.

flew NYC-Milan. Take the 7E bus to Centrale Stazione - a taxi is 70E.

I took the train from Torino to Varenna - caught the ferry (3.50E) to Bellagio. Day trips are easy from either Bellagio, Varenna or Mennagio.

I was in Bellagio for 5 nights - which for me was just right - visited numerous villas and gardens, day tripped to Como, dwaddled, had an apertivo every evening and read. The season hadn't kicked in yet - and I'm guessing things in September will be winding down. Next time I'm on Lake Como I'll stay in Varenna - very charming (Rick Steve is right) but was glad I stayed in Bellagio my fist time. Did a room with a lake view which was very nice but not sure if necessary next time I'm in the Lake District.

Hydrofoil from Bellagio to Como is 11.20E, one way.

Do you intend to stay 12 nights near the lakes in 3 locations? Do you want to stay some nights near L. Como, some near Garda and some near Maggiore? or Lugano??

Hi there,
ok, I am humbled and thanks for the posting tips.
I would like to see Como and Orta.
I have 10 -12 days of which 2 will be travel days.
I was thinking of staying in 3 different places.
Where would the third place be?
As a single I will not have a car and will also need to be in a good position to get down to the coast -Santa Margherita after.
Ideas?

I was in Genoa back in '04 - checking Trenitalia you can get a train from Milan to Genoa - then take the train to Santa Marghertia. (I took a train from Nervi to Sestri Levante one day - Genoa is a great city to explore as is the coast). Are you spending more days in SM?

I got all four 2nd class tickets, Milan to Torino, Torino to Varenna, Varenna to Mantova and Mantova to Milan, the day I arrived - costing 44E total. There is no assigned seating with 2nd class - just make sure you're not in the 1st class car or in the few scatter reserved seats in the 2nd class cars. I printed out the schedules from Trenitalia website - highlighted the ones I wanted - handed them to the ticket person at Centrale Statzione.

> Where would the third place be? <

Lugano.

1. Lake Lugano is the prettiest of The Lakes IMO - it's fjordlike.

2. There are the funiculars up Monte Brè and San Salvatore. And the nice waterfront towns of Gandria and Morcote.

3. Lugano is the largest town and would therefore have good rail connections I believe (I've never taken the train).

Maybe Lake Maggiore. The views are spectacular, Isola Bella - the palace and the garden are beautiful, the garden of Villa Taranto is splendid. You have direct trains from Milan to Arona or Stresa.

ok,
this is getting complicated. I have read your advice and come up with a first rough itinerary.
Milan to Varenna
4 nights in Varenna,
then perhaps 2 nights in Lugano,
over to Castelvaeccana on Lake Maggiore where I can stay relatively cheaply for one night on my way to Orta San Giulio for 3 nights.
However I have no idea how it will go.
I presume there are local buses/ferries/trains.
After Orta, I would like to go directly south to Genova, avoiding Milan, but the Trenitalia sight is a bit intimidating.
Is there another train planning web sight?
Comments on the itinerary so far?
thanks

Orta will be difficult without a car although you may be able to get a bus from Stresa to Orta San Gulia. Lake Orta is beautiful and it's a lovely drive from Stresa (Lake Maggiore). On the way to Orta San Gulia is an area with perhaps 20 large chapels dedicated to St. Francis. It's located in a wooded area and you walk the paths to the chapels. There's one spot where you can look out and see the island off Lake Orta. The main square of Orta San Gulia looks a bit like Bavaria with the frescoed buildings. There are boat men to take you to the island just off shore with a beautiful church. They return to the island periodically to pick you up again. It's only about a 5 minute boat ride.

I did a week in the Lakes; 3 or 4 nights in Bellagio and then moved to Baveno (just outside Stresa). While in Bellagio I didn't have a car but upon leaving picked up a car in Commo (took the hyrofoil from Bellagio to Como). I loved the Bellagio area, even though the season was ending. I had a view of the lake from my room and totally enjoyed taking the ferries from one town to another. I'd stand on the deck and watch one town recede and then move to the other side of the boat and watch the next town approach. What a magical area!

Stresa is a large town with lots of restaurants and shops. You can take one of the boats to the 3 islands off Stresa. When the boatmen take you to the first island they'll let you know when they'll be returning to go on to the next island. Have lunch on Isola Pescatori at Hotel Verbano - great food and a view of the other two islands. See the church with it's beautiful mosaic floor, a pieta on the altar rather than a cruxifix, and all the bells pealing at noon.

My favorite island was Isola Bella, the largest, with a wonderful villa and gardens. The 6 grotto rooms in the villa were amazing with floors and pillars made of terra cotta, black, and tan pebbles. Each room had a different design and you felt as though you were in a grotto. There were white peacocks in the gardens - I'd never seen birds like this before.

I want to go back and spend more time there - take me with you!