Como, Orta, Maggiore? Opinions please
 

Since I received such great information on my Cinque Terre question, here I am again asking about the first third of our trip. We want to see the lake region, just not sure which lake! We will be flying into Milan and heading up to the lakes for 2 or 3 days. Time of year will be mid to late September, 2006. We are more interested in nature, walking, hiking, cycling, kayaking than in "touristy" things.

Would appreciate people's input, which lake, where to stay, etc. We'd prefer to stay in Bed & Breakfasts if possible.

Thank you Fodorites!

Some day, I will have (hopefully) made it to Orta and Maggiore - - as well as my two previous trips to Como and Garda - - but for now, I have to offer only the opinion that Como is heaven on earth.

...and this looks to be an awfully good B&B choice there: Il Perlo Panorama. Take a look at the glowing comments on www.tripadvisor.com (and one just as favorable on igougo.com as well).

http://www.ilperlo.com (warning: there is some kind of software - - "NETVISION" required to explore their website, and it will NOT take "no" as an answer!) I'm going to have to re-boot, since my network here (I am not at home) will not permit this download - - a bit annoying! But hopefully, it really is a lovely place!

Best wishes,

Rex

I haven't had the opportunity to visit the other lakes, but I must echo Rex's sentiment that Lake Como is heaven on earth. We just returned from 3 days there and I was totally overwhelmed with its beauty and serenity.

Since we were travelling without a car we stayed in Varenna which is easy to get to on the train.

If you like hiking and nature, you will find plenty of both at Lake Como. There are brochures which will detail the hiking trails.

We visited Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo and the gardens were in full bloom and breathtaking.

I would go back in a minute.

Hi I agree with the persons that answered to your message. If you only have 2 or 3 days is not a lot so Como and surrounding area is a very nice place to visit. But if you want to be in the nature do cycling kayaking and so on the great place to go is lago Maggiore, Valle Maggia, Valle Vezasca, close to Locarno and Ascona. For more information check www.maggiore.ch. I come from Locarno and I know the area.
Until mid September the weather is usually still nice and not to warm with less people as well. But by the end of September it can be rainy. Enjoy PS: Another advice do not spend to much time in Milan, there are plenty of other places much nicer also for shopping.

I really like all three, but I have to put in a special word for Orta. It doesn't get as much tourist traffic as the the others, but it does hold some considerable charm...especially the cozy village of Orta San Giulio. And my #1 pick for greatest overlooked site in all of Europe is the <b>extraordinary</b> Sacro Monte above the town, with its beautiful and hundreds-of-years-old shrines, temples and life-size terra cotta figures depicting the life of St. Francis.

Here's a page from our web site with some Orta details and pix...

http://www.onelittleworld.com/switzerland_ltaly_5.html

In short, it's well worth looking into.

I had heard from others that Orta was just a little gem, I'm wondering since we will only be there for 2-3 days would it be better to go to Orta, since it's the smallest and we would probably be able to see all of it, or do we go to one of the bigger lakes and just see what we can see?

Suggestions?

Como doesn't seem like a &quot;bigger lake&quot; to me, except in &quot;reputation&quot; perhaps. You can throw a rock across many stretches of it (well, Jack Bauer could).

But I think that they key is not just the lake and its attractions. Can you find the B&amp;B that tickles your fancy? Maybe you can, at all three. I don't know.

I love both Como and Maggiore, but I think the environs of Maggiore are better for walking, etc. and the three islands are wonderful to explore. We've stayed at the Villa Ruscello http://xoomer.virgilio.it/gicardan/
an inexpensive, but lovely place halfway between Baveno and Stresa run by three charming siblings. The breakfast certainly isn't extensive, but it's served in a beautiful room and Giuliana or Natolino will give you great ideas for exploring and eating. I think last May it was 70E.

I would do Orta with your itinerary. It is easier to access, and will save you an hour drive time each way. And, going over to Stresa on Maggiore is an easy day trip---two for one.

Are the lakes that close that you could base yourself at one and do a day trip to another?

tttt

Goingtoitalia: We're going to the Lakes Region in July. We'll spend a week sharing a villa on Lago di Garda, and then three days on Lago d'Orta. We'll probably see Lago Maggiorre as well.If you want, I can answer your questions upon my return.
Roger

Thank you Roger, I'll look forward to hearing about your trip!

Have a fantastic time!

ttttt

There are 5 major lakes. Garda is much further east and so is not close enough. The other 4 are doable from one location if you like to drive. I prefer to think of them as combos---Orta/Maggiore are close, as are Como/Lugano. With your time, pick one combo. If you are going to the CT next, the Orta combo makes more sense. See www.orta.net for details---we like the Hotel Orta.

Actually from the lakes we'll be going to Piemonte for the second leg of the trip, from there onto CT. Flying into Milan seems best, but wher would be best to fly home from?

I just returned from a two week trip, where I visited three lakes-Lago di Como (based in Bellagio for six nights), Lago di Lugano (based in Lugano for three nights), and Lago di Maggiore (based in Locarno for three nights, and Stresa for three nights). If you are really into walking and hiking, I agree with the earlier poster who advised you to base out of Locarno. Not only are there tons of walks and hikes (I think there is a website for ticino.ch)out of Locarno, it also has easy boat access to other towns. I noticed that there are tons of hiking places out of Bellinzona, which is a quick 20min trainride from Locarno. I spent the day there and I really liked it. It is a UNESCO site and is surrounded with castles. Also, out of Lugano, there are hikes to Gandria. Also, you can take the funicular up to St. Salvatore (a 10 min ride up) which commands gorgeous views of the entire region. A popular 2hr hike goes from there to Morcote, which is a great little swiss village right on the water. From there, you can take the boat back to Lugano. I also noticed that tons of people got off the boat to hike up to Monte Generoso, which also has tons of different hiking sites. The pics also looked gorgeous with fall views, which is when you will be there. Locarno to base out of is cheaper than Lugano, if this is an issue. However, the Swiss are REALLY into all the hiking, etc. and there tourist information offices have tons of info. They have brochures that detail the different hikes, and even include times, elevation levels, experience required, etc. and include maps. Also in Locarno, you can take a funicular up to Cernesio (if I remember correctly), and from there you take a cable car, and there are also great hikes from there. Check out the websites for ticino and lugano tourism. Have fun!

I forgot to add that there is a Malpensa airport shuttle bus from Lugano, and also from Stresa to Malpensa, both about 50 minutes. I took the bus from Stresa to Malpensa, and at 8euros, it was the best value of my entire trip! I don't remember about Locarno, but plenty of train service back to Milano.