I have 3 days in Milan this month. I would like to rent a car and drive to the very north of Italy, stay in a smaller town and be able to take day trips into Switzerland.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a town (with reasonable accomodation)that would work for this trip.
Thanks in advance.

Italy's border with Switzerland is very irregular. Menaggio (on Lake Como)is about six miles from Switzerland.

Do you want the Alps experience or Swiss towns?

The Graubunden/ Valley of the Inn River in Switzerland (St Moritz and Pontresina) might work for you.

You could do this without even renting a car. Take the train to Stressa (1 hr.) and a boat to Locarno or Ascona. You can visit other towns by boat or train to Bellinzona.

Great idea. Drive to Bergamo and up to St. Moritz in Switzerland. Great drive once you're past Bergamo (until then it's fast freeways), and you end up in one of the most desirable locations in the world - the Engadin region around St. Moritz. Bring your camera!!!

Look up a good map, and look at town names and try to find accommodation up there (but not in St. Moritz itself, too expensive), anywhere like Maloja or Sils-Maria etc., then drive back into Italy via Pontresina and Poschiavo. Incredible mountain scenery!

At Tresenda you'll have to pick one or the other way back, either turn left to Edolo and right down to the pretty lake of Iseo and back onto the freeway that zooms past Bergamo, or in Tresenda you turn right and go via Sondrio. A look at a map will clarify all that.

If you had less driving in mind, look for a place near Stresa or Verbania - pretty much just drive to the lake Maggiore and pick a hotel if you like the look of it, you'll find rooms no trouble. Then short trips get you into Switzerland - check a map, it's all close-by.

Ditto goes for the other lake, that of Lugano - head for Varese and beyond towards Lugano and pick a place to stay.

Enjoy

WK

Be aware that you need to buy a vignette to allow you to drive on most Swiss roads: It costs about 35 euros for a period of one year; you cannot buy one for a shorter period. The vignette needs to be stuck on the inside of your windscreen. Don't even think about driving on Swiss roads without one!

Germack - My choice would be Menaggio on Lake Como.

From there it's a 45 mins. drive to Lugano, and you can continue to Locarno and the northern end of Lake Maggiore. With an early start you could contiue to the Centovalli area and even Zermatt.

From Menaggio you can also do a lovely drive via Chiavenna to San Moritz and the Upper Engadin valley. You could return via the Bernina Pass/ Tirano ...
Hope this helps ...

Steve

Hi. As much as I love Lugano, I would think that heading toward the Engadine Valley and some of the small villages near St. Moritz would give you more contrast. Have you done an image search? Try Soglio. Its site looks to be magical. J.

The train between Stresa and Locarno, is very scenic and enjoyable. Enjoyed it more than the boat ride, which we took for coming back.

Thanks for the replies.