Italian lakes
 

My husband and I are going to Italy in late September and are flying into Milan. We want to start the trip staying at one of the lakes for a few days but really aren't sure which one. We will be traveling by public transportation only. We know that we want to do some light to medium hiking, and we're foodies so we want an area with good restaurants. We also don't want to be in a big bustling city or anywhere packed with too many tourists. Any suggestions on which lake and which town to stay in? We may be willing to do a day trip while there, but since we'll only be there 3 days, we don't want to pack too much into our time there. Also are on a medium budget, a little splurging would be okay but the total trip will be two weeks, so we don't want to spend too much. Thanks!

Try Maggiore/Stresa for a pleasant location that is easily accessed and you have plenty to do. Boating the lake is magical and a day trip to Lake Orta makes good sense.

Lake Maggiore is not far from MXP. Stay in Stresa or Ranco. We also stayed on Lake Orta but didn't care for it.

Maggiore is lovely and there is plenty to do and see there - you can use the boats to visit the other parts of the lake and the islands which are delightful.

Where do you go afterwards?

Personally, I prefer Ascona on the Swiss side of Maggiore.

As for budget, you don't say what you define 'too much' as, so no one can comment on whether you will 'spend too much' or not.

I like the Hotel Tamaro right on the waterfront promenade in Ascona.
http://www.hoteltamaroascona.com/en

Thanks all! We will also spend time in Lucca, Amalfi coast and Rome. Budget clarification: $200 or less per night hotel/BNB/etc. Restaurant prices can vary, but around $100 or less for the two of us for dinner seems reasonable.

I am a fan of Lago Maggiore also, and have stayed both in Stresa and on Isola Pescatori. Obviously, there is more to do in and around Stresa. Oh, and we liked Orta very much - drove over there a couple of days and it was a nice respite from the bigger lakes.

Griffinmc28, time to start thinking in euros, not dollars.

Baveno is nicer for restaurants than Stresa I think. Better food and it is a nicer town. More tranquil and the old town is very nice. You can get all the same boats to go to the islands. If you want to take the funivia to the mountains, you take a fast boat ride to Stresa.

If you land in Malpensa you go on the same bus for Stresa and Baveno. But when you leave the lake to go to Lucca, you go to Stresa for the train station. But it is a very fast taxi ride.

I loe lake garda. Plus look at the shape it has and you'll never forget being there.

Here's a tip Griffinmc28. When writing about a country, use the currency of that country in what you write.

You wrote, $200. Is that US, Canadian, Australian, etc.? I don't know and you haven't said.

If you had wrote, 200 Euros however, your budget restriction would be clear to everyone.

It also means you are doing the work of figuring out the exchange, not expecting the reader to do the work.

Thanks all, around 190-200 Euro's per night (hotel) and around 100 Euro's for dinner for two.

My favourite (linked above) in Ascona is around 250 Euros in September, so I can't help with any suggestions in your budget.

I was in America in the last month and euros and dollars = the same. I just looked, and it still he same. So if someone says 100 euros, it's the same as 100 dollars, except for maybe 5 dollars difference. Are you having difficulty understanding? Most people don't care about 5 dollars or 5 euros when they go places. So you don't need to make it look difficult for people who are coming to Italy and asking you questions. If they say "I want to spend $100 to have a dinner in Italy" it is not different from saying "I want to spend 100 euros." Maybe if you are very poor it is important. But if you are poor, you don't spend 100 euros to have dinner in Italy!

Griffinmc29,

It is not necessary to spend so much money to stay on the lakes unless you want a very fancy hotel. The small hotels are very nice and so are bed-breakfast. The very fancy hotels are a nice place to go for a cocktail. They have beautiful old decoration. Maybe if you look on Expedia or the Tripadvisor you can see it is easy to find a nice place to stay for less euros. Less dollars. Same. ;)

What's the parking situation?

In Lake Como, there are a few places in Mennagio with parking near town. Car could be handy for trips to Lugano and Balcone d'Italia.

Could cars be useful at Garda or Maggiore?

Massimop, how much is 100 Euros in Canadian Dollars, Australian Dollars, New Zealand dollars or any of the other 30 plus countries that have a currency called the 'dollar'.

The OP wrote only 'dollar' and did not specify WHICH dollar was being referred to.

What's more, if the person trying to answer him thinks in Pesos or Francs or some other currency, they may know their hotel cost them 100 Euros but they will not know what it cost in any kind of dollars.

Are you having difficulty understanding?

Thank you Mossimop, Baveno looks like it might be just right for us! I appreciate everyone's help ��

$100 means U S dollars unless specified
$100Can means Canuck dollars
$100Aus means Ozzie dollars

dollar sans adjective means dollars unless the OP has clearly stated where they come from.

Source: Pal's rules of dollar order!

There are no such things as 'Canuck' or 'Ozzie' dollars PalenQ and assuming what currency anyone is talking about is simply that, an assumption.

If someone writes $100, there is absolutely no way you will know if they are talking about USD, CAD or AUD unless you know their nationality and they are talking about travel in their home country.

If a Canadian is going to travel in the USA and writes $100 are they talking about USD or CAD? There is no 'rule' that tells you the answer.

massimo, the point is that Americans traveling in Europe, or anywhere else, need to get out of the mindset that the world is based on US dollars. Right now the US dollar is just about equivalent to the euro, but that is not always the case, and it is never the case in terms of other currencies. To me, it is just another example of of how Americans think they rule the world, when in actuality, the world is tremendously varied, not only in terms of currencies. But currency is one tiny way Americans can maybe perceive that there is a greater world out there.