Itinerary help - Lake district
 

I will be traveling through Italy in Septemeber and have 2 days allotted in the Lakes area and have never been there. I'm trying to decide between the Lake Como (Bellagio) and Lake Garda (Sirmione) area. I am really looking to get the feel of the Alpine lakes, the mountains in the background... Any advice?

It really depends on your itinerary--Garda is much further east. They are different. Garda is flat at the south end but very pretty at the north end. Como is more spectacular and is a better choice if your routing allows. If you are driving consider Menaggio on the west shore opposite bellagio.

Thanks! I will be driving down from Germany and have the option of doing just that! Any suggestion on hotels? 100-150 euro range?

In Varenna (Lake Como) the Albergo Olivado is lake front and in that price range.

The most complete listing of hotels that I have found is the Ciaociaoitaly website (but I have not used it).

The Olivedo is a good option in Varenna[note spelling] but I prefer the Du Lac in that town. You have a choice of routes--consider the one thru Landeck and St. Moritz for good scenery. The best hotel is the Belvedere in Bellagio, but that means a car ferry. If coming from the north, Varenna is a good option.