Lake Como or Lake Maggiore for beauty and nature
 

If I can only stay for 2 nights in either Lake Como or Lake Maggiore, which do you love more?????   I like beauty, scenery, quaintness.

What time of year are you going? and how traveling?

We love Maggiore - staying in Stresa and visiting the Borromean Islands - as well as nearby villas, gardens, etc.

Never been to Maggiore but I thought Lake Como, Bellagio, was one of the most beautiful places I have EVER seen.

I would also vote for Lago di Maggiore; the Borromean islands are fabulous, and Orta, just up the hill, with it's own beautiful lake is wonderful. Enjoy!

Any recommendations for places to stay in Stresa?

Thanks for your thoughts on Lake Maggiore and it's islands. I heard that StBaveno was better than Stresa, less touristy. Do you agree?

I think that it depends on the time of year.
Bellagio is beautiful, and enough flat land to walk.
It is a at the point where the two arms of Lake Como meet, and is moderate in Temp. due to the protective Mountains that surround it.
Also very easy access to other Hilltowns by Ferry.
However it is a favorite Summer Resort for the locals, and I wouldn't recommend Summer.
We have stayed there a couple of times in May.

When?
Are you driving?
Where next? If MXP, then Maggiore.

Lucky person to have that choice. Doubt if you'll be unhappy either place. I'd go back to Bellagio in a heartbeat.

It depends what you like. Lake Como is much quieter than Lake Maggiore. We loved taking the boats to all the quaint small towns on the lake. We thought Stresa was very busy & touristy, with larger hotel properties, and more shops, but beautiful none the less.

Soooo, I am actually considering revising my ploans a little. If I have 3 nights in the Lakes area instead of only 2, would you recommend only going to one Lake or do I have time now to do both Como and Maggiore? And would you stay in one place and only see the other place for the day? Or would you stay 2 nights in one area and 1 night in the other area. We will have a car and we are probably going next summer in early July. Just to fill you in on my husband and I, we went to Italy 4 years ago to Rome, Venice and a week in Tuscany with a car for the week traveling to the different small towns and to Florence. We loved Italy and want to go back. So this trip will include the Lake area, Cinque Terra, down to Bologna so we can stop at the Ferrari plant (which my husband can hardly wait to see).

With 3 nites you still have the same choice--I would not try to do both. However, both locations really have 2 lakes to enjoy. From Como, you can plan one day into the city of Lugano and enjoy Lago Lugano as well. From Maggiore, it is a must to drive over the hills to my favorite lake in Italy. Lago di Orta. Do you end or start your trip at the lake destination. If ending, then getting to Malpensa is much easier from Maggiore.

Here are some images from Maggiore/Orta thta may help.

http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4173

I haven't been to Lake Maggiore, except as a drive-by. Spent a night on Lake Orta--it was beautiful. But I can't imagine anything nicer than Lake Como, which we've spent time at twice. Three nights both times--once based Varenna, and once midlake in the small town of Lezzeno. Lake Como is magical. Wonderful boats ply the shore towns, there are lots of interesting villas to visit, hiking, kayaking, dining--and views to die for. You won't go wrong there.

It is not an easy drive to Bellagio, as the roads are winding and hilly.
The first time we went to Bellagio from Como was by Hovercraft from Como, and the second time was by Car Hire.
Both times our first stop was Como.
The drive to and from Milan is a little easier
I would still take a Garmin if I were to drive myself.
Bellagio is a "Picture Postcard"

Lake Como & Bellagio, hands down. In Bellagio, find the TERRIFIC wine bar up a small alley way.

Ok, youi all made my decision to only go to Lake Como for hopefully 3 nights. Advise on hotels? Restaurants? Last, have any of you driven for the day into Switzerland? I heard about going to St. Moritz. Your thoughts???? Thanks so much!

if cost is not a factor:Villa D'este in Como or
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio

make sure to go to:
Enoteca Cara Turacciolo, Salita Genazzini a GREAT little wine bar in Bellagio/
Albergo Ristorante Posta, via Garibaldi 2 in Como

Bellagio update

http://www.cavaturacciolo.it/home.jsp

[email protected]

I loved staying in Bevano on Lago Maggiore, just "down the road" a bit from Stresa. Not at all congested, and a ferry ride away from the Borromeo Islands and Stresa. Stresa seemed very congested to me. I felt the towns around Como were also over-run with tourists, so my choice was right for me. Lake Como was lovely, but Cernobbio and the town of Como were packed and I was there in late May a few years ago.

BC

Re the Ferrari factory. this is a Ferrarri Museum which is open to all (for appx 20-25 Euro). Tours of the Ferrari factory are basically reserved for Ferrari owners and select prospective owners. The only wat tthat you get to see the factory is by prior arrangement and having connections.

Please excuse the typos.

Any recommendations for moderately-priced lodging in Bevano?

I think that Lake Como is the most beautiful place that I've been to....this restaurant in the village of Nesso has amazing views and great food....(a few miles from Bellagio)

http://www.trerosehotel.com/hoteltre...lese/home.html

travelling about the lake by ferry is a great way to go....(and you go past George Clooney's villa on the way out from Como!)

erly is right; it is not easy to get to bellagio from como unless yougo by boat. we stayed in lugano, a beautiful city and drove to menaggio, about45 minutes then took a 10 minute ferry ride across lake como. WOW amazing beauty. lugano was a spectacular city and lake lugano absolutely beautiful . we rented a little 8hp boat and cruised around fora couple of hours. definately a highlight on my vacation last month !

You can also get the bus from Como to Bellagio.....it's the C30 and goes from by the Como Nord Lago train station...it gives you a good chance to see a lot of the towns and villages. You need to buy a ticket before you get on..in Como from the bus station which is next to Como Nord Lago and in Bellagio in the news agent next to the bus stop.
If you want to go from Como Milan definitely go by train rather than drive...quicker and easier and no parking problems!

Thanks everyone. This is great information for me to start narrowing this part of our trip down. Now I will statr work on other parts of the trip. Since I am also going into the south of France, I start a beginning French class tomorrow. I took a similar class for Italian when I went 4 years ago so I will brush up on that when the trip gets closer. It was so much fun to try to read a little and speak a little in Italian so on this trip I will try Italian for a week and French for a week. Have a great day and maybe when I get closer to the trip I will have more questions!

bookmarking

I also will be traveling to the lake region in late August. I would like to stay on Lake Maggiore because I will be traveling to either Geneva or some other destination afterwards on the train. If Stressa is too congested, which would be the most convenient town as far as day trips, etc. This is a huge holiday for us so cost is not the priority. Also, any ideas where to go in Switzerland for two days on our way back to the USA?
Thank you so much for your help. The Fodor's travelers are the most sophisticated and helpful on the entire www!

One of the difficulties you are going to run into this summer is the Milan Expo, in combination with the usual music festival in Stresa. Where will you be coming from -- and until you figure out where you are going in Switzerland -- or which airport you are using to get back to the USA -- it is pretty hard to answer your question.

We were looking at this hotel-
http://www.pironihotel.it/

Cannobio – Lago Maggiore