Lake itinerary help needed
 

Hi all. I have 2 full days in the lakes area. There are 2 adult couples.

Day 1 I was going to do:
Pescallo
Lungo Lario

Day 2 I came up with one of the 2 choices... I dont know which one I should take.
Id I were to take choice 1 - should I remove Locarno because of the extra drive.
Some recommendations would be appreciated.

Choice 1:
Porlezza
Gandria
monte brè funiculer
Locarno (Lake Maggiore)
Bellagio
(without Locarno its 1:20 less, total: 2:40)

Choice 2:
Morcote
monte brè funiculer
Gandria
Porlezza
Bellagio

Thank you.

mfeldman, as I am on Lake Como every year for a few weeks, I try to help you. But there is a few points what I don't understand:
May I imagine you stay in Switzerland? Where? When? How long in total? Do you have a car?
Day 1: What do you mean with "Pescallo, Lungo Lario"? I don't know a town Pescallo, only a part of Bellagio on Lake Como.
To give recommendation for day 2 we first should know where you are staying.
But anyway: Driving the roads around Lake Como is difficult. Roads are narrow, winding, up and down. Sometimes so narrow that not 2 cars can pass each other, one have to pull out. Sometimes you cannot see the oncoming traffic. If you are not used driving such road it would be stressfull. And finding a parking place is an adventure.

If I understand well your post, you want to stay the whole day 1 at Bellagio and do a daytrip to Lake Lugano (Porlezza, Gandria, Monte Bre) on day 2.
You ask us whether you should proceed from Lugano to Locarno or to Morcote.
I suppose you know that there is much more to see in the area than just Gandria, Monte Bre, Morcote and Locarno.
But that is your choice, both variants can be done easily, either by car or by public transport.

Lugano - Locarno OW is just 40 min on motorway or 30 min by train. If you don't have a Swiss motorway sticker, yolu may take the old road (55 min drive)
Lugano - Morcote OW is 20 min by car, 35 min by train and bus or 50 min by boat.

In the meantime I read in a different forum that the OP seem to stay at Milano. But it is also not clear if these trips are out of Milan or out of Bellagio.
And to add: the OP needs an IDP for driving in Italy and should know the traffic rules, esp. about ZTL's.

My apologies for not giving you a full picture. We will be staying in Bellagio. We will have a car 100%. I have been driving on all kinds of windy roads and parking in all kinds of places - so that does not scare me 1 bit.
We have only 3 days in that area. 1st day we land in Milan and drive to Bellagio. We will not have that much time - so we will hang around the area - I suppose. The next 2 days we will have in totality. Someone recommended Varenna. I am guessing I can do that Day 2. Also for day 3 (2nd full day) I was trying to see whether I chose option 1, 2, maybe eliminate Locarno - because its 1:40 more of driving. Thats what I am basically asking. Or you can say... don't go to Porlezza, Gandria, monte brè funiculer - its not worth it, then I will re-evaluate the options.

Curious why you're interested in Porlezza - I was just there last month - are you just referring to a driving route, or do you plan to do something while there (and if so, what)?

Porlezza - nothing specific. Just read nice things and it was on the route along with other areas. What is your recommendation? Staying in: Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.

I also can recommend visiting Varenna. You can go there by midlake ferry. What to do there you'll find in the other forum you posted.

so for day 2 is this a good plan?
hotel -> Pescallo -> Lungo Lario -> Varenna (see the castle) -> back to the hotel

feldmann, I asked it before: what do you mean with "Pescallo", there is no town with that name. And "Lungo Lario" means only a road/way alongside Lake Como (Lario is the italian name of it). There is a "lungo lario" in almost every town around the lake.

Yes, it's on the route. We used it as a base for five nights to explore the vicinity - nothing really stands out there, unless you just want to take a walk along the foreshore, visit the church and have a meal.

Oh. Thank you. So what should my 2nd day be like if I am visiting Varenna and the castle?

How much time will you have for your drive from Malpensa to Bellagio (resp. from Bellagio to MXP?
A drive via Lugano (Mte Generoso, Bre or San Salvatore) - Gandria would just be a small detour.
But you will need time for the gems in and around Lugano and for the funicular resp. cog wheel railway rides.

""So what should my 2nd day be like if I am visiting Varenna and the castle?""

Day 1: you should stroll along the path on the lakeside from the ferry port to the center (Passeggiata degli Innamorati" Lover's walk )You can hike up to the castle, but as you have a car you also can drive up and have to walk only about 300 m to the castle.If you have more time drive north to Bellano and visit the Gorge there:
https://www.discoveringbellano.eu/en/orrido-di-bellano-en/And if you have much more time, you could drive up through Perledo, Bologna, Esino, Bigallo, Orrtanella. This is a very beautiful drive with a lot of good view, but really narrow. There is a restaurant almost on the end of the road with very good lokal food.
http://www.ilcacciatori.it
About 200 m further, on the end of the road, starts a nice hike and easy around Mt. Fopp with beautiful views to the lake. It takes about 1 hour.

Day 2: I would not drive to Locarno, but to say: I also would not drive to Lugano, bc we are not city people. And it is almost the same scenery around Lake Como then around Lake Lugano, but in Switzerland everything is almost double as expensive. If you are an experiences driver and a bit advntureous you could drive the "Peninsula" behind Bellagio. Means: along the lake to Nesso, there is a very spectacular waterfall.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g664193-d7122029-Reviews-Orrido_Di_Nesso-Nesso_Lake_Como_Lombardy.html
But to see it in full you have to take a very hidden path, so if, then ask me.
After it drive up to Asso in the middle of the "Peninsul. On the highest point of the road you'll find a nice mauntain restaurant with beautiful views:
https://www.ristorantelacolma.it
A few km before Asso is a road to the north via Barni to Ghisallo. There is a bike museo where you see all the bike from famous biker of Tour de France:
https://www.museodelghisallo.it/en/
More suggestions? I could tell you for 2 - 3 week for every day another trip just near the lake. ::))

so, you are saying to add these to what I currently have for day 3?
Gandria, monte, brè funiculer, Lugano, Morcote, back to the hotel

Or should I remove something?

Tell me about that path. Please tell me :) Also, tell me about the drive behind Bellagio to Nesso. Great tip about the bike museum - my friend is obsessed with Tour De France and other races. It will be a surprise.
The only thing is that I am trying to fit a boat ride, as well for 3 hours. Not sure on what day to do this and where. I was thinking on day 2 when we go to Varenna.

""Tell me about that path. ""
Do you ask about the Lovers Walk? It is a path alongside the lake with nice views. The name originated because in former time joung lovers had to hide, their parents shouldn't know. So they used this path in the night.
""tell me about the drive behind Bellagio to Nesso""
Not much to tell. The road goes alongside the lake and is very scenic. And it is very very narrow, as I told you already in my first answer. Maybe look it up at google street view?
For a boat ride: No need to book a private one. Just hop on one of the ferries around the lake. Car ferries also take pedestrians. Here is the timetable for this winter. In summertime will be more runs:
Attachment 9557
Don't take the fast ferries, because with it you have to stay inside.

We are actually wanting to spend a few hours on the lakes, just boating around - we've always enjoyed that.
So this is what we are looking at....

So far I have... revised... Anything wrong with this? What should I change? Where do I fit in the TDF museum?

DAY 1
Bellagio to Nesso" road
Lovers Walk

DAY 2
Pescallo
Varenna (boat tour)

DAY 3
Gandria
monte brè funiculer
Lugano
Morcote

Sorry Feldman, no you have mixes up almost everything. PLEASE read exactly and maybe have a look at a map:
"Lovers Walk" is in Varenna, NOT Nesso or Bellagio
"Pescallo" again, what town are you speaking off? And why are you so eager for visiting it?
And now you tell again us you want to drive all the way to Lugano and even further on to Mocote?

Pescallo is a small hamlet 500 metres East of Bellagio. https://www.explorelakecomo.com/go/n...transportation
If you go by car to Porlezza - Lugano and back, you will have a 15 min car and passenger ferry ride at the beginning and the same at the end of your trip.
I suggersted to visit Lugano etc. on your journey from Milan Malpensa airport to Bellagio.