Lake Maggiore or Lugano for a Base?
 

After sepnding 3 week sin Switzerland and Italy we will end at either Lake Maggiore or Lugano. If you were choosing to base yourself for 6 days & do day trips would you stay in Lake Maggiore (Stressa or Baveno) or Lugano? We'd like to do day trips and explore surrounding areas mostly by train. Is one a better access point to visit the area than the other? Suggestions on what one could see from each of them would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi yestravel, I've never been to Lake Maggiore but I once spent a week in a house at Carlazzo, near Lake Piano, and made trips to Lugano (city and lake), Lake Como, Milan and St Moritz, as well as doing some mountain walks near Lake Como. For some reason Lugano is not popular on Fodors, I could never understand why. It is a really interesting, buzzy little town with some real beauty and antiquity. I would not hesitate to pick Lugano, if for no other reason than there are some fantastic day trips nearby. Probably Carlazzo is a little better placed for some of them but if you have a car it's not really a problem.

Lavandula

We have stayed on both.We give Lake Maggiore high ratings but Lugano? It was pretty, but just a ok compared to Maggiore.
Italian friends recommended for one of our stays on Lake Maggiore that we visit Ranco which was perfect! We stayed about four nights. We landed at MXP and drove the short distance directly to Ranco. Mostly Italian visitors.

Lugano is THE tramsport hub for the whole area. You can easily do day trips from there to Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, Milano, Como, Varese, alpine Valleys of Val Calanca, Mesolcina (both Graubünden), Val di Blenio, Leventina, Valle Verzasca, Valle Maggia, Val Sambuco,Val Lavizzara, Val Peccia, Val Bavona (up to he Glacier of Basodino)..........Public transport to all these places is excellent..
You must not necessarily stay in th middle of the city of Lugano, as public transport to the outskirts (along the Lake like Cassarate, Cstagnola..... or on the slopes above like Ruvigliana, Suvigliana, Muzzano, Montagnola, Carona ....is excellent.
Up to 50 km around Lugano you will find:
more than tousand km of well signposted panoramic hiking trails;
view points Monte Bre, Monte San Salvatore, Carona, Serpiano, Monte Generoso,.Monte Lema, Alpe Foppa (Tamaro), Alpe Neggia, Gola die Lago, Mornera, Cardada, Cimetta....... which can be reached by bus, gondola, rope railway or cog wheel railway;.
boat lines to Gandria - Porlezza (Italy), Monte Generoso cog railway, Serpiano gondola, Porto Ceresio (Italy, with connecting trains to Varese), Ponte Tresa (with connecting buses to Varese and Luino (Lake Maggiore);.
3 medieval UInesco Heriaage cstles of Bellinzona.....
direct trains to Milan Malpensa airport every hr

Locarno (30 min by train from Lugano) is smaller, but offers similar possibilities.
The Italian Lake Maggiore villages of Cannobio, Trarego, Cannero, Belgirate, Nebbiuno, Calalzo, Laveno, Brezzo di Bedero, Pallanza, Intra, Baveno, Stresa, Arona , ..... are all nice places, but with rather poor public transport and few hiking possibilities (compared with Lugano or Locarno); only the 4 last mentioned places have a direct shuttle to Malpensa airport.

neckervd - thank you so much! This is very helpful.
I am looking for an easy connection to MXP for an afternoon flight. Are you saying that only Intra, Baveno, Stresa, Arona have direct access to the airport?

Access to MXP Terminals 1 and 2:
several direct trains and buses from MILAN within every hr, 1 hrs journey
2 train connections from COMO, with 1 change at either Sanronno or Mendrisio every 30 min; 1 1/2 hrs journey,
1 direct train from LUGANO every hr, 1 1/2 hrs journey.
1 train connection from LOCARNO with change at Lugano every hr, 2 hrs journey
Direct bus connections from Intra - Pallanza - Stresa - Arona: Pallanza dp 6.00, 9.00, 11.00, 13.00, 16.00 19.00; 1 1/2 hrs journey
Baveno - Stresa - Arona - Gallarate: there are actually trains leaving Stresa at 5.23, 6.23, 7.23, 9.23. That's a reduced timetable because of works.
From June 9th until September 8th the railway line will be completely closed. There may be some buses instead; their timetable is not yet published.
Gallarate railway station is at a 10 min taxi ride from Malpensa airport Terminal 1 or 2.

Thank you! Appreciate it

neckervd -- Again, thanks for all your suggestions. I have looked into them and am now leaning toward Lugano for a base as it will be different territory for us.

I do have one question, when you write, "From June 9th until September 8th the railway line will be completely closed. There may be some buses instead; their timetable is not yet published." Are you referring to this line "Baveno - Stresa - Arona - Gallarate: there are actually trains leaving Stresa at 5.23, 6.23, 7.23, 9.23. That's a reduced timetable because of works." And not all lines? Where would I find info on this and other train issues?

Sorry, I don't understand your question. The trains from Lugano to MXP don't run along Lake Maggiore and are in no way affected by the works in that aera.

Sorry, I wasn't clear -- I was concerned about which train lines would be impacted. We will be going from Milan to Lauterbrunnen/Wengen in early September. I think that goes along Lake Maggiore so am concerned about work disrupting the train.
Also where would I find information about this? Thank you!

There will most probably be Trenitalia buses from Milano Centrale (city center) to Domodossola from August 31st until September 8th. Traiin tickets will be valid and seat reservation wil be compulsory. Count with 4 - 4 1/2 hrs journey time up to Interlaken. Timetables may be published in the second half of June.

Thanks! Just what I was wanting to understand. I was concerned I would be on a bus for too long of a time. When I book the train ticket Milan to Wengen this will show I assume. I really appreciate all your help!