Can anyone suggest a good itinerary for 3-4 days in the Lake Region in Northern Italy? We will be there in June and may or may not have a car.

The car question would change your options completely.
The are 5 major lakes and they are really 3 different destinations. For your limited time I suggest a combo of Lago Como and Lago Lugano as a day trip from your Como base. Given a car and 4 days I would change that plan.

Who is "we" - and how many. is this all adults? will there be children - and how old?

Where are yuo coming from or going to?

Randomly we spend sevral days unwinding at Lago Maggiore before heading up into Switz. We loved the Borromean Isles, neaby villas to tour, and just realxing with a drink and looking at the lake.

But you may be looking for someting else.

Not trying to hijack this but do you need a car to do a Lakes trip?

Bob, are you suggesting Como town as a base on Lake Como? Because, especially with a short time and a trip to Lugano, I think the OP would be better off staying mid-lake, probably Menaggio, though Varenna or Bellagio would also work.

And for the trip Bob describes you wouldn't need a car.

I stayed in Bellagio w/o a car. It was easy to take the ferry to surrounding lake towns. I thought Bellagio was magical.

I picked up a car in Como after I left Bellagio to drive to Stresa and then to Lake Orta.

No,I would stay mid-lake, of course.
Here is my photo gallery from Lago Como.

http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4442

Bob,
Thanks for your helpful response. What do you think of us (2 adults, no children) spending 2 nights midlake at Lake Como (Menaggio, etc.) and 2 nights at your favorite hotel-Stella d'Italia on Lake Lugano? Is it worth dong an additional day trip to another lake during that time frame?

Wow---good idea, but they are only :30 apart.
The food at Stella is worth the trip.

With 4 nites, and a car, I would drive via Lugano and Locarno to Stresa for your 2nd destintaion. Try to see the gardens at Villa Taranto as you transition locations.

I agree with Bob - spend 2 nights midlake at Menaggio/Varenna/Bellagio and then stay in Stresa. You can easily travel between the two via Lugano. For your full day at lake Como forget the car and buy a mid-lake one day ticket and use the ferries to visit the central villages - they're all very different and easily doable in a day. The same applies at Maggiore - buy a ticket and visit the Borromeo Islands during the day and wander around Stresa in the evening.All of the lakes are very different from each other.