dustieboots

We will be spending 6 days in Switzerland in September - Luzern & Interlaken area- and we depart 4 days later from Malpensa Airport, Milan. We would like to see some of Itay's Lake area.

We have only used point to point rail tickets in the past so consider us as novice rail travellers. We are planning to buy a Swiss Pass. We are trying to determine our rail path on Day 6 as we leave central Switzerland and what Lake areas we should spend our last 3 days - Lugano, Lake Como, Menaggio or Bellagio. The connections to get to Bellagio, Italy and then to Malpensa Airport are not clear to us which makes Menaggio or Como seem the easier area to visit.. Day trips from Lugano is another option. We have an early morning departure flight on Day 10 and so we want to stay near the Malpensa Airport the evening before.

Are there any suggestions on how best to spend 3 days in the Lugano or the Italian Lake area?

bobthenavigator

You can train as far as Lugano on your pass and either stay there or bus/taxi to Menaggio on the west shore of Lago Como.
From Menaggio it is an easy ferry ride to Bellagio---about :15. Getting to Malpensa is another story--look at this site www.flytolake.com .We like Hotel First near MXP.

kybourbon

From Lugano, you can take a bus (to Menaggio)or train (town of Como - one stop after the last Swiss stop of Chiasso) to Lago Como.

To depart for Milan, you can train from either Como or Varenna.

Dukey1

If you take the train from either Varenna-Esino (a short ferry ride from Bellagio)of from Como to Milano Centrale you can change there for the express service to Malpensa airport

neckervd

Don't forget Lake Maggiore, 2 hrs by train from Interlaken and less than 20 miles from Malpensa airport
http://www.maggiore.ch/?lang=en
http://www.illagomaggiore.com/?set_language=en&cl=en
http://www.lagomaggioreturismo.it/ing_home.html
http://www.lagomaggiore.net/uk/
http://www.lagomaggioreonline.com/?newlingua=UK&
http://www.ascona-locarno.com/
http://distrettolaghi.eu/en/
http://www.vareselandoftourism.it/
http://www.borromeoturismo.it/scripts/home.php?lang=en
http://www.cannero.it/uk/index.asp?a=0&b=0
http://www.museo-ogliari.it/
http://www.provincia.va.it/santacaterina/
http://www.villataranto.it/
http://www.gignese.it/museo/
http://www.giardinoalpinia.it/
http://www.mottarone.it/
http://www.comune.ortasangiulio.no.it/

Lucerne - Locarno (Lake Maggiore) or Lugano (Lake Lugano): trains every hr, 2 1/2 hrs journey
http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/en/199/...nd-region.aspx
http://www.montegeneroso.ch/en/29/monte-generoso.aspx
http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/en/54/c...ransports.aspx
http://www.bellinzonaturismo.ch/en.aspx

Lugano Cassarate - Menaggio: 1 hr by bus http://www.sptlinea.it/Portals/5/Doc...urbana/c12.pdf

Como - Malpensa airport: 1 1/2 hrs by train, change at Saronno, first departure from Como at 5.06am
http://www.muoversi.regione.lombardi...F5AA1E.tomcat7

Bus Menaggio/Bellagio - Como:
http://www.sptlinea.it/Portals/5/Doc...ana/C%2010.pdf
http://www.sptlinea.it/Portals/5/Doc...urbana/c30.pdf

Lake Como ferries: http://www.navlaghi.it/eng/c_orari.asp

Train Varenna - Malpensa airport: 2 to 3hrs, change at Mialno C
http://orario.trenitalia.com/b2c/npp...n&channel=tcom

dustieboots

Wow Fodorites!

Thank you to all who have replied with informnation we can further research for our trip.

What fantastic experience you have shared with us!