All,

Planning a trip to Northern Italy for October 14-30. Best flight option is actually into Zurich. Which leaves me wondering if I should stay with my original plan to visit Lake Como (Mennagio is top choice) or to add on Lake Luzerne or Lugano for 2 additional days.

Since Mid-October is the end of the Lakes season, would I be crazy to spend time on two separate lakes? (2 days on one, 3 on the other) I could easily allocate my time to other Italian desitnations, but the Lakes have my interest!

This can also be a very rainy season for northern Italy. A few years ago we did lakes and north Italy towns like Parma, Pavia, Brescia, etc. and it rained for most of two weeks! Locals said this was not unusual at this time of year.

PalQ - I had considered that we were running into the rainy season in Venice - but it skipped my mind for the lakes.

Sigh... I was afraid it might not be the best time since many of the hotels close in November.

Perhaps I could do a 4 day base on Como and take a day trip by train to experience some of the fantastic Swiss views? Ideas? Lugano? Further in?

Your Zurich stategy is sound and Luzern is an integral part of that. It is much more than a lake--do not miss it. You can still do Como from Menaggio, just hit Lugano for 3 hours as you transition.

If its Lake Como and Lake Lugano that you are condsidering, then they are so close that you need not separate them. The bus to Lugano leaves from Menaggio.

I have not seen Lake Lugano, but it must be similar to Lake Como (very nice).

Stay loose - have a back-up plan ready if and when the rains set in...

BTN - do you disagree that weather could spoil a visit?

And doble, I was actually thinking of Lake Como and Lake Lucerne. Start with two days on Lucerne to decompress, then head to Como for 3.

And excellent advice Tuck - though I must admit to being a bit of a planner and staying loose is something I need to work on!

As I was telling DH the new 'plan' to include Switzerland, I mentioned that someone was worried we could hit the rainy season, he says "so what, we'll just drink more vino"!

Is that a great outlook on a travel partner or what???

No question, it could be a risk. But, I would still go for it. Have fun !

A stay on Lucerne's lake and a stay on either Como or Lugano will contrast nicely. IMO, you can never have enough lakes. J.

I don't think you can go wrong with Lucerne and whereas Menaggio is not the town that most folks here seem to think of, my last stay on Lake Como was based in Menaggio and I enjoyed that a great deal.

Now, before any of the "purists" around here start slamming you, and also so you'll arrive in Lucerne feeling like an old hand, the lake there is more commonly known as the "Lake of the Four Forest Cantons" (I'll spare you the transliterated and badly butchered German version LOL).

Lugano is so close to Menaggio and the bus service so frequent I am sure you could work both into a stay, however brief.

Enjoy your trip to two wonderful destinations.

My wife and I just returned from a trip to Lake Como, Lake Lugano, and Lake Maggiore. Lake Lugano was great, but, the city of Lugano was not really the kind of place my wife and I were interested in. It was like staying in the most expensive mall or Miami Beach. They have a casino there so that should give you an idea of what to expect. A few side ferry trips during our stay to some smaller towns on Lake Lugano was more to our liking.

Staying in Menaggio is a good choice for Lake Como. We stayed across the lake in Varenna. Varenna was smaller and when we visited Menaggio, Menaggio seemed livelier, plus you can enjoy the towns on the Menaggio side of the lake like Cadenabia and Lenno. Menaggio like Varenna is very centrally located on Lake Como and real easy to take a ferry to see Varenna, Bellagio, Bellano, and Lecco.

I trekked out to buy a Switzerland guidebook last night - I've never bought a guide to someplace I didn't end up visiting, so I think its solidified!

BTN - in checking the weather for Lugano, June historically has more rain than October - I'm A-OK with chanceing it!

Flabocat - I did read your report, and I thank you as the 'Miami' like comment does make me think twice about planning the majority of a day there.

jmw - Contrast is what I was going for - so your comment fits perfect and lets me know I am on the right track.

Intrepid - I believe I have read some of your comments on Mennagio and it was one of my convincers.

I read last night about the different names for Lucerne. Makes sense, but what about the multiple spellings of Lucerne? I didn't find an anwer to that. Venezia->Venice I can understand for non-Italian speakers. But spellings as close as Lucerne/Luzern? Enlighten me please!

Thanks to all - I did find some better airfares with consolidators listed on eurocheapo... I hope to have booked by this weekend.

Luzern is the German spelling and most widely used.

Usually spelled the German way - Luzern - because it's located in the predominantly German-speaking part of the country.