Italian lakes Road trip!!!

You don't say how long you are going for.

If you look at a map, the Bernina express is not really near your route. Also the whole route is not really in s straight line - there is an awful lot of driving.

You might want to think about skipping Maggiore and Como, if you want to drop down to Parma/Bologna. Just the once lake has got a lot to commend it.

Try to design your trip in such a way that you don’t have a car in Milan, Bologna and Verona. Having a car in those cities is a hassle. Try to have the car only for the lakes portion. For example you could design your itinerary in such a way to leave those cities are the beginning and/or end of the itinerary, so that you can rent the car afterwards or return it before staying in those cities. For example you could do Milan, then rent a car, visit the lakes, then drop the car in Verona, visit Verona, go to Bologna by train and fly out of Bologna (or take the train back to Milan.
Don’t bother to stay in between Lake Maggiore and Lake Como. Stay on the lakes proper. Anything in between is kind of ugly agricultural/industrial plain. For lake Maggiore consider Stresa. Since lake Maggiore is near the airport you could do that first, then visit the other lakes by car. Finally return the car in Verona, and visit Bologna and Milano by train. Then fly out of Milan. If you want to return from Bologna airport, then do Lake Maggiore, lake Como, lake Garda, drop car in Verona, then Milan by train, then Parma and Bologna by train.

I am doing similar cities, but in a different order. I’m starting in Bologna, using it as a hub to do Ravenna for mosaics, Florence because it’s Florence although I have been a number of times, and Verona all of the proceeding by train, I am in Bologna 6 nights, 5 days. I may skip Verona or Florence, depending on time. I will then train from Bologna to Milan and then to MXP to pick-up rental car, drive just over an hour to Lake Maggiore, staying in Intra, on southwest side of lake. There are two drives I love in that area, the Centovalli and Valle Verzasca. Both picturesque! The Valle Verzasca dead-ending at the Alps, in SW. These are not long drives. I will probably do both in a day. Going from Intra, up to Centovalli, down towards Locarno and up to Valle Verzasca. If I had to pick one drive I would do Verzasca. I plan to do the gardens at Villa Taranto nearby Intra, probably drive partially around the lake, and do hike between Cannobi and Cannero another day. I will bypass Lake Como because I have been twice before, but if you have not seen it, I would definitely see it. As a previous poster said Tirano is almost 3 hrs from Lake Maggiore. That was on my itinerary for this year, but had to change due to track repair on Bernina Express the week I was in that part of Italy. Just some different suggestions for the area.

I have a suggestion. Instead of lakes road trip, how about an explore a lake by ferry. Since I’m very familiar with Maggiore here are all the things you can see by ferry. If you have a rental car stay in Verbania Pallanza as it’s more centralized and free parking is not far. Someone else can give you similar advice for Como and Guarda

1. Ferry to Islands
2. Ferry to stresa, then Santa Caterina Monastery
3. Ferry to Ascona Switzerland and maybe Locarno. If ferry schedule allows you could get off at Cannobio to wander around. Or Cannobio is not a far drive from Verbania
4. Ferry across the lake to Laveno to take the bucket gondola to 1300 meters. Great view of lake and restaurant for lunch or drinks
5. Either drive or ferry to Arona, then ferry across lake to Ancora Castle
6. Drive to Ghiffa where there is a world Herritage site over looking the lake https://www.sacrimonti.org/home
7. Drive to Domodossola, fun town to explore another sacro world heritage site
8. Road trip to Lake Orta
9. Rent a motor boat for a half day and explore lago Maggiore your own.

If you need any links to above list, let me know. Also we stayed in a great apartment in Verbania Pallanza last week with balcony overlooking the lake.

Thanks so much everyone for help and guidance.

Karen your list is great, I'd love to know where you stayed?

Karen lived there, complete with the famous doggie-blogger BARLEY and hubby, and knows the Maggiore area like the back of her hand.

As it says in her location, they were in Verbania.

Someone else PMd me with Questions, so copying my response here also.

As an explanation, Verbania is a City that consists of 3 “neighborhoods”. Intra feels like a big city with all the traffic and noise. Don’t stay there. Pallanza and Suna feel and look like a small Italian Village.
Pallanza and Suna are on the side of the peninsula looking over at Stresa. Look at google maps. The river separates pallanza and intra (all called Verbania). We just stayed in a great apartment with a balcony overlooking the lake. Nice size, and 10+ location. The owner lives in the building and has five rental apartments. Not many American tourists, so feels more like Italy than Stresa.

Link to apt on booking.com
https://www.booking.com/Share-OOY64Y

I book 95% of our stays, hotels, apartments and b&bs through booking. Never booked anything on airb&b. Booking gives actual address so you can google maps or street view.
The three hotels in Pallanza that look nice, great locations are Europpalace hotel, Pallanza Hotel, and Hotel Belvedere. But we have never stayed in any of them
I have links for all the things I suggested for things to do, ask if interested. Have great restaurant suggestions to.
The only minor disadvantage is train station is about 6 miles from town. But bus stop is close by and runs every 30 minutes. We did the bus multiple times during our travels (with Barley) when we lived there.
Any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask, even if you want me to check location for you.
Another thing, is Verbania and Lago Maggiore, in general, are much less expensive than Como.