Please sign in to post.

Lake Como and Maggiore from Lugano

What Lakes do you recommend and what is a must to see in Lake Maggiore and Como? I will be doing a day trip from Lugano into Milan, I know there's not much to see in Milan so it should be quick, but I hear Isola Bella and Bellagio are a must. Is this true, is there anything else better to see? I am spending 3 nights in Lugano after visiting Zurich, Lucerne, Jungfrau and Geneva area, Montreaux to be ecxact, so I can do a couple of day trips into the Lake region. I am going early October. Any suggestions? Is it an easy trip from Lugano?

Posted by
16359 posts

From Lugano to Menaggio, on lake Como, it's a 30 min drive. Then from Menaggio you can take a boat over to Bellagio and/or Varenna. I'm pretty sure there is a bus from Lugano to Menaggio. Actually I'm sure there is because a couple of weeks ago somebody asked and I gave all the info about it (timetable). Search the helpline there should be an entry from last month. From Lugano to Lake Maggiore, in particular the Isola Bella is a longer trek because you need to go to Stresa. In that case you'll need to go to Milano, then in Milano you change trains and go to Stresa. It's about 2.5 - 3 hours. If you go from Lugano to Locarno, on the norther side of Lake Maggiore, it's shorter. Or you could take a bus to Luino. But I stayed in Luino and didn't really care much about it. But I liked Cannobio a lot, across the lake from Luino. However if you absolutely want to see Isola Bella (which is indeed Bella, actually Bellissima) you need to go down to Stresa.

Posted by
12 posts

Thanks for your input! We wont be driving, we'll be using the trains and or buses.