Lake maggiore or Lake como?

Both Lake Maggiore and Lake Como are beautiful Wr have spent four trips in Bellagio on Lake Como. Bellagio is on a peninsula that sticks out into Lake Como. We prefer to stay in the upper part of town away from the crowds.
We also have visited Stresa on Lake Maggiore. We prefer staying slightly north of Stresa, along the shore. You can’t go wrong with either choice!
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My husband and I are planning a 3 month vacation, starting and ending in Italy. A business acquaintance from Northern Italy strongly recommends Lake Garda over Como, and says to stay at Villa Cortine

When is your trip? I ask because if it's this spring, you may find lodging availability in Varenna a bit slim. Varenna is one of my favorite places- we will visit again in a few months. Have a great trip, whatever you decide. Safe Travels!

We really enjoyed our stay in Stresa and would like to return
If you are flying home from Milan, Stresa is very convenient- has direct airport bus.
It will also be less crowded than Varenna

FWIW we enjoy a lot of places that RS doesn’t seem to care for.

Don't discount Lake Lugano. IMO it's prettier than Lake Como.

We have also stayed on Lake Garda. You can’t go wrong staying on Lakes Maggiore, Como or Garda.

I haven’t stayed at Lake Garda or Lake Orta, but I have stayed at Varenna on Lake Como with the RS tour, and I have stayed at Stresa on Lake Maggiore three times and have reservations to be in Stresa again in September. So, obviously I am a fan of Stresa!

I haven’t stayed at Hotel Royal or that immediate area. I usually stay in the center of the town at Hotel Milan Speranza Au Lac, an old hotel across from the ferry area and near restaurants. And, I especially love to move out to nearby tiny Isola Bella for the last night each time. There’s a little hotel, Hotel Boutique Elvezia, with a nice restaurant and the most serene views and atmosphere! Taking a walk on the tiny island after dinner - usually the lapping of the water against the shore as the only sound & the soft illuminated glow of the church bell tower of Isola Pescatori to the north…could almost make me create some poetry! Be sure to reserve a lake balcony room there.

In September I am going to stay at the Regina Palace Hotel (gorgeous interior!) and move out to Hotel Boutique Elvezia again for the last night. I love gardens, so Isola Bella’s formal gardens with the Borromeo villa, and Villa Taranto north of Stresa are both favorites. I also enjoyed taking the ferry over to the hermitage, Santa Caterina del Sasso, for some spectacular photos.

There are no bad choices for these destinations. It’s just what appeals most to you. If you’re going to be there for four days, I would take a day-trip ferry up into the Lake Maggiore Swiss towns, too.

It's a tough choice. I've been to both Varenna and Stresa.

The view from my hotel in Varenna was breathtaking. I spent lots of time on my balcony just look at it. (I paid extra for a lake front room.) But the town itself seemed more touristy.

Stresa, on the other hand, seemed to offer more. The islands of Isola Bella and Isola Pescatorei were beautiful and fun to explore.

With respect to Rick....he is in the tour business. He usually "prefers" places his tours go over others. (After all, he is trying to convice people to take his tours.) His tours go to Lake Como. They don't go to Lake Maggiore.

Thank you, everyone, for such helpful responses. I think I'll stick with my original inclination to stay on Maggiore but Jean, I'm definitely going to look into Elvezia. That sounds magical!

After visiting both lakes last year, my vote as well goes to Lago Maggiore.

It may be that Lago di Como is even more picturesque and prettier, but I thought it was Disney Land. Far too many people and many of them were not at all interested in what was happening around them. I had the impression that it was often just about the next Insta story. Our landlord in Varenna told us to stay away from the lake from April to October and to come back in winter. OK, admittedly, it's easier to get there quickly from Munich by car :-)

Since you’ve decided on lake Maggiore (which I like better), the islands are a must, and of course Stresa is the best base for those. I recommend also a visit of Cannobio, arguably the quaintest village on lake Maggiore.

There is also a scenic railway which connects Domodossola to Locarno. It’s called Cento Valli (100 valleys) railway.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domodossola%E2%80%93Locarno_railway_line

I agree that lake Como, especially Varenna, has become a zoo. Last time I was there was in July and I’m inclined to think that Rick Steves not only sells tours but contributes to destroy places. There were hundreds of Americans in town, and many toting the familiar blue and gold booklet. Stay away from Varenna in July and August.

hey hey SAJB
happy to see you decided on lake maggiore. few years back we stayed on lake garda in bardolino for their annual wine fest and loved it. friends went to lake como and said as roberto mentions, was like a zoo with so many people.
couple sites to check out:
the crowdedplanet.com
things to do on lake maggiore
discovernorthernitaly.com
10 most beauticul towns on lake maggiore
getmyboat.com
type lake maggiore, date and # of people. scroll down to best pedal in lake maggiore. something fun to do.
few years back there was a poster (Karen, monterey county that moved to verbania for 2 1/2 years) with their dog Barley. she had a blog all about the dog and places they went and saw. since barley has passed away the blog is no longer. not computer savvy but there is a post from Karen (lake maggiore or lake como? on august 16, 2022) with some things to see & do on the lake, send her a private message, sure she'd help you if needed
have a great time doing some research and enjoy the lake. happy valentine's day
aloha

hey hey amy
it would be better to start your own post, instead of tagging onto SAJB. you'll get lost with the answers for her/him.
your own post will be dedicated to you. thank you
aloha

Thank you - so sorry - I am new to all of this. I will do!