We are planning a week in the lake region of Northern Italy. We would appreciate suggestions for a small town in the area to serve as our home base for touring around that area. Of course, a recommendation for an apartment or small house/cottage would also be greatly appreciated. Three adults traveling and accommodations need two bedrooms.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16234 posts
Which lake? Orta, Maggiore, Lugano, Como, Iseo, Garda? Just to name the largest. Decide on which lake, then we can suggest our favorite locations for that lake. I don't think you can use one location to visit all the lakes. The lakes region is not that small and the distances are not short. All of the above lakes are beautiful. Maggiore, Como and Garda are probably the most popular.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32402 posts
dan, As Roberto pointed out, the "lakes district" covers a fairly substantial area, so staying in one location and visiting all the others could be somewhat difficult (especially for such a short time frame). For a one-week time frame, you might consider either Lago di Como or Lago Maggiore. If you choose Lago Maggiore, Stresa has good transportation links and makes a great "home base". I usually stay in Hotels, so have no comments on apartments or cottages. Among the attractions in Stresa are the Borromeo Islands, Mt. Mottarone or you could take a day trip to Locarno (CH) on the scenic Cento Valli Railway, returning in the late afternoon or early evening by boat. It's a really nice day trip, and Locarno is a beautiful city. If you choose Lago di Como, Varenna makes a great "home base" and is a big favourite with many here. While there you could take day trips to some of the other towns in the mid-lake area, such as the posh resort of Bellagio or Menaggio. There are also some elegant old Villas along the lake with large beautiful gardens. That area is popular with the "rich & famous" (Clooney has a Villa on the lake). Happy travels!