Milan or The Lakes?

2 nights in the Italian Lakes and then the final night in Milan before you fly out is a sound plan.
Try Arona or Stresa on Lake Maggiore if you are travelling by train - perhaps cheaper than Lake Como.

Many people reporting in on this forum give Milan one night, not three.
It also may not make sense (in my opinion) to separately go to Milan on a day trip from one of the lakes, and then have to go back to Milan to fly out.
Mennagio is across the lake from Varenna (you get there easily by public ferry from Varenna). Don't stay in the city of Lake Como, it's not scenic compared to the mid-lake area where the postcard views are (Varenna and Mennagio).
The Milan world's fair is going to make it more difficult to get reasonable lodging in the Milan area, until the end of the exposition, which I heard is in September or October.
Lake Maggiore is another lake, that you could check out in your online research.

Be careful to make sure you have transportation arrangements that will get you to the Milan airport (there are 2 airports in Milan) in plenty of time to process in and get your flight.

Have you tried the Hotel Olivido in Varenna,it is on the water front and gets mixed reviews,I got along fine with the owner Laura the two times that we have stayed there,we rented the villa next to the hotel,the views from the balcony are great,you see the lake,ferry boats coming and going and the mountains.
Mike

I love Milano and could easily spend three nights there, but Expo prices this year took it off the list. For a 1pm flight you could take a morning train to Malpensa from the lake.

amy,

My suggestion would defnitely be the lakes, as it will be much more relaxing and pleasant than Milan (especially with the crowds of the Expo).

You could consider Lago Maggiore and the town of Stresa, as it's very easy to reach the airport from there via Gallarate. There's more than enough to do in that area for a couple of days. For example, you could take a day trip to Locarno (CH) via the scenic Cento Valli Railway, returning to Stresa in the evening by boat.

Thank you for all the suggestions. Stresa looks like a great alternative to Varenna. And, it looks as though we can make it to Malpensa from Stresa without having to go to Milan Centrale first. Any help with Stresa would be appreciated. Is it a walkable town from the train station to a lake side hotel? I haven't flown out of MXP before. I'm guessing the standard 2 hours before the flight is enough time?

amy,

Yes, Stresa is absolutely a wallkable town as the area by the lake is relatively flat. However the rail station is slightly uphill. You could walk down the hill when you arrive, but I'd suggest taking a Taxi as you'll have luggage. Of course, walking back to the station on departure will be uphill (I've done that and it's not actually too bad).

Stresa is a very nice, walkable town. We did walk to and from the train station, and yes, it's at the top of the hill. They do have taxis available. We had a wonderful stay at the Hotel La Fontana. We arrived late because the trains were delayed, and the owner was waiting for us when we arrived, knowing about our delay before we arrived. He also made sure we caught the right train to get us back to Milan and to the airport on time.
Had a wonderful dinner at La Botte Trattoria in Stresa. We enjoyed visiting the islands and taking the Cable Car up Mottarone, where you have picturesque views of Stresa, Lake Maggiore and the alps.
Enjoy!

Another vote here for Lago Maggiore. With a 1 p.m. departure, you should not have a problem getting to MXP on time. However, it is Italy we're discussing, so allow plenty of leeway. Did anyone mention taking the ferry from Stresa to the Borromean Islands? That's a must-do if you stay in Stresa. The main attractions are the 17th c. palazzo and beautiful gardens on Isola Bella and Isola Madre. I think I remember a villa on the latter, as well. When we were there, there was a good restaurant on one of the islands (can't remember which). The sight-seeing and a leisurely lunch make for a full and delightful day.

Stayed at Saini Meuble in Stresa. Very nice and conveniently located. Gianni was very friendly and helped us with everything while we were there, including dealing with an Italian train strike on the day we were traveling.

Dan,

I also stayed at Saini Meuble and agree that Gianni is a wonderful host and very helpful. I'll definitely stay there again on my next visit.

One point to clarify in an earlier post..... The Mt. Mottarone Cable Car will be closed for the 2015 season as it's undergoing it's 40 year tune-up. AFAIK, they haven't established a definite re-opening date yet.

Thank you for all the great suggestions! We decided on our final 3 nights in Stresa. I loved the idea of taking a train to Locarno then the ferry back to Stresa so we'll do that one day. Another day will be spent touring Stresa and relaxing. We'll spend 1/2 a day before checking into Stresa in Milan visiting the Cathedral. All of your input and suggestions have been much appreciated!

amy,

I'm sure you'll enjoy your day trip to Locarno. Don't forget your Passport! Also, you'll be using different currency. If you need a few ideas on what to do or see in Locarno or the route you'll be taking, post another note. You might be able to obtain the tickets for the trip from your hotel (that's what I did last time I travelled that route).

Ken,
I would love some ideas for things to do in Locarno. From what I can see, there's an option of taking the ferry up then train back or the train up and the ferry back. Which option is better? We're going mid September.

amy,

I'd probably take the Cento Vallli to Locarno in the morning and return by boat in the early evening. My reason for that is that there may be fewer departures of the Cento Valli in the afternoon than the boats, so it should provide more flexibility in choice of travel times. I haven't checked on departures of the C.V. in the evening (although you could of course return by "regular" train, but it would be a shame to miss the fantastic scenery in daylight).

As I recall, reservations are compulsory on the Cento Valli. Last time I made that trip, I mentioned it to the hotel owner and he arranged the tickets. They were at the front desk within half an hour! There may have been a slight "fee" for that, but I didn't check as I wasn't concerned about it.

Using a date for mid-September, there are departures of the Cento Valli at 08:25, 09:25, 10:25, 11:25, 12:40, etc. One point to mention is that you'll have to travel from Stresa to Domodossola to connect with the Cento Valli. One of the easiest trips might be a departure at 08:38, arriving Domodossola at 09:06 (time 28 min., current fare €4.15 PP). That should allow taking the 09:25 C.V. departure. When you arrive in Domodossola, you'll need to go downstairs to the F.A.R.T. station to find the C.V. (don't snicker, that's the name of the rail company).

It appears that the last boat departure of the day from Locarno is at 16:15, arriving back in Stresa at 19:15. That's probably the one I've used in the past. The boat makes numerous stops along the lake, and it's interesting to see all the small towns.

Depending on how early you take the trip (ie: how much time you have in Locarno), here are a few possibilities......

• Do a walkabout in Piazza Grande as it's beautiful, and there are often events taking place there (on my last visit, they had a display of American muscle cars as well as a volleyball tournament). The famous Locarno International Film Festival is also held there every year, with many major stars in attendance.
• Take a walk along the very scenic waterfront.
• Drop a few bucks in the Casino.
• Do some shopping in some of the posh stores, such as Bucherer. If you were in the market for a CH$ 10K Rolex watch or a CH$ 5K Vertu cell phone, now's the time to buy!
• Take the Funicular up the hill to the beautiful Maddonna del Sasso Franciscan Monastery.
• If you have time, take the Cable Car up to Cardada for some incredible views of the lake and the city. There's a hotel / restaurant / bar right at the top of the Cable Car station, where you can have a cool one and a fine meal while watching the Paragliders sail by.

You shouldn't have any trouble finding things to do for a few hours in Locarno!

Buon Viaggio!

Thanks so much Ken. I've copied all your tips and suggestions to my itinerary. Can't wait!!

amy,

You're very welcome! Be sure to plan your time so you're back near the docks in the afternoon, as you wouldn't want to miss the boat!