I will be staying with an aunt in Milan in late June and need to choose 2 daytrips. I enjoy visiting villas, gardens, seaside villages and have had my fill of Lake Como. So which of the 3 would you recommend? Visiting Stresa and Isola Bella or another Borromean island one day... then visiting Sirmione or Lugano the next day. These will be separate day trips from Milan, probably by car, but I would consider taking the train/bus if it's more convenient. My aunt (a native of Milan) will be driving, but she wants me to choose! I'm open to other suggestions other than the above (but not Lake Como) Grazie!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32392 posts
Susan, My suggestion would be Stresa one day and Lugano the next. Both cities are beautiful! For the visit to Stresa, you could visit Isola Bella and perhaps other Borromeo Islands. As you like "villas, gardens", you'll have lots to see on Isola Bella! If you have time, you could also take the Cable Car to Mt. Mottarone and tour the Alpinia Gardens. For the visit to Lugano, one option to consider would be a scenic boat trip down the lake. There are some beautifull homes along the lake, as well as a huge Casino (as I recall, that's located in Italy). You could also take the Funicular up Monte San Salvatore or a trip to Monte Bré. Happy travels!
Posted by
Shawnee, OK, USA
396 posts
Have been to all three places. Excellent choices. Take the boats to the islands from Stresa. Eat lunch on one of the islands. the restaurant name is Verbania. Great lunch and view of the lake from the terraced outside dining area.
Lugano has a wonderful seaside promenade. Enjoy!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32392 posts
Susan, A bit of further information on the previous reply - I believe she's referring to Hotel Ristorante Verbano, which is on Isola dei Pescatori (the smallest of the Borromeo Islands).
Posted by
Seattle, Wa, USA
663 posts
Stresa is the first stop on my trip to Italy in May... I LOVE gardens! I'm really looking forward to it. :-)
Posted by
OP
Kamloops, BC, Canada
483 posts
Many thanks for the great (detailed) advice, Ken!
Thanks also to Karren.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32392 posts
Susan, You're very welcome! Although this probably isn't relevant since you're only making day trips, I wanted to mention one other possibility when visiting Stresa. You could also consider a day trip to Locarno (Switzerland) on the scenic Cento Valli Railway, returning by boat in the late afternoon / early evening. It's a bit of a long day, but really enjoyable (IMHO). You'll travel by "regular train" to Domodossola, where you'll transfer to the Cento Valli (the station is underground). Don't chuckle too much when you see the name of the railway line. Locarno is also a beautiful city, located on the other end of Lago Maggiore. It's also in the Canton of Ticino, as is Lugano. In addition to having a look around the city (the Marina area is beautiful), you can admire some of the $10,000 Rolex Watches or other "trinkets" in the Bucherer Jewellry store, have a fine meal in one of the restaurants around Piazza Grande or "drrop" a few Francs in the Casino. You could also visit the incredible Franciscan Madonna del Sasso Monastery, which is just above the town (take the Funicular). Just above that, there's a Cable Car that travels up to Cardada, where you can enjoy an incredible view of the city and lake. The Albergo Cardada is just beside the Cable Car station, where you can enjoy a fine hot meal and a "cool one" while watching Paragliders sail by the balcony. A short walk through the woods from the Albergo, there's a Lookout that juts out over a cliff, which provides another great view. If you travel the other way from the Cable Car, you can walk up to Cimetta (more restaurants). There's no shortage of things to do in that part of Switzerland!