Tuscany Lakes region itinerary ideas?

The allocation is entirely up to you based on your preference. It really depends on what you want to visit and how many lakes you want to visit. For example Lake Maggiore/Lake Orta, Lake Garda, Lake Como require at least 3 nights each, IMO.
Tuscany (and maybe a bit of Umbria), especially with the inclusion of one day in Florence, would be nice for at least 6 or 7 nights.
So maybe 6-7 nights in each region (with only 2 lakes in the mix)??

For Tuscany I recommend an agriturismo or villa hotel anywhere between Florence and Siena. Going too much south of Siena would make trips to Florence, Lucca, Pisa, etc. a bit too much.

On one of our early trips to Italy, we stayed near Lake Trasimeno. The location was great for visiting many of the towns of Tuscany and Umbria because it's very close to the A1. I recommend you look in that area for an agriturismo. You could do 3 or 4 days there and 3 or 4 days further north.
I think the CT are the most overrated destinations in the world (full disclosure); but particularly with your conditions of not wanting too much walking or too many tourists, it seems you should scratch them from your itinerary.
On another trip, we stayed at Lake Maggiore, in the town of Baveno, about 15 minutes north of Stresa. One of the hotels . . Rivoli, I think . . . has apartments. We found that a great option. You can do lots that won't strain your walking ability; ferry over to the Borromean Islands, sail around the lake, take a train up to Locarno, take a cable car up Monte Matarone, etc. In May, it's not too crowded.

Thanks to both of you for your great suggestions! This forum is always wonderful. You may be right about Cinque Terre...there seems to be so much to do in Tuscany!

Was just reading up on Lake Cuomo and Lake Maggiore. It sounds like Varenna while beautiful, there is less to see and do than Lake Maggiore. Is that true? Maybe the lakes would be a good place to de-jet lag before Tuscany?

What do you love about the agroturismos over say...your own villa or other place? We stayed at some wonderful AirBnB places (not rooms, but had own homes) in N. Europe 14 months ago and I have to say there are some incredible deals at absolutely striking places in Italy for way less than hotels. Surprised more people don't do this!

There are villas which are now traditional hotels (with traditional hotel type of service, like daily chamber maid service, concierge, lobby, etc.)
An agriturismo is basically a villa which was once a farm. Most are even working farms But no requirement to shovel any cattle manure while you are staying. Actually a crop was a requirement to get some government grants for those conversions. But most owners of agriturismos are not farmers, so to meet that requirement for the grant, they usually hire a local farmer to do the work there (and share the crop). That is what a friend of mine does at his agriturismo (his day job is to work in a bank).
So an agriturismo is like renting a private single family house on AirBnB. There is no concierge, no lobby reception. Some might provide restaurant service, like a B&B, but not all.
Agriturismo are usually cheaper than a traditional hotel and provide better value. But you have to make your own bed and in many cases make your own breakfast or meals (or go out to a restaurant in the area).

Yes Lake Maggiore has more to do and see than lake Como. Lake Garda also has more to see and do than lake Como. And all of them are equally beautiful. But George Clooney bought his house on Lake Como, Las Vegas has a hotel named after the most famous village (Bellagio) on Lake Como, and Rick Steves is absolutely in love with Varenna on lake Como, so every American wants to go to Lake Como. So what can you do?

Thanks Roberto. Yes, I think I like the idea of the whole homes on AirBnB as they are also much less expensive (and nicer) than hotels but you have a kitchen as well.

I did read that Rick is a fan of Varenna, but as I said, a destination gets extra points for fewer crowds in my travel planning so maybe I'll investigate Lake Garda in addition to Maggiore and skip Cuomo.

ck,

I'm assuming you mean Lago di Como? Isn't "Cuomo" a politician in New York or somewhere?

I've visited Lago di Como and Varenna a number of times and have always found the ambiance quite relaxed and I always enjoy it there. You can do as much or as little as you like, and the lakeside promenade, which goes from the main part of town to the Ferry dock is a wonderful place to just "chill" and watch the boats going back and forth (benches are provided in one spot along the promenade).

Lago di Garda is not as well served with transportation, so will take a bit more effort to get to some of the towns there. This is not a location I'd recommend if you're looking for a "quiet" place to spend a few days. The towns along Lago di Garda are often packed with German and Austrian tourists so probably not the best choice given your criteria. My visit to Sirmione was dreadful in that regard, and I don't plan to ever return there.

You might also look at Lago Maggiore and the town of Stresa (or perhaps some of the other small towns along the lake - Roberto can provide suggestions on those).

May shouldn't be too horribly crowded at the lakes yet (except for the weekends). Lake Garda, although not as well known to Americans as Lake Como) is by far, the most popular lake with Italians and Europeans, especially Germans, Austrians and Dutch (we Italians also call it "Il Mare Dei Tedeschi" or The Germans' Sea). All of them are extremely popular destinations for weekend trips of Northen Italians as well and they are all within one hour or so drive from the most populous metro areas in Italy, so don't expect to be alone if you go on a weekend (June through September they are always packed). Garda and Maggiore have a lot of things to do. Lake Como is more for relaxation, although it has become much more crowded nowadays. All are equally beautiful, although I like Garda and Maggiore a bit more than Como. But that is a personal preference and might reflect the fact that when I was young I found lake Como a bit boring (which might be a plus now that I'm not that young anymore).
For Lake Maggiore I recommend Stresa, simply because of the convenience of the boats to the beautiful Borromee islands. It's also ver close to Lake Orta, with the beautiful village of Orta San Giulio, an absolute gem. On the northern side of lake Maggiore, don't miss Cannobio. Farther north on the Swiss side, the town of Locarno is connected to Domodossola with the very scenic Cento Valli rail,

Roberto—Love your Italian perspective. Now I'm wondering if perhaps a few days at Lake Maggiore would be the way to go (skipping other lakes) while adding on a bit of time in the Dolomites. Any recommendations there?

Thanks,
Chris

Okay, one last question (for now!): I think the Dolomites don't make any sense geographically. What about the idea of making Lake Maggiore a base for a week? I was looking at the map for Swiss day trip possibilities. I see Brig is just 1.5 hours away from Stresa and has thermal baths. It looks like the major Swiss cities are too far for day trips. Any thoughts on that front?

If you'd like to add the Dolomites to the mix, then lake Garda makes the most sense, since you are there. It's my favorite lake (especially the north lake) and May is too early to be overrun by tourists.

People on this site often don't like the fact that the lake is not well served by rail. Which is true. It's also the largest in Italy, therefore visiting it by bus and boats is difficult given the distances and the fact buses and boats stop running early in the evenings. As such, if one visits lake Garda, a car is advisable (although not essential). Since I think you plan to have one, you won't have the issues others have relying on public transport. The north side is in my opinion the most beautiful. From there you can reach the Dolomites in minutes too (as well as beautiful Verona and the Valpolicella wine region).

Your plan for lake Maggiore works too. If you have only a week, I would also recommend to stick with one lake only. Although lake Maggiore is next to lake Orta, and lake Garda is next to Lake Iseo, so you can see two lakes with any choice.

Chris,

Staying on Lago Maggiore and making that a "base" is a great idea, although I'm not sure if a week is too short or too long. I suppose that will depend on what you want to see in that area. You can easily spend a full day touring the beautiful Borromeo Islands, and Isola Bella especially will take several hours for touring both the mansion and the ornate gardens. You could spend at least part of another day taking a trip up Mt. Mottarone and touring the Alpine Gardens there. If you go right to the top, there are incredible views which can span several countries (if it's not hazy that day). You could use another day just exploring Stresa or some of the nearby towns.

One excellent Switzerland day trip possibility would be to travel to Locarno via the scenic Cento Valli Railway, returning by boat in the evening. You'll first need to travel by "regular" train to Domodossola, where you'll transfer to the Cento Valli (FART) trains (the station is underground so doesn't use the regular platforms). If you think that might be a possibility and want some suggestions of what to do in Locarno, post another note. It's an incredibly beautiful city with a very picturesque lakefront, and the location of the Locarno International Film Festival in the summer. On one of my visits there, I encountered a display of vintage muscle and other high performance cars in Piazza Grande, not something one usually expects to see in Switzerland.