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What Northern Lake City Would you Choose If You Only Had One Day And Night? (Early December)

Hello everyone,

I will be traveling across Europe by air and rail with my wife and son in late November through early December. We will have three and a half days plus a morning in Milano. We would like to spend one of those days and nights in a community on one of the nearby lakes (up to two hours-ish away if essential, though an hour and a half-ish would be better). There are so many lovely towns and villages accessible by train from Milano, and this is our first time visiting northern Italy, so we are unsure which to pick. Orta San Giulio, Stresa, Lugano, Lecco, Varenna, Sirmione, and Cernobbio have all come up as lovely places in the summer, but as I understand it many places close in the off-season and we not only will need lodging but also very much hope to eat local cuisine. We aren't bothered by the cold, but we do want to experience something lovely while we are there before heading back to Milano.

Which town would you choose if you only had a day and a night coming from Milano, and why would you choose it, especially keeping in mind the time of year we will be there.

Many thanks!

Posted by
11621 posts

Go to Varenna and take the ferry over to Bellagio for your visit to Lake Como. It is a beautiful town.
For Lake Maggiore, go to Stresa.

Posted by
4 posts

Thank you! This is definitely an appealing itinerary.

Thoughts on Locarno in the off-season? We are up for the adventure if it will still be "open" and have options for sightseeing and dining. It would be amazing to be a bit more in the Alps, and also fun to inadvertently add an additional country to our trip.

But yes, this first suggestion is fantastic.

Posted by
4 posts

Suki, Are you suggesting we stay in Varenna and visit Bellagio for the day, or vice vera?

Many thanks again for your and MaryPat's input!

Posted by
16147 posts

Since you have so little time, I'd choose also Varenna or Bellagio (either is fine), for Lake Como, or Stresa for Lake Maggiore.
Orta San Giulio is nice but very small and requires extra effort to reach. Lecco I don't particularly like, but it would be the quickest to reach.
Lugano is also nice, and quick to reach, and since it's a larger town, it will have more activity in winter. The only issue with Lugano and Switzerland in general is prices. Switzerland's prices are at least twice as much as prices on the Italian side. That would apply to Locarno too, with the additional issue that Locarno requires extra time to reach from Milan.

Posted by
1038 posts

Hi there, May I ask if you have a reason for staying in Milan so long? Although of course it has some great spots, especially the roof top of the cathedral and The Last Supper (you need tickets for both). IMO, I would prefer to spend a few nights in one of the amazing villages others here have highlighted, if the weather isn't too dreadful! Enjoy.

Posted by
4 posts

Sandancisco:
Thank you so much for your suggestions. To clarify, we will be flying into Bergamo mid-afternoon on a Wednesday and then flying home from Milano on Sunday mid-morning. We will be relying on public transit and only truly have a day and a half to spend in a nearby village (Wednesday evening through Friday morning) followed by two days in Milano (Friday mid-morning through Saturday evening). This will be our first time in Milano, and from what I've read, two days is a balanced amount of time to spend in this city. I also have a longtime friend local to the region who will be hosting us.

Posted by
28275 posts

Milan has some quite good art museums and interesting architecture. I spent 5 days there last month and will need to return. I didn't do the Duomo roof (saw it on a previous trip) or The Last Supper.