I have relatives coming into town (Munich) for June... They have asked to go down to the Lake District and see things... I have never been there, nor considered it on my list of places to visit soon-... And despite readiing som guides, I also find it less easier to visualize (geographically) than other parts of Italy. So I am struggling trying to make plans...
What would you all recommend for about 5-6 days (Max)? We would be coming down the autobahn along Gardasee... from Brenner Pass... What's a good little itinerary?

Hi,
Briefly we adore Lake Como, Bellagio and Varenna in particular. There are many threads on this site so have a look at those and you will see how many diverse opinions there are.
There should be enough information in those to help you put your itinerary together.
Lake Como is the most dramatic of the lakes as the mountains come down to the shore.
If you can't find what you need someone with more energy than me will help you to the right place or advice.
(I am presently unwell)
Wendy

5 days fly, so even if they only want to go to the Garda Lake, they can easily spend 5 days in the towns around the lake. Moreover it is pretty close to Verona which definitely deserves a visit!

Also the Como and Varese areas are really nice, and Lake Maggiore with its little islands id really beautiful.

Ciao!

Has anyone ever stayed up at the very northern tip of Lake Como? Would it be possible to do day trips from there....? The roads look a little rustic and wild.... I think Varena and bellago might be doable... but places lke Locarno or Lugano? Anyone done this before? Thanks

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Originally posted by sarahnwalker:

Has anyone ever stayed up at the very northern tip of Lake Como? Would it be possible to do day trips from there...? The roads look a little rustic and wild... I think Varena and bellago might be doable... but places lke Locarno or Lugano? Anyone done this before? Thanks

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Don't use the carfor daytrips on the lake. Rather, all the lakes have very efficient ferry systems that work like buses and are pretty frequent and comfortable.
Speaking of the northern tip of the Lake reminds me of a song I like, about Lago di Como, by Davide Van De Sfroos (his real name is Davide Bernasconi!). It's called "Bréva e Tivànn" which are the names of the two winds of the lake: the first in the mornings blows southwards and the other blows northwards in the evening. Boats used these two winds to travel up and down the lake until not so long ago.

Some articles and links about Lake Como and some of my favorite things near it can be found at http://www.straughan.com/italy/lake_como.htm (I now live on Lake Como, BTW, in Lecco).

The roads are fine all around the lake if you want to go to places off the lake nearby. But, as Alice says, to go to places on the lake, take the boats! They are frequent, fun, and a great way to see the view.

Hi,
We visted Lugano from Bellagio by car without any problems.
The roads on the lakeside are difficult narrow and twisting but never bad enough to put us off driving. We make good use of the steamers whenever possible.
Wendy

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Has anyone ever stayed up at the very northern tip of Lake Como?

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Stayed? no. But we have driven up there and as a place to be, it kind of peters out.

There are small towns at the side of the lake North of Varenna and North of Menagio (on the opposite side), but they are not really much to write home about.

Don't let that put you off Lake Como, it's just lovely, but the best bits are definitely not at the top end.

Ricardo

We stayed in the Lake Como area for 6 days in September 2002. You may find some useful information from my Notebook.