Lake Maggiore in June
Wonderful Lake Maggiore in June!
What a fantastic trip! Four of us travelled to Lake Maggiore in June this year and found it all we hoped for and more!
We flew into Milan Malpensa airport & stayed the night at an hotel near the airport. Next day we caught the Alibus to Verbania( http://www.safduemila.com/alibus_malpensa_lago_maggiore.html ) and then onwards via a local bus to Cannero, a fantastic little town right on the lake front. We nearly started with a disaster when one of our party left her bag on the bus. It only contained her passport, all her money, credit cards and jewellery! Panic, panic!! However, she waited for the bus to turn around further down the lake and return. Much joy!! Sitting proudly in the front of the bus window, as it came round the corner, was her bag! Someone had found it and handed it to the driver, how honest is that and what a relief!
We stayed at the Hotel Cannero, http://www.hotelcannero.com the most beautiful hotel on the lake. I would say it is the best family run hotel in Italy, IMHO. Run by MariaCarla & her son, staffed by generations of locals, it was the nicest, friendliest place I have ever stayed. Part of it is a converted monastery, quaint, and the lake view bedrooms! What a way to start the day, with that view! The buffet breakfast is a huge feast, much more than the usual continental fare and in the evening the starter - an enormous table loaded with every conceivable salad was a joy, a meal in it's self.
We had great weather and visited many places on the lake, using the ferries which stopped at the jetty just outside the hotel.
The islands are impressive, of course. Isola Bella has to be the most spectacular, but Isola Madre was so peaceful.
We did a ferry and train trip into Switzerland, to Locarno. http://www.lagomaggioreexpress.com/ . The new tourist train, with huge glass windows, over the mountain is great. Later two of us took the cable cars to the top of the mountain in Locarno and had a panoramic view of the lake, the swing at the top is fun too. By the way, they do take Euros, so no need to get Swiss Francs. Then it was back to Cannero on the ferry. Try it, a great day out.
Stresa was nice, but a bit too touristy, we liked Cannero best, quiet, peaceful at night (no traffic) fantastic location, wonderful hotel. What more could you ask? Well, more time there would be nice!
