//
Italy
Photo: LagoMaggiore_panoramica.jpg: Alessandro Vecchi derivative work: Massimo Telò, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Italian Lake District stretches across Northern Italy. The land around the southern ends of most of the lakes is relatively flat (part of the River Po Plain), but the northern ends are mountainous, as the lakes reach deep into the Alps. Popular with Northern Europeans and Italians alike for over 100 years, the Italian Lakes combine good weather with attractive scenery. The climate is mild in both summer and winter, producing Mediterranean vegetation, with beautiful gardens growing rare and exotic plants.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
By car
From the North, you'll go through Switzerland, on the A2 to Locarno, then take the A13 towards the West side of Lake Maggiore or stay on A2 to Lugano and Como.
By plane
Fly to Milan, it has three airports. Milan Malpensa, South of Lake Maggiore and Lake Varese. Milan Linate, next to the center of Milan. Milan Bergamo, in Bergamo.
By train
For Lake Maggiore, from the South, get into Milan and then to Verbania. From the North, go to Bellinzona in Switzerland. Buses are available from those destinations.
The most interesting way to get around each of the lakes is by boat or hydrofoil. Varenna, Bellagio, Cadenabio, and Menaggio are the only towns car ferries travel to.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Ferno (VA) · International · MXP
Loading places around the airport…
Tenero is a small town located on the northern shore Lake Maggiore in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. It is about 4 km from Locarno.
Locarno is a city at the northern end of Lake Maggiore in Switzerland. The city, along with Venice and Cannes, hosts an international film festival, the third oldest important cinema festival in the world.
Ascona is a small town next to Locarno at the Lake Maggiore in Ticino.
Small Italian town 10 minutes from the Swiss border on the West side of the Lake Maggiore, with a large campsite, a sport complex, a lakeside walkpath, a Sunday market, a renaissance church, and a few hotels. Bike rental possible at a hotel in front of the port. Ferry to other towns on the lake.
Large town on the West side of Lake Maggiore. Ferry to other towns on lake. Near Pallanza. Train station to Milan. Car ferry to cross the lake.
Baveno is a quaint town of 4,500 residents near Stresa on the shore of the Borromean Bay, a western arm of Lake Maggiore, in Piedmont, Italy.
Stresa is a small town (population 5,000) on the south side of the Borromean Bay, a western arm of Lake Maggiore in Piedmont, Northern Italy. The Borromean Islands (Isole Borromee) are a group of three small islands, Isola Bella, Isola dei Pescatori (also called Isola Superiore) and Isola Madre, and two islets in the Borromean Bay and together totalling just 20 ha in area.
Arona is a town near on Lake Maggiore, near its southern end, in the Piedmont region of Italy.
Articles and travel topics about Italian Lake District and Italy.
Travel tipsUnderstand travel insurance for a Schengen visa in 2026. Learn mandatory €30,000 medical coverage, zero deductible rules, and embassy-approved policies.
7 min read
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to global tourist taxes and access fees. Compare entry fees in Venice, Bali, Bhutan, Kyoto, and Edinburgh, and learn how to pay them.
8 min read
Travel tipsFind out how much does a trip to Italy cost in 2026. Compare realistic daily budgets for hotels, food, trains, and museum entry across three travel styles.
8 min read
Travel tipsEstimate your Europe trip cost for 2 weeks in 2026. Compare realistic budgets for lodging, Eurail trains, dining, and sightseeing across three styles.
8 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.
