Italian lakes ideas for a couple. Great food, wine and beautiful scenery

[ihatethecold]

Maybe lake Como?
Ideas for boutique hotel or location.
I Know Tuscany well but would like a change next September.
I’d like views and too be able to walk to get dinner ideally.

Any websites you’d recommend? I’ll take a look at Mr and Mrs Smith.

Hotel Florence in Bellagio

Como is more sedate and old worldy. Faded glamour, but glamour nevertheless.
Garda is more "busy" as in more to do while you're there and ease of getting to other places (Verona, Venice etc)
Adore both.

I recently came back from a trip to Desenzano del Garda which was gorgeous. I stayed in an Airbnb which was a few minutes walk from the lake and lots of restaurants, cafes etc and very picturesque. I went at the end of October and the weather was lovely. It’s about an hour drive from Verona (30 mins on the train) and right near Lake Garda. Sirmione is a lovely small town which is surrounded by the lake.

I’m going to Lake Como in Feb but heard Bellagio nearby is gorgeous.

Thanks. I stayed near Salo in lake Garda when the kids were little and loved it.
We stayed on a small canvas holiday site.
We got a ferry to malecine. So scenic.

We did a Verona, Como, Stresa, Milan trip in 2018. Loved it all, particularly Verona.

We did a lot of walking, walked everywhere! Also caught some trains and buses, didn't bother with a car. We found different restaurants/bars to eat at every night (not fans of eating in hotels), just stopped at places which were full of locals – well, they might not have been locals, I suppose, but Italians certainly.

Didn't stay in Bellagio, but it's definitely worth going to even if you don't stay, so second that from PPs.

Hotel La Palma in Stresa, Lake Maggiore is marvellous. Roof top and lake front pools and bars. Stunning views. 5 mins walk to the ferry dock and town centre. Trips to the Borromean islands and the botanical gardens. Great food and wine. www.hlapalma.it/en/
The sky bar is one of my most favourite spots in the world. Desenzano mentioned above is lovely. On Como we stayed in Tremezzo and got the ferry to Bellagio and the Villa Balbienello.

There is a shuttle bus from Milan Malpensa to Stresa - about 45 minutes. We've done it with and without the car, but you don't really need one.

Borgo le terrazze is incredible. All the rooms have this view and breakfast on the terrace overlooks the lake.

They do a free shuttle bus to bellagio and local restaurants so we didn’t even need a car to get around.

fantastic thanks, I will look at all the suggestions.

Ooh great thread - this is somewhere I’d love to go. I’m jealous of you, OP!

Without kids I'd highly recommend Lake Como, we stayed in Tremezzo, Hotel Villa Marie. Reasonable price and has a pool. Short walk to centre with a number of restaurants and ferry stop.

We've also been to Lake Garda with our son. Salo is extremely sleepy, Peschiera Del Garda is a lovely bustling small town. We stayed on a campsite, but lots of lovely hotels to look at.

We stayed at Hotel Villa Marie too. The view from the pool is stunning.

We stayed in Bellagio, pink hotel right on the lake, it was magical.

Thanks, more to google. The hotel La Palma is stunning.

We stayed here, several years ago now in Gardone Riviera. Just up the hill from the lake, we walked a little further up to the Vittoriale and found the most amazing restaurant (which name escapes me) I had the very best buffalo mozzarella ever. Ennio Morricone was at the vittoriale that night too, sadly a sell out!
Fab little place, we hired a car and drove to many of the other resorts around the lake, also to Verona and managed to get tickets for La Traviata at the Arena which was just magical.

www.villasofiahotel.it/en/

Also have a look at Lake Maggiore + Lago di Orta (with the san giulio island)

We did Como last Sept. It was utterly fabulous. We stayed in Bellano, which was ideal as we could get to all other places around the lake on the ferry which was pennies and well run. Weather was amazing and food fantastic

Did you stay in a hotel @Redtartanshoes ?

No we stayed in a beautiful house, complex of 6 of them with an infinity pool and view right over the lake

We’ve been to Lake Garda.
Really beautiful but got completely bitten to death each evening. Please remember to take plenty of citronella candles, piriton and insect repellent- it spoiled an otherwise gorgeous holiday for me.

I don’t suppose you have a link @Redtartanshoes ?
That sounds amazing

It’s this one. It was actual heaven. It’s a 20 walk down hill to the town/lake. Was perfect in every way. No mosquitos either as I normally ge eaten alive

abnb.me/ygd8q3QpDlb

Looks gorgeous but unfortunately it’s fully booked between April and October. 🥲

I’d go for Lake Como too, if money is no object stay here www.grandhoteltremezzo.com/en/home/ otherwise I’d head to Varenna and stay in either the Hotel Villa Cipressi, Hotel Royal Victoria or Hotel du Lac. I’ve also stayed in brilliant Air BnBs in both Lenno and Varenna - there are plenty of options.

I thought I'd return having lurked on this thread. We've just spent 2 days at the Hotel Florence in Bellagio for our 30th anniversary. It was fabulous!

Many thanks for the recommendation. It was part of a longer 10 week road trip for us , so we were on a budget. The Florence was elegant, in a wonderful location and we had a room overlooking the lake for €195 a night.

We did a boat trip and saw the Grand Hotel Tremezzo and it's on our aspirational list for our 40th!!!