Where in Italy should we go?

[ScoopyDoo]

I am seeking advice on where to go for a week in Italy next year, probably September.
My partner and I are planning a week walking in the Dolomites first, so preferably somewhere central/north-ish. We are looking for a lovely town or village place to rent somewhere for the week. Requirements include somewhere to swim (lake or sea), local amenities like restaurants/small shops as we will self-cater, some opportunities for gentle walking and interesting local villages/towns to visit. It would ideally be accessible by train (bus at a push) as it would be nice to ditch the hire car for the second week of our holiday. We can fly home from Milan, Venice, or Pisa.
Obviously I have guidebooks and am looking online but it’s slightly overwhelming and would welcome the views of seasoned travellers! We want to avoid crowds, but equally would like some options for nice things to see/visit on day trips. We are late-forties, no children. Not bothered about the large cities such as Venice etc as although these look amazing, that’s not the sort of trip we are after. I have visions of lazy days on a beach/lake with nice restaurants in the evening, and day trips to old towns etc some days. Oh, and if there is a decent food market that would definitely be a bonus.
Any advice gratefully received!

We recently went to Lake Iseo and absolutely loved it.
We stayed in Lovere but there were plenty of other nice towns in the area too

Thanks Hoppinggreen that looks lovely and accessible by public transport. Did you drive or rely on local transport?

We drove and I am not sure there is a station in Lovere but I did see train tracks around the lake and to get to the part of the lake we swam in we had to drive over a level crossing

You could ditch the car in Riva del Garda, stay there (it’s lovely!) and then use the ferry to get around.

Thanks Fivemoreminutes1 - interesting that this is reasonably near Lake Iseo too. Looks like I should explore this area in more detail!
Is Lake Garda ok for swimming? I can see mixed reports...

All the Italian lakes are lovely. I've been to Garda, Como and Lugano and they'd all fit the bill. If you go to Garda, there are train stations at Peschiera and Desenzano and then buses and lake ferries, and there are train stations at the southern tips of Como and Lugano too.

https://www.airdolomiti.eu/destinations/verona/what-to-see/best-beaches-lake-garda

We went there pre pandemic, absolutely loved it, so unspoilt. Apparently it’s a place for Italians to honeymoon, hence the name.

There was a station on the directly opposite side of the lake, I think there’s a ferry. We made a connection and went for the day to St. Moritz on the Glacier Express. Long day though.

Thanks for this, it’s really helpful info. Will definitely be looking at these lakes closely over the next few weeks. We don’t usually get as far as Italy but it’s a big birthday year for us and really want to get it right!

Yes, no Brits there that we saw.
A few Germans (we are half German).
We stayed near Milan Bergamo airport the night we arrived as it was so late and on telling the hotel staff next morning where we were going we were told we had picked the right Lake as it wasn’t for tourists so everything was cheaper and better!!
Cant comment on that really though as I have never been to Italy before, will certainly go back to Iseo though

The boat bar seemed to be only Italians, having long lunches. Many beautifully dressed. Shame we spoiled it!
The mediaeval town is so beautiful and interesting.

Have a look at Varenna on Lake Como, a really pretty quiet little town, ferry trips on the lake, amazing botanical gardens to wander around, not too far from Milan airport.

Lake Garda was perfect for swimming. Train to Peschiera, boat and ferry trips leave from there too. Plenty of hire bikes for flat easy cycling so definitely no car needed. Sirmione close by was a beautiful place to visit, with Castle overlooking the lake. We flew to Verona - served by all the cheap airlines too. 13 mins by train to Peschiera and Verona is another gorgeous medieval town. Venice good for flights too and 1.5 hours by train

We were also able to book train tickets via UK site thetrainline. Prices started at 4 euro Peschiera to Verona, 13 euros to Venice

We go to Stresa on Lake Majore every year and it ticks all the boxes. Lovely lake swimming and beautiful town with pretty islands to explore too. I far prefer swimming in the lake to the sea now.

Should have said. Fly in to 'Milan' Malpensa which is an hour by bus which you can book from airport

I'm going to Sicily next year with my dad and teenage daughters. It will be our first time in Italy and I'm looking forward to it. We're near Taurmino, which is apparently gorgeous except we're staying in a less swish part.

Elba. We stayed near there and visited for one day. It's stunning. I don't know what transport on the island is like so car hire would help, but you could fly to Pisa, hire a car and drive down. Pisa is so small so you could hire a car from the city centre rather than the airport to save money. Or train from Pisa to Piombino and then foor passenger ferry. It was too hot to explore much in July but I thought it would be a great place to visit May or Sept. There are walks and hikes, beaches, villages, etc.

So much good advice here - glad I asked!

Cinque Terre villages are best done by train. https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/ We stayed in Sestri Levante last year and did visits up and down the coast. Boat trips also possible. 2nd PP for Stresa on Lake Maggiore too.

We had a lovely week in Northern Italy. Bergamo, Brescia, Verona,then Desenzano.
We loved ...Bergamo upper city, a walled Venetian fortress, effectively.
Brescia- fascinating roman remains and another fortress . Plus a wonderful ice-cream shop, even by Italian standards
Verona, a bit mad touristy in parts but still worth it. We stayed in st Milo, just out of centre, much more peaceful.
Desenzano, very nice. A lovely public 'beach' (pebbly).
Public transport is fantastic.
You can admire Sirmione across the water but I wouldn't go. It's a tiny place crammed with ice cream shops and tourists. Much better from a distance.

In the same neck of the woods as lots of other suggestions, we stayed here a few years ago. Great, unpretentious hotel; lovely, unspoilt location; lots of good walking but only a 20 minute drive down into Riva del Garda and the other lake resorts. Highly recommended!

Would also recommend a trip to Bergamo - it’s slightly off the beaten track but we had a lovely time there riding up in the cable car to reach the ‘upper town’, visiting the lovely market, walking the old city walls and generally mooching.