Luxury rail tailormade holiday to Lake Maggiore
This 9-night luxury Italian rail holiday to Lake Maggiore by train starts with the Eurostar from London to Paris and the TGV onwards to Zurich where you spend the first night.
The next day enjoy the scenery of the day-time journey by train from Zurich south through the Alps into Italy. At Milan, you are met by a car and driver who will transfer you to your hotel on Lake Maggiore.
Lake Maggiore is a grand lake with a fascinating mixture of activities and sightseeing possibilities. There are the dramatic Borromean islands in the lake, two with outstanding gardens that should be visited. There is also another beautiful garden at Villa Taranto. Stresa, flanked by grand hotels, lends itself for pleasant strolls. The lake enjoys a mild climate throughout the year and exotic and rare plants flourish.
On the way back we suggest a train journey from Stresa on Lake Maggiore to Lausanne or returning to Milan to take a train to Lucerne. Your return train journey is on the Eurostar from Paris to London.
Highlights
Eurostar London to Paris return • Lake Maggiore • Visit the Borromean islands by boat • Visit the gardens of Villa Taranto at Pallanza • Take a cable car to Mottarone above Stresa • Venture into Switzerland and the resorts of Ascona and Locarno
Day by day
The first day of your Lake Maggiore by train holiday takes you from London to Paris by Eurostar and on to Zurich by TGV. You spend one night in Zurich.
This morning you begin your journey south from Zurich passing the edge of lakes Zug and Lucerne through the Alps into Italy. You reach Milan Centrale and from here you are transferred by private car to your hotel on Lake Maggiore.
Spend six days at leisure on Lake Maggiore. Lake Maggiore is a beautiful lake, flanked by the region of Piedmont to the west, Lombardy to the southeast and Switzerland to the north. One of the three largest lakes, with Como and Garda, it measures an impressive 50km long and wide. The most well-known towns sit on the western shore. Stresa is popular with artists and writers, retaining an opulent elegance with its grand hotels and chic boutiques. Take a cable car from the town to Mottarone for a marvellous panorama of the lake, the Alps and the Monte Rosa massif. One of the town’s highlights is Villa Pallavacino. A main feature of Lake Maggiore are the islands in the lake, called the Borromean islands. Owned by the princely Borromeo family since the 12th century, you can visit by boat from Stresa and Pallanza. The most famous is the Isola Bella, named after Count Carlo II’s wife, Isabella. He built the palace and gardens as a luxurious wedding present for his beloved. We highly recommend a visit to the palace that boasts a Hall of Mirrors, a medals room and other staterooms, as well as the gardens and the caves, which are decorated with shells and stones. Isola dei Pescatori has retained its traditional character with its narrow lanes being homes to quaint cottages and shrines. This is the smallest of the three islands, measuring just 100m wide and 500m long! Isola Madre is the largest of the islands and has an impressive botanical garden and a 16th century palazzo. Opposite Stresa, across the Gulf of Pallanza, lies the lovely town of Verbania, where you can walk along the quays and admire the flowers and views of the lake. On the outskirts of the town is the Villa Taranto, whose gardens are landscaped in the English style and include azaleas, camelias and rhododendrons amongst its 3000 species. Just a few kilometres on from Verbania, the wonderful buildings of Cannero Riviera rise above the lake. Surrounded by a luscious backdrop of olives, vines and orange and lemon groves, Cannero Riviera is a charming lakeside town. To the north is Canobbio, a small Renaissance style resort near the Swiss border and then just over the border in Switzerland are the sophisticated lake-side towns of Ascona and Locarno, at the base of the dramatic Swiss Alps.
An early start today for the train from Stresa on Lake Maggiore which takes you northwards to your hotel in Lausanne on Lake Geneva for the night. An alternative route is to have a car transfer back to Milan and then a train to Lucerne.
This morning enjoy the journey by day-time back across Switzerland and north-eastern France to Paris where you change stations before taking the Eurostar back to London.
We particularly loved the Hotel del Sogno on Lake Garda for its character, beauty and amazing views. Great service too from the reception staff. Also they gave us great recommendations for restaurants.Mr and Mrs S, June 2023
Holiday price guide
From £2,420 per person based on two people sharing a double room and including for second class rail travel.
First class supplement from £360 per person.
Holiday Code ITBR02
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury rail tailormade holiday to Lake Maggiore
The first day of your Lake Maggiore by train holiday takes you from London to Paris by Eurostar and on to Zurich by TGV. You spend one night in Zurich.
This morning you begin your journey south from Zurich passing the edge of lakes Zug and Lucerne through the Alps into Italy. You reach Milan Centrale and from here you are transferred by private car to your hotel on Lake Maggiore.
Spend six days at leisure on Lake Maggiore. Lake Maggiore is a beautiful lake, flanked by the region of Piedmont to the west, Lombardy to the southeast and Switzerland to the north. One of the three largest lakes, with Como and Garda, it measures an impressive 50km long and wide. The most well-known towns sit on the western shore. Stresa is popular with artists and writers, retaining an opulent elegance with its grand hotels and chic boutiques. Take a cable car from the town to Mottarone for a marvellous panorama of the lake, the Alps and the Monte Rosa massif. One of the town’s highlights is Villa Pallavacino. A main feature of Lake Maggiore are the islands in the lake, called the Borromean islands. Owned by the princely Borromeo family since the 12th century, you can visit by boat from Stresa and Pallanza. The most famous is the Isola Bella, named after Count Carlo II’s wife, Isabella. He built the palace and gardens as a luxurious wedding present for his beloved. We highly recommend a visit to the palace that boasts a Hall of Mirrors, a medals room and other staterooms, as well as the gardens and the caves, which are decorated with shells and stones. Isola dei Pescatori has retained its traditional character with its narrow lanes being homes to quaint cottages and shrines. This is the smallest of the three islands, measuring just 100m wide and 500m long! Isola Madre is the largest of the islands and has an impressive botanical garden and a 16th century palazzo. Opposite Stresa, across the Gulf of Pallanza, lies the lovely town of Verbania, where you can walk along the quays and admire the flowers and views of the lake. On the outskirts of the town is the Villa Taranto, whose gardens are landscaped in the English style and include azaleas, camelias and rhododendrons amongst its 3000 species. Just a few kilometres on from Verbania, the wonderful buildings of Cannero Riviera rise above the lake. Surrounded by a luscious backdrop of olives, vines and orange and lemon groves, Cannero Riviera is a charming lakeside town. To the north is Canobbio, a small Renaissance style resort near the Swiss border and then just over the border in Switzerland are the sophisticated lake-side towns of Ascona and Locarno, at the base of the dramatic Swiss Alps.
An early start today for the train from Stresa on Lake Maggiore which takes you northwards to your hotel in Lausanne on Lake Geneva for the night. An alternative route is to have a car transfer back to Milan and then a train to Lucerne.
This morning enjoy the journey by day-time back across Switzerland and north-eastern France to Paris where you change stations before taking the Eurostar back to London.
We particularly loved the Hotel del Sogno on Lake Garda for its character, beauty and amazing views. Great service too from the reception staff. Also they gave us great recommendations for restaurants.Mr and Mrs S, June 2023
Holiday price guide
From £2,420 per person based on two people sharing a double room and including for second class rail travel.
First class supplement from £360 per person.
Holiday Code ITBR02
Our prices include
● Second-class travel on all trains, with standard class on Eurostar (first and standard premier can be booked at a supplement)
● Private car transfers from Milan to your hotel and back to Milan
● 1 night's bed and breakfast in a Comfort room at the Hotel St Gotthard in Zurich
● 7 nights’ dinner, bed and breakfast in a Garden view room at Hotel Cannero, Cannero Riviera with other options nearby
● 1 night's bed and breakfast in a Classic room at the Hotel Angleterre et Residence in Lausanne
● Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
Our prices do not include
● Early check-in or late check-out at any hotels (although we can arrange this on request at additional cost)
● Any other services not mentioned above, such as transfers and meals except breakfast at hotels
● Personal holiday insurance. This is essential and cover should be in place from when you book the holiday.
● Local tourist tax, usually between Euros 1 and 3 per person per night, and payable locally to the hotel
● Transfers in Paris
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury rail tailormade holiday to Lake Maggiore
Hotel St Gotthard is a sophisticated 4-star hotel in an excellent central location. Haute cuisine and stylish, comfortable accommodation make this an excellent spot to recuperate after enjoying the cultural delights of Zurich.
Comfort room
Hotel Cannero is a 4-star family-run hotel reflecting the quaint charm of its picturesque surroundings. This is a friendly and welcoming home from home, offering guests the chance to relax and soak in the beautiful Lake Maggiore.
Garden view room
Grand Hotel Majestic is a 4-star deluxe hotel in a beautiful lakeside location. With a focus on gourmet dining, excellent service and comfortable luxury, this hotel is the ideal base from which to explore Lake Maggiore and the surrounding area.
Superior room with partial lake view, bed and breakfast
Villa & Palazzo Aminta is a 5-star deluxe boutique hotel, boasting enviable views over the Borromean Islands. Gourmet cuisine, an excellent spa and opulent accommodation offer a tranquil escape for those looking for a glimpse of Italian extravagance.
Superior room with park view
Hotel Angleterre et Résidence is a charming, traditional, Swiss-style, 4-star hotel in a prime location. Delicious cuisine, exceptional service and immaculate grounds offer guests a truly relaxing and indulgent experience.
Classic room
Hotel Wilden Mann is a 4-star boutique hotel in an excellent central location. With gourmet cuisine and stylish, comfortable accommodation, the 500 year-old hotel balances its historic and old-world style with elegance and modern facilities.
Classic room
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
We particularly loved the Hotel del Sogno on Lake Garda for its character, beauty and amazing views. Great service too from the reception staff. Also they gave us great recommendations for restaurants.Mr and Mrs S, June 2023
Holiday price guide
From £2,420 per person based on two people sharing a double room and including for second class rail travel.
First class supplement from £360 per person.
Holiday Code ITBR02
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury rail tailormade holiday to Lake Maggiore
About Italian Lakes
An Expressions tailor-made holiday to the Italian Lakes spans the northern Italian regions of Lombardy, Piemonte and the Veneto. We offer hotels located by the undisputedly beautiful Lake Maggiore, Lake Como and Lake Garda and also the smaller, quieter lakes of Orta and Iseo, both well-worth exploring in their own right. Each lake has its own character and atmosphere, distinctive terrain, architecture and style. Placed as the lakes are to the south of the Alps and to the north of the Po Valley, they naturally possess a charming mixture of the vibrant coolness associated with the Alps but enlivened by the warmth of the South. The landscape around the Italian Lakes is one of deep blue waters surrounded by greenish-blue tinged mountains, often snow-capped. On the shores of the lakes and the lower slopes of the hills you find a profusion of lemons and olives, chestnuts and palms, magnolias and camellias. Pretty villages with rustic stone and wood houses hug the sheltered bays and fishing boats still moor next to sailing boats. Wrought-iron balconies and colourful shutters adorn gaily-painted houses with terracotta roofs. Dining is usually al fresco in the summer months and a magical atmosphere is created with the lapping of the waters and the twinkling of the lights around the lake and in the hills above. The close proximity to Milan and Verona as well as other less well-known but artistically interesting cities means that you can visit the Italian Lakes quite easily for just a weekend or short break as well as a longer holiday. The Italian Lakes can all be visited as part of a rail holiday, and the many beautiful gardens located in the vicinity of Lakes Como and Maggiore are well worth a visit as part of a garden tour holiday. Our favourite four and five star hotels for luxury holidays in the Italian Lakes include Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni and Villa d'Este on Lake Como, and the Hotel Cannero Lakeside Resort on Lake Maggiore.
Highlights of the Italian Lakes
Historic villas are to be found on every lake from the Grotte di Catullo Roman villa at Sirmione on Lake Garda to Villa Melzi and Villa Olmo on Lake Como and the Palazzo Estense in Varese. Most of these villas also have extraordinarily beautiful gardens (which can be visited as part of an Expressions Garden Tour holiday) such as the Villa Carlotta on Lake Como, the Isola Bella in Lake Maggiore and Villa Taranto at Punta della Castagnola on Lake Maggiore. Monte Mottarone above Stresa on Lake Maggiore and Monte Baldo above Lake Garda can both be reached by cable car and afford spectacular views. At Gargnano on Lake Garda you can see the stone pavilions where lemons were traditionally cultivated. Within the region there are national parks such as the Stelvio National Park north of Orta and the Parco Nazionale della Val Grande above Verbania on Lake Maggiore.
Cultural highlights of the Italian Lakes
Much of the artistic and architectural cultural wealth in the region is concentrated in the great cities such as Milan and Verona but also in the less well-known but culturally-rich centres of Bergamo, Brescia, Pavia, Mantova and Vicenza (not directly on the Lakes but within reach for a day`s excursion). Highlights include the frescoes by Masolino at Castiglione Olona, the Rocca (castle) at Angera, the Flemish tapestries on the Isola Bella Lake Maggiore, the marble cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore at Como and the works of art in the Galleria dell`Accademia Tadini at Lovere on Lake Iseo. Milan has La Scala, the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, the Brera Gallery (containing Raphael`s `Marriage of the Virgin` and the Montefeltro altarpiece by Piero della Francesca) and its Gothic cathedral. Verona has its annual opera festival from June until the end of August, the Romanesque church of San Zeno, the Renaissance Loggia del Consiglio and the Roman Arena.
Festivals in the Italian Lakes
The Verona Opera Festival takes place in the Roman Arena every year with performances running from June until the end of August. Verona also celebrates Carnival every year culminating on the Friday before Shrove Tuesday. Como holds a flea market, the Fiera di Pasqua, over the Easter weekend. Music festivals take place in Bergamo throughout the year. The Mille Miglia veteran car race starts and ends in Brescia (via Ferrara to Rome in May each year).
Gastronomy in the Italian Lakes
The cuisine of northern Italy tends to contain more meat and butter than further south and rice and polenta compete with pasta. Saffron is used extensively as in Risotto alla Milanese. Bresaola is cured raw beef served as an antipasta (now often with rocket and parmesan). Manzo al Barolo (beef in Barolo wine), Costolette alla Milanese (veal cutlets in breadcrumbs) and Ossobucco (veal in wine and tomatoes) are all popular dishes. Panettone cake and Zabaglione are two regional desserts. This region produces some of Italy's most famous cheeses such as Gorgonzola, Bel Paese, Fontina and Taleggio as well as some of Italy's most exportable wines such as Soave, Bardolino and Valpolicella. Less well known but interesting wines are produced in the Valtellina in the north of Lombardy and in Franciacorta near Lake Iseo.
