Four places that fit in one day from Milan. All of them have a train that leaves in the morning and returns in the evening.
Mountains rising straight out of the water, with villas and small harbours along the shore. Como town is the easy start, and Bellagio is the postcard.
Tip: Ferry queues at Como and Bellagio can reach about an hour in busy months, according to travellers who have stood in them. A workable plan is the train to Varenna, then a short ferry across to Bellagio.
A walled upper town on a hill above the modern city, with a medieval square and a tall civic tower.
Tip: Take the funicular up to the old town, and walk the paths along the walls for the views back over the plain.
Weather: Bergamo
A quiet university town on the Ticino, with the great Carthusian monastery of the Certosa a short way north. Its carved marble facade is the reason to come.
Tip: Go to the Certosa first and the town afterwards. The monastery lies about 8 km north of Pavia, and the museum can be visited on a free guided tour.
Weather: Pavia
A broader, calmer lake than Como, with the Borromean islands floating off the town of Stresa.
Tip: Buy the ferry ticket for Isola Bella and the neighbouring islands in Stresa. The islands’ palaces and gardens open from late March to late October, so do not come in winter.
Weather: Stresa