Lake Maggiore Day Trip by Train from Milan Including Cruise to Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori

Meet your guide at Milan’s Cadorna train station in the morning, hop on a train and relax on the 1.5-hour ride to Laveno-Mombello, a lovely port town on the western banks of Lake Maggiore.

The second-largest lake in Italy, Lake Maggiore straddles the Piedmont and Lombardy regions, and is most famous for its gorgeous Borromean Islands. Literature buffs may know the area as being a setting in Ernest Hemingway's infamous novel, A Farewell to Arms.

With your guide, hop on a boat and enjoy views of splendid lakeside villas and Mediterranean gardens as you cruise for 1.5 hours along the deep-blue water. Float past Isola Madre, lush with exotic vegetation year-round, before arriving at the picturesque Isola dei Pescatori (Island of the Fishermen).

Spend time exploring the little island at your leisure. Explore the maze of narrow alleys, and pop into a cafe or restaurant for lunch (own expense).

Back on the boat, cruise to Isola Bella (Beautiful Island), one of the larger Borromean Islands. Here, visit independently Borromeo Palace, a 17th-century baroque palace featuring lovely Italian gardens. Then, enjoy free time to explore independently or go shopping in town.

Hop on the boat again in the late afternoon and cruise to your last stop, the elegant lakeside town of Stresa. With its easy access to Milan, Stresa was a favorite destination for artists and writers in the 19th century, including Hemingway. Enjoy free time to explore the hive of cobbled streets in Stresa Old Town.

Then board the return train to Milan, arriving at the Milano Centrale train station in the early evening.