Christina's Cucina

An impassioned Italian Scot sharing how to cook authentically, and travel with enthusiasm.

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Driving From Switzerland to the Italian Lakes: Maggiore, Lugano and Como

July 15th, 2016 | 21 Comments

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Driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes has to be one of the most gorgeous drives in the world. The scenery is awe-inspiring in both countries. Changing from Alpine views to those of lakes, there’s no shortage of Kodak moments from start to finish.

Locarno on Lake Maggiore driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

In my last post, I had just told you about our fantastic stay at the Hotel Alemannenhof on Lake Titisee in the Black Forest. I also shared some photos that my mother and I had taken along the drive from Germany into Switzerland. Remember these lovely Swiss ladies?

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Swiss cows in a field driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Disclosure: my car rental was sponsored by Auto Europe and travel insurance by Travelex, both brands I have used and loved in the past. All opinions are always my own.

I also gave 5 reasons why I believe renting a car in Europe is a fabulous way to see the continent:

  1. Ease
  2. Navigation/Directions
  3. Flexibility
  4. Proximity of Countries
  5. Cows (you’ll have to read my post for this explanation!)

Driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

When we got back on the road, it wasn’t long before the Alps could be seen more distinctly.

Alps driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Our destination that day was Porlezza, Italy, on the west end of Lake Lugano. Given that our entire driving time from Lake Titisee (where we’d started that morning) to Porlezza was under four hours, you could say we had some flexibility in our day. Both Mum and I were elated that we had such a perfect day, weather-wise. Our luck hadn’t been great up until then.

Lucerne, Switzerland

One of the cities I thought we could drive through was Lucerne, and we did. We just drove straight through, slowly, as it was so congested! We knew something was happening (we later discovered it was a national holiday)–I love the flexibility of driving!

Lucerne driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Mum and I weren’t hungry because we’d had a massive and very filling German breakfast that morning at Hotel Alemannenhof.

Breakfast at Hotel AlemannenhofSoon, the Alps were looking enormous and the views just kept getting better and better! (Darn light pole.)

Alps driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Views of the Swiss Alps driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Scene out of our window in Switzerland driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Since it was early May, the only choice we had for driving from Switzerland to the Italian lakes was through the San Gotthard Tunnel. This is because the pass over the Alps is only open in the summer (due to the snow).

You may have heard of the San Gotthard Tunnel as it used to be the longest tunnel in the world when it was constructed in 1980. At 10.5 miles in length, it is one of the major tunnels connecting the the northern side of the Alps with the southern side.

Again, because it was a holiday weekend (which we didn’t know about, there was about an hour delay to go through the tunnel), but we had plenty of time and weren’t in a rush. It’s not everyday that you can have fun taking pictures from the car on a motorway in Switzerland while you’re in the driver’s seat!

Swiss Alps in my rearview mirror driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Milka chocolate bar in Switzerland.
Oh yes, we had snacks in the car.

driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Eventually it was our turn to enter the tunnel.

Entering the San Gotthard Tunnel driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

After the ten and a half miles in the tunnel (it was pretty cool, I must say), we continued on our way towards Porlezza. You might say I’m spontaneous, because when I saw a sign for Locarno, I took the exit! I didn’t even ask my mother what she wanted to do! Locarno was a very good place to stop before heading to our final destination of Porlezza. Lots of people were enjoying the holiday and the gorgeous weather in this Italian-speaking resort city in southern Switzerland.

Locarno, Switzerland

Locarno on Lake Maggiore driving from Switzerland to the Italian LakesLocarno on Lake Maggiore driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Lake Maggiore, Locarno driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Locarno driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

It was a beautiful place to take a break and stretch our legs. We were definitely sorry we couldn’t stay (returning for longer is a MUST), but we were now eager to get to Porlezza, have dinner and get settled into our hotel. Here is a map to show you how close a few of the Italian lakes are to each other.

We left Locarno on Lago Maggiore and drove to Porlezza, on the east end of Lake Lugano which took about an hour and twenty minutes.

driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes
image courtesy of Google maps

The views of Lake Lugano were dreamy.

View of Lake Lugano driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Soon after this tunnel, we crossed the border into Italy without any fuss or formality.

Tunnel driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Porlezza, Italy

Porlezza is small, in fact it’s just a comune in the Province of Como in the Lombardy region of Italy. Mum and I had never been there before, and we were happy to add it to our travel maps.

Porlezza driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

We checked into our hotel, which was perched on a little hill with breathtaking views of Porlezza, as you can see from the photo above. However, due to the service and other issues, it’s not a place I would recommend. For dinner that evening, we had a fabulous antipasto of meats and cheeses with some lovely bread, at a restaurant named Zenzero (Ginger.)

Antipasto in Porlezza

Although my pasta was delicious, I had ordered Penne Arrabiata (spicy pasta), but it wasn’t the slightest bit spicy, which was disappointing. My mother enjoyed her mushroom pasta, and the local wine was good, so overall it was an enjoyable meal (I added my own hot pepper).

Zenzero, Porlezza

We walked along the lakeshore before driving back to our hotel about a mile away. It was so incredibly peaceful.

Porlezza on Lake Lugano at night.

These are the views that greeted us the next morning.

Porlezza driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Porlezza driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

We checked out of our hotel and drove back into Porlezza for a coffee and to go to the post office. This is the kind of place where you feel you could fit right in and stay for months without missing anything back home; such tranquility and beauty everywhere we went.

Porlezza, Italy driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Porlezza, Italy driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Porlezza view of Lake Lugano driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

At this point, I hadn’t told my mother where we were going next. All she knew was that it was a surprise and with my history of surprises, she just had to wait to see where we would go.

Lake Como was less than 10 miles away, but I don’t think my mother realized this. This was the road we were on if you’re interested in what it was like to drive there. I would suggest having a smaller car, as there are some places where it’s a tight fit. However, any car is fine as large buses even go through these villages.

Lake Como

We stopped at a place by the roadside to admire the views of Lake Como as soon as we could. If you’ve been to Italy, you know how remarkably beautiful the entire country is. However, if you’ve never been to the Italian Lakes, it’s simply another world.

It’s no wonder that so many celebrities and people who can buy homes anywhere in the world, choose to buy them here. In fact, George Clooney’s villa was a few minutes further south (I checked after I came home since that was a question everyone asked me).

Pink wisteria near Lake Como driving from Switzerland to the Italian LakesLake Como roadside driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Lake Como driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Tremezzo, Italy

We drove a bit further south to a town called Tremezzo and parked so that we could walk along the lakefront. Driving from Switzerland to the Italian lakes region is simply a little bit of paradise.

Boats in Tremezzo, Lombardy driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Tremezzo, Lake Como driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

Park in Tremezzo, Italy driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes
This was a public park, and it was simply stunning.
driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes
Lucky ducks on a wall!

Tremezzo, Lake Como driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes park in Tremezzo

driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes Tremezzo view of Lake Como

driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes Church in Tremezzo, Lake Como

After our walking tour of Tremezzo, we drove back to Griante to catch a ferry across the lake!

driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes Tremezzo and Griante on Lake Como

We were heading to BELLAGIO–the original Bellagio! Sadly, the one in Las Vegas seems to have taken over the first page of Google! Many Americans only know of the casino when I’ve spoken to them about this tiny Italian comune, known as the “Pearl of the Lake”.

Ferry from Giante to Bellagio

Ferry to Bellagio driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

We were first onto the ferry–that’s our Volvo in front.

driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes On the ferry to Bellagio

It only took minutes to load all the vehicles and passengers onto the ferry (under $30 for the car and two adults). We left Griante behind and made our way across Lake Como on this spectacular day. My mother was beside herself, and was just so happy to be seeing all the gorgeous sights. Click HERE to watch a video clip of our view from the ferry.

Griante on Lake Como (driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes)
Griante, Lombardy on Lake Como

We could see Bellagio more clearly as we drew closer.

driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes (Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni)

As we were almost ready to dock, I pointed to The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, the farthest yellow building to the left. I told my mother, “There’s our hotel.” (Click the photo below.)

driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes (Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni)

Continued HERE

I hope you enjoyed my post on driving from Switzerland to the Italian lakes. I’d love to hear any of your tips below in the comments.


 

Disclosure: my car rental was sponsored by Auto Europe and travel insurance by Travelex, both brands I have used and loved in the past. The Grand Hotel provided accommodation for my mother and me. No conditions were made for positive reviews and all opinions are always my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.

Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Driving from Switzerland to the Italian Lakes

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Hotel Alemannenhof on Lake Titisee and 5 Reasons Why You Should Rent a Car in Europe
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The Truly Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio on Lake Como – Worth the Top Spot on Your Bucket List!

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Reader Interactions

21 Responses

  1. The Truly Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio on Lake Como - Worth the Top Spot on Your Bucket List! - Christina's Cucina says:
    April 7, 2018 at 10:44 am

    […] with our rental car, courtesy of Auto Europe. We had been in Germany the previous day, and had driven from the Black Forest to Porlezza, via Lago […]

    Reply
  2. Hotel Alemannenhof on Lake Titisee and 5 Reasons Why You Should Rent a Car in Europe - Christina's Cucina says:
    August 13, 2017 at 8:55 pm

    […] CONTINUED HERE. […]

    Reply
  3. aileen risso says:
    July 7, 2017 at 6:48 pm

    Hi! I’m so glad I came upon your blog. My husband and I will be visiting Italy next year April & May, and driving from Como to Lucerne for a 5 day visit. I had planned almost the same route! Your photos were so beautiful and now I’m even more excited…Thanks for sharing!
    Ps: I’m Scottish Italian too! :)

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      August 13, 2017 at 9:11 pm

      Hi Aileen! Oh dear, I’m sorry it’s taken me over a month to see your comment, but I’m so happy you found this post, too! Please do let me know if you have any questions that I might be able to answer as you aren’t going for quite some time.

      And “Yea” for the Scots-Italians!! :)

      Christina

      Reply
  4. Bev says:
    March 15, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    Thanks for your posts. We’re going to be in Munich in May. We have 4 days free and are trying to decide whether to go to Lake Como area or the Black Forest. We love beautiful scenery, hikes, simple but tasty food. Is there anything you can say that would help us? If you could have only gone to one, which would it be? We’ll stay in Airbnbs most likely.

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      March 15, 2017 at 6:56 pm

      You are going to have a fabulous trip, Bev! Well, it’s really hard for me to pick one or the other as I love both places so much. However, after going to Europe at the very end of April/May last year, and getting some not-so nice weather, I’d probably hedge my bets on Lake Como having better weather at that particular time of year. I hope this helps! Keep me updated!

      Reply
  5. The Truly Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio on Lake Como – Worth the Top Spot on Your Bucket List! says:
    July 19, 2016 at 6:28 am

    […] with our rental car, courtesy of Auto Europe. We had been in Germany the previous day, and had driven from the Black Forest to Porlezza, via Lago […]

    Reply
  6. Angela Logan says:
    July 18, 2016 at 7:46 am

    Cliffhanger. Awaiting part two and beyond!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      December 17, 2016 at 7:56 pm

      Thank you, Angela!

      Reply
  7. David says:
    July 17, 2016 at 4:31 pm

    Gorgeous! Hey, if you are going to have to sit in traffic, you have an amazing view!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      July 18, 2016 at 7:57 am

      That too, David!! ;)

      Reply
  8. zouhair fiorino najjar says:
    July 17, 2016 at 3:27 am

    Hi.. thank you for awesome beautiful report. you made me go back in memory more than 40 years ago to remember my first vacation with my wife which spent in West Garda Resort. and moved to lagho Maggiore and como. Your report is now on all my social media accounts.. Have a nice Sunday ..Bless you

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      July 17, 2016 at 8:09 am

      Oh thank you so much for your lovely comment, Zouhair! I’m so glad you were able to recall your wonderful memories from my post and so happy you’re following along! You’ll enjoy my next post about the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, I’m sure! :)

      Reply
  9. Parisbreakfast says:
    July 17, 2016 at 12:15 am

    Simply gorgeous!
    I want to paint everyone of these.
    Better yet to go.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      July 17, 2016 at 8:07 am

      Thank you so much. It is so close for you to go from Paris! I hope you do!

      Reply
  10. Frank says:
    July 16, 2016 at 6:28 am

    I was in Lugano many years ago for an art exhibition. Un posto da sogno! Your photos brought back some fond memories…

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      December 17, 2016 at 7:55 pm

      :)

      Reply
  11. Jill @MadAboutMacarons says:
    July 16, 2016 at 5:39 am

    Oh, you temptress, you! I’ve heard so much about this hotel – or rather, not – that I’m so excited also to read the next part, Christina. What a wonderful account of the drive (I adore the tunnels, especially in Italy) and beautiful images. Your Mum must have been bursting with such a surprise. I don’t know if I could have coped, lol!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      December 17, 2016 at 7:55 pm

      Thank you, Jill!! :)

      Reply
  12. Cathy says:
    July 15, 2016 at 8:17 pm

    I didn’t want this post to end! I can’t wait for part 2.
    Stunning, all of it.

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      July 16, 2016 at 8:14 am

      Oh just wait for part 2, Cathy! Stunning is an understatement for the Grand Hotel! :)

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Truly Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio on Lake Como - Worth the Top Spot on Your Bucket List! - Christina's Cucina says:
    April 7, 2018 at 10:44 am

    […] with our rental car, courtesy of Auto Europe. We had been in Germany the previous day, and had driven from the Black Forest to Porlezza, via Lago […]

    Reply
  2. Hotel Alemannenhof on Lake Titisee and 5 Reasons Why You Should Rent a Car in Europe - Christina's Cucina says:
    August 13, 2017 at 8:55 pm

    […] CONTINUED HERE. […]

    Reply
  3. The Truly Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio on Lake Como – Worth the Top Spot on Your Bucket List! says:
    July 19, 2016 at 6:28 am

    […] with our rental car, courtesy of Auto Europe. We had been in Germany the previous day, and had driven from the Black Forest to Porlezza, via Lago […]

    Reply

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Meet Christina

A Scottish Italian cook living in Los Angeles, Christina is usually cooking, baking or (cr)eating something scrumptious. When she isn't in the kitchen, she loves to travel, near and far, as long as good food is involved. Christina is on a mission to save authentic Italian dishes from extinction, and is constantly promoting Scottish (and British) food as some of the best cuisine the world has to offer—one steak pie and sticky toffee pudding at a time.



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