Luino, Germignaga and Maccagno (east shore, Lombardy)
Luino is where most of our Lake Maggiore houses are. It is a busy small town with a large Wednesday market that draws shoppers from Switzerland, and ferries cross to Cannero and Cannobio. Germignaga runs into it from the south; Maccagno, to the north, is quieter, with a pebble beach. The Swiss border is around 20 minutes up the shore. Milan Malpensa is about an hour away.
Best for: Market days, ferries and easy trips into Switzerland
Not for you if: You want the grand villas and gardens: those are mostly on the west shore.
Porto Valtravaglia, Castelveccana, Laveno and Leggiuno (east shore, Lombardy)
This middle stretch of the Lombard shore is less visited than Stresa opposite, with small lidos and long views across to the Piedmont mountains. Laveno has the car ferry to Intra, about 20 minutes, and an open cabin lift up the Sasso del Ferro. The hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso clings to the cliff below Leggiuno. Malpensa is 45 minutes to an hour away.
Best for: Lake views from the hillside at lower prices than the west shore
Not for you if: You want to walk to restaurants: many houses are on wooded slopes above the villages.
Verbania, Ghiffa and Oggebbio (west shore, Piedmont)
Verbania joins the old lakeside towns of Intra and Pallanza, and the gardens of Villa Taranto are on its edge. Ferries run from here to the Borromean Islands and across to Laveno. North along the shore, Ghiffa and Oggebbio are quieter villages, with more houses in the hills above at Arizzano and Miazzina. Malpensa is around an hour and a quarter away.
Best for: A real town with gardens, ferries and shops
Not for you if: You want somewhere sleepy: Verbania is the largest town on the lake.
Cannero Riviera and Cannobio (north-west shore, Piedmont)
Cannero Riviera faces two small island castles just offshore and has a lido and lemon trees along the front. Cannobio, the last Italian town before Switzerland, has a long lakefront of cafes and a Sunday market. Trarego Viggiona sits high above, with wide views. Locarno and Ascona, on the Swiss shore, are about half an hour's drive. Malpensa is around an hour and a half away.
Best for: A mild, sheltered lakeside close to the Swiss border
Not for you if: You want a short airport transfer: this is the far end from Malpensa.
Mergozzo and Fondotoce (Lago di Mergozzo, Piedmont)
Mergozzo sits on its own lake, once an arm of Maggiore and now joined to it by a short canal near Fondotoce. Motorboats have long been banned, so the water stays calm and it is one of the cleanest lakes in Italy. The village has a little harbour, a few restaurants and walks into the hills. Malpensa is about an hour away.
Best for: Swimming in a small, calm lake without motorboats
Not for you if: You want lake steamers and grand hotels: this is a small village on a small lake.
Stresa, Baveno and Belgirate (west shore, Piedmont)
Stresa is the lake's classic resort, with belle époque hotels and boats every few minutes in season to Isola Bella, Isola Madre and the fishing village on Isola dei Pescatori. Baveno, a few minutes north, is smaller and has its own pier. Belgirate, to the south, is a quiet strip of old houses on the water. Malpensa is around 45 minutes away.
Best for: First-time visitors who want the Borromean Islands on the doorstep
Not for you if: You dislike day-trip crowds, which fill Stresa's front in summer.
Arona, Meina and Castelletto sopra Ticino (south)
Arona is a lively market town with a long lakefront and the giant copper statue of San Carlo Borromeo on the hill above. Meina is smaller, with old villas along the shore. Castelletto sopra Ticino lies where the river leaves the lake, and Invorio is in the hills behind. Malpensa is around 20 to 30 minutes away, and Milan is about an hour.
Best for: The shortest transfer from Malpensa and easy trips to Milan
Not for you if: You want the mountain scenery of the upper lake: the south end is flatter and busier.
