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Travel Planning with a Unique Perspective

Sample Itinerary: Italian Lake District
Emphasis on hiking

Train : Departure: Rome  4:35 AM       Arrival: Milan      9AM
Pick up rental car on via Galvani, 1/4 Mile from the train station
EUROPCAR / prepaid $394.95,   upgrade guaranteed

Driving directions to San Mamete:
Out of Milan, take the A8 North to A9 in direction Como. (Approximately a 2-hour drive). Continue on towards Switzerland and Lugano on N2 and then on to San Mamete some 10-KM further. At the border, you will need to buy a road pass valid for 1 month.  See map #2

Accommodation: Hotel Stella d'Italia
The hotel is located in a tiny village on the shore of Lake Lugano. It has been in the Ortelli family for generation. It has a pretty lake front garden and a swimming area in front of the hotel.

Dinner reservation:
8PM at the Stella restaurant. Very good and well priced

OPTION #1: LEISURELY DAY

Boat excursion:
Boats will be running today on a holiday schedule (Assumption)  You can take the boat to San Margarita and the funicular to Belvedere for a great panorama. The boat docks are 400 meters from the hotel. Boats will run from 8AM to 8PM.

Scenic drive : Short:
San Mamete - Porlezza - Carvagna - San Bartholomeo and back to the lake at Porlezza.

Long: Drive around the lake clockwise to Osteno and take the road direction Laino - Pellio d' Intelvi - S. Fidele d'Intelvi - Castglione d'Intelvi and Argegna on Lake Como

Short hike: Drive to Polezza past the Lago di Piano and on to Cardano. In Cardano make a left onto a smaller road to Breglia. In Breglia, there is a short hike to the point of San Domenico from which you have very nice views (one hour, easy terrain)

OPTION #2: ACTIVE DAY

Today is a good day to do a longer hike since all the stores will be closed.

Start the same as for the short hike. As you enter Val Rezzo, you will climb through vineyards to meadows, beech woods and rocks. Go past Buggiolo to Seghebbia (the highest of the mountain hamlets) . From here, get on the trail to walk along the ridge from Cime di Fiorina to Monte Garzirola. Bring your passports! You will be going from Italy to Switzerland several times. ( Cime di Fiorina 5,427 ft   5 hours)

RAIN ALTERNATIVE: Take the boat to Osteno and visit the Grotte di Rescia.