Lake Maggiore stretches from the Swiss canton of Ticino down into Italy, and its western shore around Stresa and the Borromean Islands is reached from Geneva Airport by a long, scenic drive through the Valais and over the Simplon Pass. The islands, with their Baroque palace and terraced gardens, are the headline, but the lake also has a Swiss side with a quite different character, and AirportsTransfers.ch can take you there directly from your flight.
- Getting there: through the Valais and over the Simplon, crossing into Italy
- Main base: Stresa, facing the Borromean Islands
- The islands: Isola Bella, Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori
- Swiss shore: Locarno and Ascona in Ticino
- Best season: spring to early autumn, when the gardens are open
Stresa and the western shore
Stresa grew into a resort in the nineteenth century, when the Simplon road and later the railway brought travellers from northern Europe. Its long lakefront promenade is lined with grand hotels, gardens and villas, and it faces the Borromean Gulf, where the islands sit close to shore. Nearby Baveno and Verbania share the same views, and Verbania is home to the Villa Taranto botanical gardens, known for their large plant collection. Above Stresa rises the Mottarone, a mountain between Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta with a panoramic view of the Alps and several lakes on clear days. The climate on this shore is mild, which explains the camellias, magnolias and citrus trees that thrive in the gardens. Stresa makes a comfortable base for a few days, with boats departing regularly for the islands.
The Borromean Islands
The Borromeo family has shaped these islands since the Renaissance. Isola Bella is the most spectacular: a former rocky island transformed into a Baroque palace with state rooms, grottoes decorated with shells and stone, and a garden built in ten stacked terraces topped by statues, where white peacocks roam. Isola Madre, the largest island, is quieter and almost entirely given over to a botanical garden, with exotic trees, flowering shrubs and colourful birds. Between them, Isola dei Pescatori, the fishermen's island, is not a garden but a tiny village of narrow lanes and old houses, with restaurants serving lake fish on the waterfront. The palace and the two garden islands open seasonally, generally from spring to autumn, and a day ticket on the local boats makes it easy to visit all three.
The Swiss and Italian shores
Lake Maggiore is shared between two countries, and the difference is noticeable. The northern end, in Ticino, is Swiss and Italian-speaking at the same time: Locarno has an arcaded old town, a large square and the Madonna del Sasso sanctuary above the town, while Ascona is a former fishing village with a lively lakefront promenade. The Brissago Islands, just offshore, hold another botanical garden. The Italian shores, in Piedmont on the west and Lombardy on the east, feel more grand and historic around Stresa and more rural and tranquil on the eastern side, where the hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso clings to a cliff above the water. Boats link both countries in season, so you can combine Swiss order and Italian dolce vita within a single stay.
The journey from Geneva
The most direct road from Geneva Airport runs along Lake Geneva, up the Rhône Valley through the Valais, and over the Simplon Pass to Domodossola in Italy, before descending to the lake. It is a long drive best treated as part of the trip, with mountain scenery most of the way and a natural coffee stop in the Valais or at the pass. In winter, the Simplon road is kept open but conditions can call for winter tyres and extra time. Train connections exist but usually involve changes, which is less convenient with luggage or children. A private car lets you stop where you like and go straight to the hotel door, including on the islands' mainland piers.
Travelling with AirportsTransfers.ch
To reach Lake Maggiore without changes or rental cars, book your transfer online with AirportsTransfers.ch. The fixed price per vehicle is clear before you pay with card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and it does not change if traffic is heavy. Your chauffeur monitors your flight, meets you in the arrivals hall with your name on a sign and waits free of charge if you land late. Couples often choose a Mercedes E-Class or S-Class, while families and small groups travel in a V-Class van with room for up to seven people and their bags; child seats come on request. Return transfers can be booked at the same time. The team answers on +41 78 346 56 77 by phone or WhatsApp, day and night.
