Family holiday Italian lakes area

Ceist_Beag

I'm looking at going abroad next year with the family (3 kids 7-11) and rather than taking the car to France I'm looking at alternatives where we wouldn't necessarily need a car.
One area that looks amazing are the Italian lakes at the foot of the Alps (Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta, Lake Como).
Has anyone been there before with a young family? I can see some activities which would be great for kids such as Alpyland, the Centovalli train, Safari park, so just checking if anyone has any experience of the area. The scenery looks breathtaking but I can't see the kids being happy just taking all that in so any other suggestions of places to see or things to do are very welcome. Also is it possible to get around easily by public transport or would a car be required?

mfceiling

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

I'm looking at going abroad next year with the family (3 kids 7-11) and rather than taking the car to France I'm looking at alternatives where we wouldn't necessarily need a car.
One area that looks amazing are the Italian lakes at the foot of the Alps (Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta, Lake Como).
Has anyone been there before with a young family? I can see some activities which would be great for kids such as Alpyland, the Centovalli train, Safari park, so just checking if anyone has any experience of the area. The scenery looks breathtaking but I can't see the kids being happy just taking all that in so any other suggestions of places to see or things to do are very welcome. Also is it possible to get around easily by public transport or would a car be required?

I've done Como and Garda with small kids. A car is very handy but buses and water taxis etc are available. Mine were younger than yours but we had a place with a pool which is a must!!

The one thing with Garda is Gardaland - a fun park with rides and water slides...ideal for kids.
Food is pizza and pasta and is reasonably cheap so again will suit kids. I would stay close to a town just for handiness sake...walk to restaurants, shops etc and better public transport links.

I drove up in to the mountains above Garda and found tiny little hamlets with lovely little village squares and great local cafes and restaurants. We had a baby and the chefs/owners would come out and take her away to show her off to the locals!! Italy to me is the greatest country in the world!!

Ceist_Beag

Thanks for that mf. Just on where to stay, did you stay in a campsite and if so would you recommend it? I'm not a huge fan of campsites mainly due to the accommodation they offer but would be interested in having a look at options all the same.

mfceiling

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

Thanks for that mf. Just on where to stay, did you stay in a campsite and if so would you recommend it? I'm not a huge fan of campsites mainly due to the accommodation they offer but would be interested in having a look at options all the same.

We stayed in a villa. If you look up "agriturismo" you will find a heap of great places. Basically they are farms who have converted to running tourist stays...Some are brilliant. Working vineyards who will fill you with wine (we had one guy in liguria who practically forced us to take a free bottle every night!!). Some have swimming pools, kids playgrounds etc.

We've never camped either so I can't comment either way!!

Ceist_Beag

Sounds great thanks very much for the details.

Ceist_Beag

Just to come back on this one, we ended up staying in Stresa, Lake Maggiore in an apartment in the centre of town. We absolutely loved it there. The lake was great for kids to go swimming in and there was plenty to do and see between the islands, Milan, Lake Orta and the Lake Maggiore Express. We would highly recommend it as a location for families once the kids are old enough to swim and to take on day tours.