DESTINATIONS — FRANCE & ITALY
Lake sides
Go beyond Garda with Katie McGonagle’s guide to the Italian Lake District
sophisticated face of coffee maker Nespresso, its UK sales jumped by more than a third. If a simple endorsement can give that kind of boost, it makes sense that the Hollywood A-lister’s longest-lasting love affair – with Lake Como, of course, where he owns a sprawling villa in small town Laglio – should attract ever- increasing numbers to the scenic Lake District in northern Italy. So much so that high-end
W
operators are expanding their product across the region, with Cox & Kings adding the lakes to its short-break collection this year and Travel 2 introducing the region to its 2015 Simply Luxury brochure in response to demand. So, which resort is right for your
clients? While the three largest lakes – family-friendly Garda, elegant Maggiore and oh-so- romantic Como – are well-served by operators across the board, it takes a bit more know-how to put together breaks to lesser-known
hen George Clooney became the suave,
lakes like Orta and Iseo. Even after you’ve identified the lake, there follows the puzzle of picking out the right resort. Never fear – check out our guide to the lakes and the only thing left to do will be working out how to guarantee a Clooney sighting with every sale.
l LAKE GARDA: BIG AND BEAUTIFUL Italy’s largest lake is the gateway to this region for many first-time visitors and understandably so – it’s hard to find another destination with such broad appeal to families, honeymooners, adventure-seekers and the more mature traveller. Its 100-mile circumference is home to numerous resorts (Lake Garda Lowdown, page 88) but, as a general rule, the west is quieter with a classically Italian feel, while the busier east attracts coach trips and visitors from neighbouring Austria. Send families and sightseers south for excursions to Milan, Verona or Venice, but steer active types towards the mountainous north where sailing,
windsurfing, hiking and cycling are readily available.
This is easily the most
family-orientated of the lakes, with Italy’s largest theme park Gardaland plus fellow attractions Movieland and Caneva Aquapark clustered around Peschiera in the south. Families on a budget can take advantage of its many holiday parks – Al Fresco features
seven parks and Eurocamp has 10 in Lake Garda alone – with facilities to suit all ages. Or enjoy the flexibility afforded by Typically Italian Holidays’ new self- catering apartments, introduced this year; Residence Goethe in Malcesine is well-suited to
families and kids will love the nearby Monte
Baldo cable car. Lake Garda is just as popular with couples and older
Gardaland
26 March 2015 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 83
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PICTURES: NEWMARKET HOLIDAYS; COX & KINGS; INGHAMS; SWITZERLAND TOURISM
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