Some recent questions have been about particular places to stay, and I offer them here now, perhaps they will be of interest or help to you.

Q: Just came across your site while looking for info about the Stresa-Mottarone cable car. We are taking our first trip to Lake Maggiore in the summer with our 3 children and are looking for good ideas for things to do. Your site is great, really good ideas and very helpful - thanks! Now have a long list of things we want to do!

We are staying just outside Verbania at the Isolino camping village and I was wondering how easy it is to get into Stresa from there? We are arriving by train and have not yet decided whether we need to hire a car to get about.

A: Isolino is well located, but it's not really precisely in any of the towns. It's inbetween several lovely ones, Verbania, Baveno, Mergozzo, and of course, Stresa. Isolino is about 2 km from the train station. The bus stop, Verbania Fondotoce, is closer, but still 1 mile from Isolino. You can use the bus to get to many of the towns in the area, including Stresa, maybe you saw that link... You can also take the ferries between certain towns, and I hope you do that also. There is parking at Isolino. A car would certainly offer you more flexibility, and allow you to do more. Parking in the other towns during summer months may be difficult, but not impossible.

This reader's question gives the opportunity to bring Isolino Camping Village to your attention. Isolino is a large, family-oriented holiday village on its own private stretch of lake beachfront in Verbania. It offers residences of all sizes, from tent sites to caravans to small apartments. There are full amenities including restaurants and shops, and a very full range of activities. For families with children (this reader's are 6, 9, and 11) Isolino could be a truly ideal choice.