Motorways everywhere, and two tunnels to France

Few Italian regions are as well connected as this one: the motorway arrives from Milan, from Genoa, from Aosta, from Piacenza, from France through the Frejus and from Switzerland through the Simplon. The hub is Turin, but for anyone heading to the lakes the road that matters is the A26, which climbs from Genoa to Gravellona Toce.

By car and motorhome

For Lake Maggiore you leave the A26 at Arona, Meina, Baveno or Gravellona Toce, or at Sesto Calende coming from Milan. For Lake Orta the exit is Borgomanero or Gravellona. For Turin there is the A4 from Milan, the A21 from Piacenza, the A6 from Savona, the A5 from Aosta and the A32 from the Frejus.

The lake roads are narrow and run through the villages, especially the shore road between Baveno and Cannobio: with a long vehicle you go slowly and avoid August weekends. For the alpine passes, check they are open: the Nivolet, the Agnello, the Colle delle Finestre and the Moncenisio are shut from October to June.

By train

Turin is on the high-speed line, an hour from Milan and four from Rome. For the lakes the Simplon line stops at Arona, Stresa, Verbania-Pallanza and Domodossola, and from some stations the campsites are close by. From Domodossola there is also the Centovalli railway, which reaches Locarno in two hours through the Swiss gorges.

There is also a car ferry on Lake Maggiore: it links Intra, that is Verbania, with Laveno on the Lombard shore in about twenty minutes, and saves an hour and a half of driving round. It takes motorhomes up to a certain length, so it is worth checking the dimensions before joining the queue.

By plane

Turin Caselle is the region's airport, but for the lakes the handiest is Milan Malpensa, three quarters of an hour from Arona. Genoa is an hour and a half from Alessandria, and Cuneo Levaldigi serves the south of the region with a few flights.