The Lago Maggiore area is perfectly situated along the northern Italian border to make Lago Maggiore day trips to other parts of Italy and to other countries entirely a pleasant part of your Lago Maggiore trip. Try to fit at least one day trip into your travel itinerary to any of the following locations:

Milan (Milano)

Milan is the largest metropolitan city in all of Italy and the fifth largest metropolitan area in all of the European Union and it's reachable in only 60 to 90 minutes from the Lago Maggiore area. Drive to Milan in about 90 minutes or hop on a train from one of the larger cities surrounding the lake, such as Stresa, from which you can reach Milan by train in a little over an hour for only €6.

Milan has much to offer, so you'll have to plan your day trip in advance to make sure you'll able to see it all. Milan is especially famous for its operas and music, so be sure to include a stop at a theater such as the Teatro alla Scala for a performance or a tour. Fashion enthusiasts flock to Milan and places like the Via Montenapoleone, which makes for excellent window shopping if you can't afford the high-end prices. Make a reservation for lunch or dinner at one of the many famous restaurants in Milan in the Brera or Navigli districts before you go.

Italian Switzerland

Part of the Lago Maggiore extends into Switzerland, so it only makes sense that you plan a day trip along the shores of the lake into Switzerland. Locarno is only a 20 to 40 minute drive from the Lago Maggiore area in Italy and there are buses available if you don't want to drive during your trip.

Locarno is a picturesque city at the foot of the Swiss Alps surrounding the Lago Maggiore basin. The official language in the city is Italian, so you won't even have to worry about attempting to communicate in an additional language while there. The most famous architectural site in Locarno is the Castello Visconto, which is hypothesized to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci. There's also an incredible scale model of the solar system to see at the Astrovia Locarno.

German Switzerland

If you want to experience more of the culturally varied areas of Switzerland besides the Italian culture you're already experiencing near Lago Maggiore, make the trip to southwest Switzerland to an area such as Zermatt, which is principally German in influence. You can reach Zermatt in a little over two hours by heading to Tasch and then taking a railway train to Zermatt--because combustion-engine cars aren't allowed in the city.

Zermatt is a fairly small town that's popular with skiers and winter sport enthusiasts because of the slopes and sight of the Alps, but the thawed view of the mountainside is also breathtaking. You can get around the town in electric taxis and buses.