Stresa: Isola Madre & Isola Bella Hop-On Hop-Off Boat Tour on Lake Maggiore

Departure was fine. The kiosk to the left of the NAVIGAZIONE ISOLE BORROMEE building will give you a dock colour to go to. Small speedy taxi boat to Madre. Be aware seeing this island costs 20 Euros pp. It was worth it and we had a lovely time. No swimming possible on Madre. Boat to next island was a short wait in the shade. It stops at Pescatori but we didn't have that in our itinerary. It looked good for swimming and had several restaurants. Bella was the most tourist friendly with many shops, restaurants, a pleasant shady stroll, easy family swimming. You can pay 23 euros pp for the palace but we didn't. Boat back to Stresa bit confusing as two didn't allow boarding but after about 30 mins we got one. Overall I would recommend this as a flexible way to see the islands which are gorgeous. Be prepared for a rather random timetable and remember where you get off and the logo of your company.

De boottrip naar de eilanden verliep vlot! Op het eerste eiland Isola madre kon je enkel de Botanische tuinen zien door 20 euro per persoon te betalen. Met onze kinderen hebben we dit niet gedaan. Het tweede eilandje 'Isola dei Pescatori was wel de moeite om te vertoeven. Het laatste eiland Isola Bella hebben we overgeslagen omdat we daar 22 euro per persoon nog eens moesten betalen om het paleis te bezoeken. Dit vonden wij met ons gezin niet de moeite. Ergens waren we wel teleurgesteld door de hoge prijzen om iets te bezoeken.