Lakes and Mountains holidays

Big question! Italy has been a leader on the lake front for quite some time, boasting Lake Garda, Como and Maggiore. But Slovenia’s Lake Bled also sneaks in there as an increasingly trendy stopover. Its medieval Gothic castle sits on a cliff overlooking the water.

On the mountain front, you can’t miss the Alps – literally. You’ve got eight countries to choose from for your approach – France, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia. The French-Italian big boy is Mont Blanc, but the Swiss Matterhorn has got itself the reputation as the most-papped peak, so it might have to be your pick…

This is always changing. Your best bet is to keep an eye on our deals pages. Sign up to our emails and check the website for any destinations on offer at the time you want to book. There are always weekly discounts being sent around, so somewhere you’re interested in is bound to be up for grabs for less.

One of the best things about lakes? They tend to be pretty flat. An easy option for any beginner walk is to follow the water’s edge. Lake Bled in Slovenia is great for this – the total distance is six kilometres and it should take you roughly an hour and a half, so you’ve got plenty of time to take in the views.

You also don’t have to summit the Alps to see them. The Gornergrat train to Riffelsee in Switzerland fast forwards a face off with the great Matterhorn, then you can use your legs to get down to the Findelbach Canyon past lakes and forest.

Let’s start with the A-listers. Lake Como lies up in northern Italy and usually lines up some celeb-spotting from its shores. Then there’s Lake Garda. This one’s an epic 90 miles long, so you’ve got a whole host of its waterside towns to explore, too. You can hop between world-famous wine making Bardolino and even Romeo and Juliet’s Verona from here.

Lake Maggiore is Italy’s second largest lake and ferries you between its quaint little fishing villages. The Borromean Islands sit in the western arm of the lake and boast some beautiful botanical gardens. You can also travel with us to Lake Molveno. Here, you’ve got UNESCO-protected peaks. Molveno is the only village in the area, so this one’s for adventure. Try windsurfing or paddleboarding on the water.

It’s a tough choice! Check out our Inspire blogs for more inspo.