How does it work with boat transport and entry tickets for the Borromean islands?
- Admission tickets: the entry tickets for palaces and gardens located on isola Bella and isola Madre can be purchased at the ticket offices on the islands as well as online. If you visit both islands, there is a combined ticket available. If during your stay on lake Maggiore you are going to visit other sites, such as the Angera fortress with its antique dolls museum in Angera or the villa Pallavicino park and zoo in Stresa, there are other ticket options for all these sites combined together in one ticket.
As to group tickets to enter palaces and gardens on the Borromean islands ( isola Bella and isola Madre) they can be purchased online as well as on the day. Buying online tickets is suggested to skip the lines at the office.
As to boat transport there are two different options to reach the Borromean islands. The public navigation service with ferries that run at scheduled times from one town to the other stopping also at the Borromeo islands or the private water taxi companies that can be used for a transportation service shared with others on a shuttle taxi boat or hiring a private taxi motorboat to be used for your transfers between mainland and the islands.
The nearest ports for an excursion to the Borromean islands - isola Bella. isola Madre, isola Pescatori - are located in Stresa, Baveno and Verbania Pallanza.