Venture by train from Milan to one of Europe's more graceful corners, Lake Maggiore, with its pretty lakeside towns and lush Borromean Islands. Spend a day cruising past Lake Maggiore's elegant villas and flowering Mediterranean gardens, and dock on Isola dei Pescatori for free time and Isola Bella for a guided tour of baroque-era Borromeo Palace. End with a visit to the lakeside town of Stresa before training back to Milan.