Snow-dusted Alpine peaks at one end, rice paddies and dairy country at the other, and two of Europe's most photographed lakes in between. Lombardy packs an outsized range of scenery into one Italian region, and most of it sits within an easy train ride of Milan. Stone villas lean over Lake Como's water, Lake Garda's shoreline towns fill up with aperitivo crowds at sunset, and hilltop Bergamo still sits behind walls built for a Republic that's long gone.

You might be after a lakeside splurge, a food-and-wine week, or just a few cheap nights near the train line. Lombardy has a stay to match any of those. Here's where to look and what to expect to pay.

Where to stay in Lombardy

• Bellagio, Lake Como. The postcard end of the lake, with steep cobbled lanes, lake-view terraces and a ferry stop that makes it easy to hop across to Varenna or Menaggio for the day.
• Sirmione and Desenzano, Lake Garda. Sirmione sits on a narrow peninsula with a moated 14th-century castle at its tip. Desenzano is the bigger, more affordable base, with the same lake views and a proper old harbour.
• Bergamo's Città Alta. A walled hilltop old town, all narrow lanes and views over the plain below. Quieter than the lakes, and a handy budget-flight base with its own airport nearby.
• Mantua. A moated Renaissance city built almost entirely around one ducal court. Fewer crowds than the lakes, and cheap enough that a good hotel doesn't cost lake-town money.
• Milan. The region's transport hub and fashion capital. Worth a night either side of a lakes-and-towns trip. See Traveloka's own Milan page for the full run-down on where to stay there.

How much is Lombardy accommodation?

A room in Lombardy averages around AU$140 a night, though that swings hard between a Milan hostel bunk and a lakefront suite in Bellagio.

• Backpackers/Hostels, from AU$33 per night. Milan has the biggest, cheapest spread, handy if you're train-hopping around the region.
• Budget hotels/Guesthouses, from AU$65 per night. Simple, clean rooms in Bergamo, Mantua or Desenzano rather than right on the water.
• Mid-range/Apartments, from AU$140 per night. Comfortable hotels with an old-town or lake glimpse, sometimes a small pool.
• Boutique, from AU$250 per night. Characterful stays in converted historic buildings, like Bergamo's centuries-old townhouses.
• Luxury/Resorts, from AU$600 per night. Grand villas and spa resorts on Como and Garda, several with private lake access.

Top-rated hotels in Lombardy

• Grand Hotel Tremezzo (Lake Como). A belle-époque grand dame with a floating pool that sits right out on the water.
• Passalacqua (Lake Como). An 18th-century villa on its own private lakeside estate above Moltrasio, just 24 rooms.
• Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda (Gargnano, Lake Garda). Terraced into the hillside above the lake, built around a proper wellness and spa program.
• GombitHotel (Bergamo). A boutique conversion behind a 13th-century facade, two minutes from the Gombito Tower.
• Hotel Leon D'Oro (Mantua). A straightforward, well-rated base a short walk from the Palazzo Ducale.

Tips for finding the perfect accommodation in Lombardy

• Lake Como and Lake Garda prices jump hard from June to August. Travelling in May or September gets you the same view for a lot less.
• Staying inland at Desenzano, Brescia or Mantua instead of a lakefront address can cut your room rate in half, and you'll still reach the water in 20 minutes by car or train.
• If you're relying on trains, book somewhere near Milano Centrale, Bergamo, Brescia or Desenzano stations. Lombardy's rail network makes most towns a day trip from any of these bases.
• Bergamo Orio al Serio airport is a major budget-flight hub, so a room near there can be cheaper than one near Milan's main airports even for a Milan-first trip.
• Ask for a room with a lake view before you book rather than after. On Como and Garda it's often a separate, higher-priced category, not just a request you can make on arrival.

Between the two lakes, food is its own reason to linger. Risotto alla milanese, coloured gold with saffron, is Lombardy's best-known dish, while Mantua does its own version, risotto alla pilota, finished with a local pork sausage called salamella. The region is also serious dairy country: Gorgonzola, Taleggio and Grana Padano all come from Lombardy's cattle country south of the lakes, and a wedge of any of them off a market stall is a good souvenir to bring home.

Ready to add more of Italy to the trip? Check Traveloka's hotel pages for Milan and Como, or browse flights and activities across Italy to build out the rest of the itinerary.