Many travelers explore the Italian Lakes for three or four days on a driving tour from Milan to Venice ­— which might include stops in Bergamo, Brescia, Verona, Vicenza and Padua — and then continue south on an Adriatic cruise. But it can be highly rewarding to concentrate solely on the lakes, as I did on my latest trip. Each of the lakes has its own character and set of attractions. This itinerary roughly follows that of my recent trip.