Nestled among the stunning Italian Alps, Lake Como treats visitors to views of its serene waters and charming (and unique!) lakeside villages.
We landed in Milan after spending some time in the UK, and after a few days took the train to Como station. The train leaves around every half an hour and costs around five euros, so we didn’t feel the need to book in advance. Once we got to Como we stopped for a bite to eat before attempting to get to Bellagio, the village that we would be staying at.
Even after thoroughly researching the topic, we did not realize it was going to be so difficult. Please be sure you have thoroughly figured out how you are planning on getting to your accommodation before you arrive to avoid the following situation.
The Lake Como area is comprised of a handful of lakeside villages all with their unique character and flare. There are, in theory, several ways to get from Como (the village with the train station) to the other villages. These include the ferry, the bus, and finally, a private taxi or car. We arrived at the ferry ticket booth and were told there were no ferries going that day (not sure if this was due to weather, or a strike, or another reason) and that our best bet would be to take the bus. So we went to the bus station, purchased a ticket for the next bus, and waited. We were crammed in like sardines with tons of other tourists with large suitcases in the bus waiting area for what appeared to be only a few seats, and once the bus arrived some pre-teens cut the line and jumped on board, leaving all the tourists to wait for the next bus. This happened to us 2 or 3 times before we finally decided to call it a day and get a private taxi to our destination (Uber did not seem to be working). It cost a whopping one hundred euros. The entire endeavor took around three hours, and we were extremely frustrated by the time we arrived at our AirBnB.
That being said, the frustration quickly faded away once we took in the beautiful and aptly named village of Bellagio. Our AirBnB had gorgeous windows overlooking the spectacular lake, picturesque alps and purple blooms. One of our favorite activities was buying some freshly made pasta, tomato sauce, massive olives and grana padano and cooking with a view. We highly recommend staying at this location as it was an easy walk from everything in Bellagio, including the ferry terminal.
While staying in Lake Como you should definitely take advantage of the local ferry and cross the lake to see the other lakeside villages. We visited Varenna and Menaggio and thought they were both extremely unique in their own ways. Varenna is home to the Villa Monastero lakeside botanic gardens (a must see if you’re a Star Wars fan…or want to see some absolutely gorgeous gardens). We also found some ridiculously delicious four euro sandos here…best enjoyed with an Aperol spritz! Menaggio has a lovely lakeside walk and the Monumento Alla Tessitrice. That being said, we did like Bellagio the very best – they also had the best olives! We still dream about these olives.
One thing that we did not get to do was take the Como funicular up from the train station to Brunate. This area affords an even more spectacular view of the lake, and you can visit the Faro Voltiano lighthouse and dine at Tratorria del Cacciatore for a nice meal. Maybe next time!
Any suggestions for Lake Como? If you’re traveling through Italy, head over to our Italy page for more inspo!