You may know Lake Como by its picturesque landscapes, stunning scenery, romantic nature or simply the fact that George Clooney has a house there! Lake Como is on many peoples bucket lists, and is somewhere you must visit at some point within your life! It is located about an hour or so train journey from Milan, so is pretty easy to visit for a weekend or even just a day! Here is a guide on everything you need to know about Lake Como, from where to stay, how to get there and what to do! 

Como, Province of Como, Italy

Bellagio, Province of Como, Italy

Varenna, Province of Lecco, Italy

Lake Como Travel Guide 

To visit Lake Como, you would  fly into one of the main three airports in Milan: Milan Malpensa, Milan Bergamo or Linate Airport. We flew into Milan Bergamo and from there took a bus into the centre of Milan, which would also work for either of the other two airports. We pre booked our tickets online, which I would recommend in case it happens to be very busy that day, but you can also buy tickets in front of the bus located just outside the airport.

Once we were in arrived we took a direct train from Milan to Varenna. We purchased these tickets through the trainline app and this came to £6 per person, which was pretty great for an hour journey! There is also opportunity to buy tickets from the station, but we decided to do it online as it was easier to understand! From Milan you can also get a train to Como town, which would either cost £4 or £13, depending on what train you get and time you go. These prices are also based on booking on the trainline app.

Unfortunately, if you are wanting to visit Bellagio, there is no direct trains as Bellagio does not have a station. The closest station to would be Varenna, and then you would board a quick 10 minute ferry that would take you to Bellagio.

We visited Lake Como in early March, which I would say is one of the better times to visit as there was very little crowds. In March however, the weather still isn’t the warmest  as Como is known to have colder winters, so jackets and jumpers still had to be worn.

If I was to visit Lake Como again, I would go in May for multiple reasons. Firstly, although it will be somewhat busy, you are not going in major peak season. This means you are going after the easter holidays, and before the summer holidays, so there will be less families and people in general. Italy will also have very nice weather in May time, so you can swap the jackets and jumpers for t-shirts!

For breakfast we went to a cafe attached on to Albergo del Sole restaurant. We went there for breakfast as we were given breakfast tokens from our b&b we stayed in, but it was lovely. The staff were very friendly and it had a very traditional feel as all the locals and cyclist passing by were also sitting outside. 

There are many options on where to stay in Varenna. If you are wanting to stay in a hotel, the average price ranges from £100 - £300 a night with quite a few sitting at £140 a night which is on the cheaper end. If you are looking for something a bit cheaper, I recommend having a look at airbnb. The average price for an airbnb is around £150 a night but you can get some cheaper but still nice private rooms for around £80. Unfortunately there is no hostels in Varenna. These prices are based on 2 person / 1 room.

One of the places we ate at a few times was Bar Molo which we loved! The food was great and the views were even better as it overlooked the water and mountains. During the evening they had heaters and blankets which was available for the people outside so we could keep warm, we had a great experience eating there. The gelato shop next door was also incredible! 

One of the best things to do in Varenna is visit the Villa Monastero which is both a botanic gardens and museum. We chose just to go to the botanics, and the entrance fee for one student and one adult was €12 for both. Students got 50% off, so remember your ID when you go! These gardens were absolutely beautiful! If you only had one thing to do in Lake Como I would 100% recommend this! The views were amazing and the fact that the sun was shining made it even better! 

Check out the weather in Lake Como currently:

Located in a neighbouring town to Varenna, Orrido di Bellano is a gorge and waterfall accessible by suspension bridge. It is one of the main attractions when visiting lake Como, and is definitely worth a try to look at the stunning views! 

Another thing to do in Lake Como is hire a private boat tour. These tours were amazing and is a great way to see Varenna and neighbouring towns from a different perspective, as well as living our your luxury dreams. Unfortunately the price per person was around pretty high. However, if your budget allows, I couldn’t think of a better way to explore Lake Como’s surrounding towns!

As well as Varenna, there is many options to stay in Belaggio. The hotel prices are slightly cheaper in Bellagio, around £150 per night. The airbnb prices are a bit more then Varenna at around £200 per night, however these airbnbs are much fancier than the private rooms you will get in Varenna. 

One of the places we ate in Bellagio was Antichi Sapori. The food was lovely and we would recommend. 

Just like Villa de Balbianello, Villa Carlotta has a stunning botanical gardens that you should totally check out. It is also located across the water easily accessed by ferry. 

Villa del Balbianello is not actually located in Bellagio, but a town across the water easily accessed by ferry. This Villa is particularly famous as it is the filming locations for major movies such as Star Wars and James Bond. 

Another thing to take part in while visiting Bellagio, or Italy in general is take part in a cooking class! Not only is it an extremely unique experience, but also a fun way to make and taste some traditional Italian handmade cuisine. Definitely worth it if you ask me!

Another thing to do in Bellagio is to wander round the beautiful streets, especially the most famously photographed street, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi! 

Lake Como Travel Guide

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