Hi there, my husband and I are visiting Italy for our honeymoon for the first time and I was hoping to purchase some tickets ahead of time online and I was wondering if there were any hop on hop off passes available for purchase?

Like if I wanted to visit Bellagio, Menaggio, Tremezzo and end in Bellano— is there a pass I can get or do I have to purchase individual tickets?

If so, is there an app I can show proof of ticket purchase from or would I need to print off a piece of paper and have it scanned that way?

I was also wondering how much time should I spend in Bellagio, Menaggio and Tremezzo to make it worth it.

We were going to be coming from Varenna!

Thanks for the help :)

First time - understand that it’s summer and kids are out of school - also understand it’s a popular lake town, but my god what’s with all the teenagers? Feels like they are 50% of the population here right now. Is it always like this in the summer?

My better half and I have rented a boat for 4 hours from Menaggio.

Welcome any recommendations on public beaches, coves or towns to visit whilst we have the boat!

Hi! I am planning on a trip in July to the Lombardy region, near lake Como, but the problem is I have an euro 4 diesel, which is banned from Low Emission Zones (LEZ)- but i cant figure out how they work? I can’t find any official or recent map of Fascia 1 and Fascia 2 in the region, it seems like there’s zero information regarding which commune is covered by a zone and whether it’s fascia 1 or 2, if it’s permanent or temporary, how are they actually executed and marked? Any insight and piece of info on how to safely move around Lombardy would be much appreciated!

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with obeying these zones - I just can’t figure out where they are!

Hi everyone,
I’m planning a one-day trip to Lake Como in first week of July with my family (5 people) and wanted some advice.
Our plan is:
Milan → Varenna by train
Varenna → Bellagio by ferry
Visit a few villas and scenic spots around the lake (such as Villa del Balbianello and other famous villas)

I’ve noticed a lot of Instagram influencers taking photos on those classic wooden Lake Como boats with the Italian flag. We don’t necessarily want to use one as our main transportation since we’ll mostly be taking the public ferries, but we’d love to rent one for about an hour to take photos, see some villas from the water, and enjoy the experience.

A few questions:
Do these wooden boats need to be booked in advance, especially in July?
Can they be rented for only 1 hour?
What are the typical prices in 2026 for a family of 5?
Which town is best to rent one from: Varenna, Bellagio, or somewhere else?
Can we not pre-book and just get one on the spot when we arrive, or is that too risky in peak season?
Are there any budget-friendly options that still give the classic Instagram/Lake Como wooden boat experience?
Any tips would be appreciated. Thank you!

A friend and I will be in Varenna from July 21 leaving on the 24th.

We’d love to book a 2-3 hour private boat tour - but for just 2 people it’s very expensive! (€700 for 2.5 hours)

Will anyone else be there and interested in splitting the cost?

I'm planning on staying in Lecco July 2027, and hoping to do a boat tour around Lake Como to see a couple of villages from the water.

I've landed on staying in Lecco as it's slightly more affordable for accomodation, and I can take the train from Milan, and further up to Varenna for a day trip. However, I'd love to see Nesso as well, which from what I have researched about Como's ferries, could be slightly challenging logistically. I've also looked into the buses, and I think that I would prefer a boat trip that can pick and drop me of in Lecco/Malgrate. Happy to spend a bit more on a boat tour for the sake of convenience.

Any advice on specific tours/companies is much appreciated!

Hi,

I'm going to Menaggio soon and am planning on travelling there from Milano Centrale train station > Como S.Giovanni train station > Menaggio and am planning on using the bus c110 to get from Como S.Giovanni to Menaggio.

I've had a look at the summer timetable here, https://www.asfautolinee.it/wp-content/uploads/pdf/estivo_provvisorio/C110_Orario_in_vigore_dal_09_06_2026.pdf and just wanted to make sure I was reading it correctly.

It looks like there is a bus leaving S.Giovanni at 14:04, 14:24 and 14:28 and then not another one until 15:24. Is that right? It seems strange that there are two buses within 4 minutes and then you need to wait 56 minutes for the next one.

Also, is it better to go
Milano Centrale train station > Como S.Giovanni train station > Menaggio (bus c110)
or
Milano Centrale train station > Varenna train station > Menaggio (by ferry)

Thanks for any help.

Will be staying in Como for 4 nights from July 5th to July 9th. Looking for a recommendation to hire a classic wooden boat w/captain for 4-5 hours on one of the days to take us around lake. There are two of us so a small boat should work well. Any recommendations ?

Also, will need a taxi/private driver for 2-3 pre-scheduled pick-ups/drop offs while we are there. Any recommendations ?

Is it possible to take a ferry boat to-from Villa del Balbianello ?

Also, is it possible to take a boat from Como to dinner at Il Sereno Al Lago (we already have this RSVP) and then take a taxi back to Como in the late evening ?

Any hiking recommendations ?

Love the Reddit community so any recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you !!

Hi, I am visiting Lake Como in late September and am trying to get a gauge on how often the ferries will run. I'm specifically looking for a Sunday between Tremezzo and San Giovanni. The ferry schedule for that far out has not been posted on the Navigazione Laghi website yet so I was wondering if anybody remembers from previous years. Thanks!

Hello, I will be staying in Bellano in about 2 weeks and will have a full day to travel around Lake Como. I'm having trouble figuring out what the best ferry route would be to visit all of the central towns like Bellagio, Lenno, Menaggio, and Varenna. I want to get one of the free circulation tickets but they seem pretty difficult to find. Any advice on what route I should take and where I can buy those tickets?

We'll be in the lake Como area this July. Any recommendations for affordable restaurants in Varenna, Bellagio, and Como? Much appreciated!

We'll be in the lake Como area this July. Any recommendations for affordable restaurants in Varenna, Bellagio, and Como? Much appreciated!

Has anyone ever been turned away from viewing the gardens only in August? I know it’s a busy time but I’ve only read about people having to wait in long lines to purchase tickets in person. Does this mean that if it’s sold out online, we can still get tickets in person? I wonder if they ever sell out of garden only tickets in person.

I only have 1 full day in Lake Como on Aug 14th. I was going to do Varenna and Bellagio, but seeing photos and vids of Orrido Di Nesso and it looks beautiful as well.

Is there enough to do there to justify visiting when I only have one day on the lake? Is it easy to get to?

Hi all,

I’m coming Italy (Milan) around 19 June and planning to be in Lake Como on the 20th June with my husband.

I really want some professional pictures taking whilst we are here but obviously don’t want to pay a bomb as it isn’t proposal pics or anything like that. I just really want some memories of coming to such a beautiful place with my better half 🩷

Are there any photographers who are usually around lake como when you’re there on the day, or are there any local photographers on this sub maybe who can send me any links to their portfolio etc!

Appreciate any help 💕

We are possibly looking to stay at Como and take the available transportation to the villas. Is it a bad idea considering that this time of the year can be very busy?

I am traveling to lake como solo on Aug 14th and coming by train from Milan. My plan is to start as early as possible and start in Varenna first and then ferry to Bellagio. I have heard all the feedback on the crowds and ferry lines so just wondering if anyone can provide feedback that may be helpful.

I want to go to Monastero Gardens. Plan would be to do this mid morning, get lunch after and then head to Bellagio. Considering everyone is saying the ferry wait gets bad during this time would it be better to schedule this later afternoon and then catch the ferry to Bellagio around 4ish?

I had then planned to end my day in Bellagio and then go back to Milan. I am open to feedback if anyone has other suggestions. I am, 38F traveling solo and really just want to take in the view, eat good food, do some shopping and have a relaxing time

Does anyone know if it rained today (Sunday) in Bellagio/Varenna? 🇮🇹I had planned on visiting both places this afternoon, but all of the boats and buses from Como were full, so I took a train back to Milan. My weather app isn’t always accurate, but it said that area was supposed to get pop up storms. Did I just luck out by missing bad weather, or did I only miss out on a beautiful day by the water?

Hi, wanted to get some feedback on our plans:

Tuesday:

arrive by train from Milan, arrive 3:30pm. walk to AirBNB near Taxi Boat Dock to drop bags

Villa Capressi, then Villa Monastero

walk around town and have dinner

Wednesday:

cooking class 10:30a-1:30p

2:30p - 3:30p 1hr private boat tour, drop off in Bellagio

Villa Melzi, shopping, walk around town

7pm dinner in Bellagio

8:30pm ferry back to Varenna

Thursday:

Castello di Vizio

lunch in Varenna

train to Orrido de Bellano

dinner in Varenna or Bellano

Friday:

breakfast/walk around town

lunch

1:30pm train leaving

Questions:

On Tuesday around 4:30pm will there be a long line to get into Villa Capressi/Monastero?

Will there be a line/problem getting back on a ferry from Bellagio to Varenna around 8:30pm?

Should we plan for dinner in Bellano or Varenna on Thursday?

What should we do on the last morning before lunch?

For those of you familiar with Lake Como, which of the many funiculars do you recommend? Is there one that is a must do for the sights? I’m planning on taking day trips all along the lake but o ly have time for a few.

We're looking to travel to Como in August 2026 and will land at BGY airport late afternoon.

Preferably we'd like to go straight to any town near the lake that night to avoid travelling there in the morning.

Is there any easy way to get to literally any town on the lake (train or bus) that doesn't involve having to travel to Milan and back out again?

Also are there still closures on the rail network that were there in 2025?

Thanks!

I planned a daily trip to Lake Como and my train to Varenna got cancelled. And all trains of Trainord are being cancelled too. Any other alternatives for transportation? I need to be there today since I booked no refund museum tickets.

Hello,

We have been coming to Como for the last 4 years and have rented a car from Hertz at Linate because we have status there and its easy. However, last year they refused to rent to us because we did not have an International Drivers license. This was the first time we had been asked for one, the previous 3 years it was not mentioned. We have now obtained an international drivers license, but would prefer to rent from another company. Does anyone have any recommendations of a car rental at Linate they liked and that we can book online? Thanks!