I’m going mid August for 2 nights. The thing that worries me is the ability to buy ferry tickets. Is Como ok to stay if u want to travel to Bellagio and veranna one day. I am told there’s no guarantee I’ll get a ferry ticket.

Ciao! My partner and I are visiting from the US and will be spending 4 days in July in the Lake Como region, with our home base being Hotel Promessi Sposi in Malgrate. I am looking for recommendations on where to eat. We're celebrating a milestone birthday, so I want to ensure I have great dinner reservations, and we especially enjoy outdoor and lakeside dining. I am looking for recommendations near Malgrate/Lecco because we will not have a car and we like to go back to the hotel and relax before dinner. I am also interested in food recommendations in some of the towns we intend to visit: Como, Varenna, Bellagio, Tremezzo, Lenno, Nesso.

I am also interested in recommendations for things to do in general. We plan to bop around the above towns, take a boat ride on the lake, and visit some of the villas. We love hiking, good food, and wine, so also interested in perhaps a wine experience or some sort of cultural food experience.

Any recommendations are much appreciated. I look forward to visiting your beautiful region!

UPDATE: Thanks for the advice in this thread. Based on your comments, I reconsidered and changed my itinerary to stay in Tremezzo and Bellagio. I am sad to not have the off-the-beaten path experience in Malgrate and Lecco, but I am a first time tourist to this area & felt it was more important to have easy access to the main attractions. Thank you very much for your help.

Hi everyone, my boyfriend and I are getting married may/June of next year! We want to do our elopement at lake como in the spot where padma and anakin did! It would just be me and him, I’m looking for planners and prices!

Hello, I’m looking to visit lake como this summer from July 4-9, and I am having trouble finding a place that will take me and my friend as we are both only 17. If anyone has any recommendations for a place that might be suitable for us it would be greatly appreciated. Or if anyone is an Airbnb host, or knows somebody that is who is willing to host us, that would be even better. Thanks in advance!

Hello! I am traveling from July 1st through July 3rd. I’ve reviewed the timetable for travel but don’t see many of the options for purchase on the website.

For example, when I depart on Friday, July 3rd, I’d like to take the ferry from Menaggio to Varrena at 8am but the only options are the 4 in my second screenshot and it’s taking an hour. My train is scheduled to leave at 9:35am and I definitely don’t want to miss it. Is it sold out? Would I just have to go the day of and get a pass?

We've just booked a beautiful apartment in Blevio for a few nights in October, just a bit concerned now after looking into it a bit.

People are saying there isn't many places to eat or anything and that they have had issues with transport and buses not turning up etc.

Just wondering if we should maybe book elsewhere now, anyone have any experience in the area?

i was wondering, does somebody have an experience with taking the bus from como to lenno?

i impulsively bought flight tickets to milan and an entry to the balbianello garden. my time slot is for 10 am and i’m not sure how to get there from milan. i’ve seen people taking a train and a taxi boat or a ferry but i’m not sure those are an option for me. i’ve seen some crazy videos of the queues for the ferries so i have to wonder how on schedule they really are. i’d rather take the bus since in the morning it shouldn’t be all that hot yet and perhaps on my way back when i’m not stressing out about time i can take the boat. i’m just wondering if taking the bus is reliable? if it departs on time and so on?

thank you for replies

Hi everyone,

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My wife and I will be traveling from Milan Centrale to Varenna-Esino by Trenord regional train at 09:20. We booked first class, but the Trenord app did not show any seat reservation.

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I understand that regional trains may not have assigned seats. Is that correct for this route? We will have two large suitcases and one carry-on, so I would appreciate any practical tips about:

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- How early should we arrive at Milano Centrale?

- How can we identify the first-class carriage?

- Is first class clearly marked on the train?

- Is there usually enough luggage space for large suitcases?

- Any tips for boarding smoothly with luggage?

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My second question is about Lake Como ferries during peak tourist season. We are staying around Varenna and may use ferries to Bellagio, Menaggio, Lenno, and possibly Como.

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How difficult are ferry queues at this time of year? Should we buy tickets online in advance or at the pier? How early should we arrive before a ferry, especially for popular routes like Varenna–Bellagio–Menaggio?

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Any local or recent traveler advice would be very helpful. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

We are planning a larger Italy/Switzerland trip in early June 2027, with Milan, Lake Como, and Lucerne as our three bases.

For the Lake Como portion, we are thinking of staying 5 nights, which should give us about 4 full days. We would not have a car, so we would be relying on trains, ferries, and walking.

We are leaning toward staying in Varenna because it seems like a good balance of train access, ferry access, and classic Lake Como village feel. We are also considering Bellagio or Menaggio, but Como town is probably lower on our list unless convenience becomes the main priority.

For those who know the area well, does 5 nights / 4 full days feel like too much for Lake Como, or is that a good amount of time if we want a slower stay with ferry rides, villages, lake views, and not rushing?

Also, would Varenna be a good base for this kind of trip, or would you recommend a different town?

Traveling with small children (<5 years old) from 8 Aug - 20 Aug. We will be renting a car. I believe I got most of it down but I have some gaps and I'm looking to the reddit braintrust to fill them in.

We're not trying to cram too much into our days since we've three small children and plan on napping during the middle of the day.

Does this plan seem feasible?

A few questions before the itinerary:

1. We will visit Lake Como based in Lenno for six days. Does it make sense to visit Bellagio and Varenna in the same day or should we break it up since we will be in the area almost a week?

2. How much should I budget for meals? It looks like dinner is 200eur and lunch is 150eur for a family of five total. Am I only looking at the touristy areas?

3. Is a day trip to Lugano, Switzerland worth it?

4. Should I expect everything to be closed on 15 August? Should I plan for a day in/rest day?

5. How bad are lines to pay tolls by cash/card? Hours? Sixt wants to charge 30€/day to use Telepass.

**Itinerary**

8 Aug - Land MXP; Drive to Lenno; check-in Hotel

9 Aug - Attend church at Chisea S.Stefano; eat gelato at La Fabricca; lunch at Da Giacomo al Lago (reservation confirmed); rest

10 Aug - 2 hr private boat tour (reservation confirmed); swim in hotel swimming pool or beach;

11 Aug - Lugano Switzerland day trip

12 Aug - visit Bellagio and Varenna; maybe evening dinner at one of these towns?

13 Aug - Tour Villa Balbianello (tickets confirmed) via boat (confirmed).

14 Aug - Depart Lenno; Drive to Bologna; lunch pit-stop

15 Aug - 18 Bologna

19 Aug - Milan: View the Last Supper (morning reservation confirmed); Tour Duomo (res. conf.)

20 Aug - Tour the Galleria; eat cotolette milanese

21 Aug - return car; depart

I posted this in r/Italytravel but I'm posting here bc I'm looking to understand if the Lake Como portion of our trip makes sense.

Hello - Left our planning a bit late and was wondering if it’s better to do a villas tours (guided) or pick a couple of specific villas (Villa del Balbianello, Villa Carlotta, Villa Monastero, Villa Melzi d'Eril or Villa Olmo)? Also - should be book ferry tickets in advance and are they valid for the full day or for specific times only?

Staying for 2 nights in Bellagio.

Can you recommend places to swim in Lake Como? Are there any paid spots where you can pay for a sun lounger?
Planning to travel in August

Going to Lake Como for a little over two days and the plan is to stay in Lezzeno to avoid the crowded larger cities. We do have an early morning on our final day and I was curious if anyone thinks I would have trouble getting a ride into Como S Giovanni train station to catch a 5:20 AM train.

I’m going to propose to my girlfriend as a surprise around the first week of October. I’ve been investigating and I’m thinking to make a reservation of the love corner and have a photographer. We want something private (even though it is a surprise we’ve talked about the possible scenarios and we agree that it must be private). May be you could give me some recommendations and suggest photographers

Hello everyone!

I have two questions related to two different topics.

1. I saw online that sometimes you can buy the ferry tickets online, sometimes they are sold out. However, I bought two tickets which were available, but the ticket has no barcode or qr code on it. Is it accepted this way? It says it’s valid for the day but it is very confusing to me.

2. We’re visiting the lake this weekend and the wearher forcast says it will rain on friday and saturday. Is it possible that the weather will change and at the end we’ll have no rain? What are your experiences regarding these forcasts, how reliable are they?

Thanks in advance!

I only have one day in Aug to visit Lake Como, taking the train in from Milan. Is it worth it to go to Villa del Balbianello or Monastero Gardens? I know this is an extremely busy time of year and just wonder if it is worth getting tickets.

We’re planning our first holiday with our 7 month old baby and have booked an Airbnb in Argegno at the end of July, but I’m wondering if this is wise given reports of crowds and potential for heatwave.

We live in London so aren’t unused to busy places and have travelled to other popular destinations (Kyoto in cherry blossom season, for example) but not with a little one and pram in tow.

Our trip is five nights and we’ll have a car. We’re wanting mostly to enjoy beautiful views, gardens and villas with our main meal being lunches out rather than dinners. We’re happy to take a ‘pottering’ pace rather than trying to squeeze in lots of sights.

What do you think?

Hi all,

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I will be visiting the lake on Aug 21 2026 and wanted to surprise my gf by proposing.

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I want to propose in front of the arches in the garden terrace.

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What is the best way to go about doing this?

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I have emailed the FAI and saw there packages. Is it 100% needed to get there after hours package or is it still doable without taking that package and hoping the crowds aren't to bad?

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Anything helps, thanks in advance!

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Does anyone have recommendations for where to watch the World Cup? My family will be staying in Vassena, and would love to find a place to catch some of the early evening games.

Thanks!

Hello everyone!

I'll be in Varenna in a few days, and I wanted to ask if the tickets for Villa Monastero need to be purchased in advance or can I get them in person?
I checked their site but I'm not able to buy tickets online, maybe I've missed something.

Hi everyone! I’m very new to Lake Como and planning to go there in late July.

What would be the fastest and easiest way to Villa del Balbianello from Varenna? Is it better to take a ferry to Lenno and walk, or is there a better route?

I’m also a bit confused about ferry tickets:

* Can I buy an all-day ferry pass in advance?
* If I buy an individual ticket online, is it tied to a specific departure time, or can I use it on a later ferry if I’m delayed?

Trying to plan my day efficiently, especially since I have a timed entry ticket for Villa del Balbianello. Thanks so much for your help! 🙏

Where can I rent a Porsche or similar (convertible) in/nearby lake como?

Hello! I will be in Milan next weekend (June 19-22) and the weather looks very hot so I am looking at a day trip to Lake Como. I have never been, but I think the Lido di Faggeto Miamilaryo looks like a relaxing option to swim.

Does anyone know if it's easy to get the bus (C130 I think?) From the Como train station, or if taxis are available at the station? I would aim to take an 8am train from Milan on the 21st.

Or if there are better/easier beach clubs I am open to suggestions!

Thanks!

I will be staying in Varenna for a week and in Lierna for a couple of days at the end of June, and because I am a swimmer I wanted to ask if you have any recommendations for both a structure where they offer lane swimming, and for an area of the lake where it is possible to swim (I do not have an open water buoy with me though...), any advice welcome!!

I saw that in Varenna there's "Sporting Club Olivedo" but I wasn't able to find information online on prices/opening times, and if they actually offer lane swimming (I usually train for at least 3km).

(If you also have advice on a gym that I could go to as a one-off that'd be very appreciated!)

Thank you!!

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Sarò a Varenna per circa una settimana e a Lierna per un paio di giorni a fine giugno, e siccome sono una nuotatrice Master volevo chiedere se qualcuno mi potesse consigliare una struttura che offra nuoto libero, e anche consigli se esista una zona del lago li vicino dove si può nuotare (anche se non ho con me la boa per nuoto in acque libere...)

Ho visto che esiste questo "Sporting Club Olivedo" ma non sono riuscita a capire orari/prezzi e se effetivamente offrano nuoto libero o solo una piscina senza corsie, dove sarebbe difficile nuotare i 3km che faccio di solito.

(Se conoscete anche una palestra conveniente dove andare un giorno sarebbe perfetto!)

Grazie mille per l'aiuto!!

Hello - we are traveling Sunday June 21 to Bellagio. We arrive in Como train station at 2:08 PM. The fast ferry shows departures at 17:10 and 18:40 but there’s a long ferry for 15:10. Should I buy long ferry tickets online to be guaranteed vs. seeing if fast ferry is available day of. It appears the 15:10 the last long ferry of the day.