Lake Como is so beyond gorgeous and peaceful. I can totally see why celebs like George Clooney and Richard Branson have villas here as it’s the perfect escape. After Paris and the French Riviera, my hubs and I decided to wind down our European holiday in Lake Como.
If you’re planning of a trip or just dreaming, check out my travel video and see the mini Lake Como travel guide below.
Where To Stay:
There are 3 main/popular places to stay in Lake Como: Varenna, Bellagio and Menaggio.
- Varenna is the most quiet of the three.
- Bellagio is obviously the most famous place to stay but it’s SUPER crowded during the summer months.
- Menaggio (specifically Tremezzo) is where we stayed and a cross between Varenna and Bellagio. We stayed in a fab airbnb but I also HIGHLY recommend the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. It’s SO regal and has a beach club/floating pool on the water, where you can grab lunch, aperol spritz and spend the day!
How To Get There:
When you arrive in Como, I highly recommend taking the ferry to your destination. A car service is pretty expensive and traffic can be super bad. Also, the ferry route is so scenic and you get to see the entire lake (including the Clooney and Branson villas). A word of advice: be sure to check the ferry time tables. The fast ferry will get you to any of the places mentioned above in an hour, whereas the slow ferry takes 2.5-3 hours which is a bit too long in my book.
Another tip: Make sure your bring cash for the tickets (no credit cards allowed) and add in extra time to wait in a HUGE line. We did not do either of these things and got stuck on the slow ferry–AGH!
Getting Around:
You basically get around everywhere in Lake Como via ferry. We went from Menaggio where we stayed to Bellagio twice and spent the day there. Ferries run every hour and it takes about 10-15 minutes to get between each town.
Things To Do:
Unlike the rest of Italy, Lake Como is SUPER sleepy. There isn’t really a night scene and it’s lights out around 10 PM. Here’s some of the things we enjoyed while in Lake Como:
- Rent a boat! Taking a boat out and cruising the lake all by ourselves (no experience/license necessary) was the highlight of our trip. We went to a local store and got some prosciutto sandwiches, snacks, prosecco and Italian beer . We spent 8 hours going up and down the lake, anchored to have lunch and swam a bit too. It was truly something I’ll never forget!
- Shop in Bellagio. I got a panama hat and some souvenirs. It’s a great place to shop for silk and there is also a Missoni store!
- Tour the stunning villas! Villa Carlotta is in walking distance if you stay in Menaggio like we did. I also highly recommend touring Villa d’Este. You can also have lunch here and they only give menus with prices on them to men–my kinda place ha!
- EAT! If you’re in Bellagio check out La Punta. It’s a little hidden, but was recommended by a local and it didn’t disappoint! On the Menaggio side. try La Darsena and ask to sit with a water view!
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