I will be in Milan from Sunday April 1 - Tuesday April 3 - I was going to stay in Milan the whole time but am now realizing most of the sites I want to see are closed on Mondays. Thinking of doing a day tour to Lake Como - the tours that take you there from Milan do not seem to spend much time at each destination - is it smart to just train up to Como and do my own trip for the day? Is that too much to take on? I am pretty good with directions - I just do not want to pay for a trip and regret it because we barely spent any time at each local. Thoughts?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17603 posts
The direct train from Milan to Varenna takes just over an hour. This is a nice destination for a daytrip; you can ferry the short distance from there to Bellagio if you like.
The train tomLugano takes longer, and you end up in a Swiss city, not a charming little town on the lake like Varenna or Bellagio.
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3330 posts
If you do visit Como, there is a funicular near the Imbarco that will take you to the small town of Brunate. The panoramic view of the city, lake and the alps is awesome.
Posted by
Minneapolis
1283 posts
Hi. My suggestion: Don't go to city of Como. If good weather, take the train from Milan Central Station to Varenna and spend the day. Varenna is a nice, walkable small town, easy ferry from there to Bellagio, Menagio, and other towns. Extremely scenic if weather is good. No need to buy train tix in advance; under 10 Euro each way; no discount to buy in advance, no reservations needed. If weather is rainy, just stay in Milan. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Irving
3343 posts
From Milan’s Central station take a direct train to Varenna (1h 15) and walk around there to see it all. This clean quaint village is worth seeing. When you’re done hop on a 15 minute ferry ride to Bellagio which is very high-end but well worth strolling along the steps that line its boutiques.
I spent four nights in Lugano once and there is one scenic block that is not worth traveling to from Milan.