3 nights in Lake Como; should we stay in Ballagio or Como?

If your flight from Milan goes to a non-Schengen country and leaves before 6PM, stay the last night in Milan.

Varenna has good train service to Milan Centrale for easy direct access to the airport (MXP)

I stayed in Varenna and found it to be very convenient for the train ride to (or, in our case, from) Milan. It's easy to take the ferries from Varenna to any of the other Lake Como towns that you'd like to visit, including Bellagio - which we visited as a day trip. I found Varenna to be a peaceful escape.

If you’re looking for a great small village with great access to the lakes boats and as Joe said,the train Varenna is an excellent choice. My wife and I stayed there last year prior to the start of a RS tour and our first couple of night’s of the Tour...absolutely loved it.
Note ...it’s a long trip from there to the airport via the train(s)...plan ahead.
FYI... it’s Rick’s favorite spot on the lake to stay.
Enjoy Italy and Lake Como!

Another vote for Varenna! It is easy to visit the other locations by ferry. I loved it! We stayed here for two nights before heading to Milan for our flight back to the U.S. We had an early morning flight so we spent the night before at a hotel near the airport. They had a shuttle to the airport which made it very easy.

I vote for Bellagio... you can take the ferry back to Varenna to catch the train. I find Varenna a bit too sleepy

After four trips to Bellagio, it is still our favorite. Como is a city of 85,000, former center of silk factories.

Thank you all for your comments and guidance! We've decided to stay in Bellagio! Excited about our trip, thank you.

Please come back to the forum and tell us about your trip! Godere!

We love both Varenna and Bellagio! But if my vote counts for anything I'd choose Bellagio... it is a gem!

Stay in the Centro Lago (mid lake).
Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio are all inthe Centro Lago and are all good. All are served by frequent ferries back and forth