A day trip From Malpensa airport to Lake Como - doable?

Do you have a really full day, means 2 nights?
From Terminal 2 is a Flix-bus to Como city. There you could take a ferry to Varenna or any other town on this side of the lake.
The other choice is going to Milano Centrale and take the train from there via Lecco to Varenna, You can then go by ferry via Bellagio to Menaggio and from there by bus 110 to Como City, b Fluxbus back to Milano.
For sure, you just can do it the other way round. It would be a very long day anyway, but I think it is worth it.

The easy solution is a local train from MXP to Saronno, then switch there to a local train to Como Lago. Timetables on trenord website, 1h 18min travel time including the change. You arrive just in front of the lake and ferry pier. In order to get to the central lake area (for example Bellagio) you need ferry or bus from Como. As Malpensa is southwest of the lake, Como and the west wing of the lake are quite close. Lecco, Varenna and the east side are much more distant and need backtracking to Milan (2 hours and half to Varenna).

MXP now has several railway connections, not only to Milan. A new line to Gallarate, working from this week, opens easy connections to Stresa and Lake Maggiore, and Lugano and south Switzerland have direct railway connections from the airport. This is an international connection so be sure to have your passport.

A warning: IMHO all these trips make sense only in good weather. Maybe Lugano has a city feel and is not weather dependent.

Thanks! I will arrive at the airport the night before, spend the day there, and leave the following morning.

I've just realized that the southern part of Lake Maggiore is closer to the airport, but I think all the attractions are located in the north-west, right?

Now I am confused: you now mention Lago Maggiore, your first question was about Lake Como. This is a bit a difference.

Maggiore is closer to the airport. Train to Stresa then a frequent and quick boat out to the islands would be a lovely day trip. You can walk around the gardens and enjoy the structures and scenery.

If you to Lake Come you are fairly limited to riding ferries around the lake - very scenic - but the best bits are in the mid-lake region and the nearest train to Como Giovanni is at the southern tip of the lake.

So, walk and enjoy looking and being or riding a very scenic ferry and sitting?

Nigel, for sure, I know it. But as the OP asked for Lake Como I didn't dare to suggest Lago Maggiore.
And I also recommended the midlake area on Lake Como, as you also correctly describe.

Just for everybody understanding: there are two railways lines arriving in Como from south. The main line is the international Gotthard line, arriving from Milan and Monza, calling at Como S. Giovanni and going on to Chiasso, Lugano and Switzerland. Como S. Giovanni station is on a high position, so you have to get down to city centre and lake.

There is a second commuter line arriving from Milano Cadorna, Saronno, down to the Como Lago station. As the name discloses, this station is just in front of lake. All trains on this line are commuter trains and end there.

Once the two lines were in two completely separate railway system, the first in the national railway system and the second in the regional Ferrovie nord network. But in time the Lombardia region had the two systems integrated, the regional trains are now run by the Trenord company seamlessly on both railway networks, so that all Malpensa express trains actually use different sections of both networks. This has made possible to go to MXP to Saronno to Como Lago with a change, but without backtracking.

it’s not near, so for just a few hours I don’t know if I’d do it. Stresa on Lake Maggiore is closer, if that lake is acceptable to you (I like Lake Maggiore). The Malpensa Express now (the line opened last week) from the airport proceeds to Gallarate, which is on the Sempione line to Stresa and Switzerland, therefore if you don't mind to visit lake Maggiore instead of lake Como, that would be a much faster option. You can be in Stresa in less than 45 min. Stresa is where you want to be if you want to see the Borromean islands.

Hi, I have stayed at beautiful Stresa on Lake Maggiore often. There’s the Alibus that will take you directly to Stresa from the Malpensa airport. But check their schedule because I think it’s every two hours they leave from the airport.

When you get to Stresa, exit the bus at their first Stresa stop which is very close to the small ferry terminal. Take the 5-minute ferry ride out to Isola Bella if you like Italian gardens. The Borromeo villa & formal gardens make up most of that island.

Oh, thank you so much for your replies!

I'd love to visit a lake, and Lake Como came to mind first as it's so well known.
However, when I looked at a map, I thought, 'Oh, Lake Maggiore might be closer from the airport area.'
However, Google Maps told me that it would take 2.5 hours by train, so I almost gave up on the idea.
You are all giving me really helpful suggestions.
Is there an Alibus?

One thing I should mention is that I'm visiting in February. Are cafés, restaurants and ferries open in winter?

Oh, most ot the things that make Stresa so charming wouldn’t be as fun in February. I’ve only been there during late Spring, Summer or early Fall. Maybe someone else can tell you what to expect in February.

I had no idea you were going in mid Winter. I go in early Spring when it is wonderful. I'm not sure I'd be eating lake side and the short boat rides would possibly be cold and maybe rainy... Don't know what would be open or closed...

good luck

Restaurants will be open for the most part.
5,000 people live in Stresa alone and many more in the entire area encompassing the other adjacent towns. I'm sure they'd like to eat too. Open restaurants will also be in the small Isola dei Pescatori (fishermen's island), where there will be boat service for sure since they also have some residents. Regular ferries also operate as they are used by locals as well.
I'm not sure if the Isola Bella and Isola Madre will be open for visits. Those two islands are basically villa museums and parks, so it's possible they might be closed in winter. Check the websites.

Yes, I'd love to come back for warmer season.
I will check the websites. Thanks!