Advice re Lake Como reservation for September 2025

I'm sorry, but its kind of late to be booking for September. Have you looked at booking.com? You don't have to book with them, I don't, but you can get ideas and then book directly. I'm finding more and more that accommodations are not offering full cancellation. Especially in that area of Italy and in the Dolomites. It is frustrating. You might use a credit card that has trip insurance.

yes know it's late - wrongly assumed that September was post main season. And yes, have checked out the usual sites. Thanks for taking time to reply. Any other suggestions from the community welcome.

What cities have you tried or are open to? Have you looked at Lenno?

hey hey A
in your other post, says you found an airbnb in bellano. do you still have that or are still looking?
totally agree with jules m about being late in booking. there is not an off season anymore, italy seems to be busy all year long and especially the many popular places mentioned over & over again. september/october is harvest season for wine and olive oil with many festivals/fairs happening.
many posts here about the large crowds at lake como, shoulder to shoulder people all over, waiting long lines and times for ferries, buses, trains, restaurants, many stopping for just selfie shots for social media. also there is train track disruptions with maintenance, getting ready/preparing for 2026 winter olympics & paralympics above milan and the lakes.
have you looked at the other lakes (maggiore or garda)? probably less crowded than como. good luck and enjoy, happy hunting
aloha

Do you have the Rick Steves guidebook? He lists a lot of accomodations in both Varenna, Bellagio as well as on Lake Maggiore.
I tried one place doesn't have availability, but this site popped up, might help:
https://www.comolake-hotels.com/varenna-hotels-10436/search/?sort=Rating&order=DESC&part=1&Name=

Thanks all - unfortunately for various reasons need to book asap - some of the suggestions great but no availability. Have found somethng in Cernobbio which looks ok and not hard to get ferry to other towns or taxi to spend a day in Como. Really apapreciate the responses.

I don't use third party hotel sites, I always book direct, but I did a quick search in Google and found a link to Expedia: Hotel Reservations in Como - Fully Refundable Options. I put in your dates and there were many options. One is a Hilton. I have found that if you want to have similar terms to what we have in the US, then trying a US hotel chain may be easier. Good luck. Lake Como is a fabulous place to visit!!!

I’m sorry you are having difficulty finding lodging that suits your needs.

If necessary- is it possible to change your itinerary? Maybe consider a different lake destination? Lake Como is extremely popular and the lack of availability doesn't surprise me.

No idea if you’d have better luck but look at Stresa on Lake Maggiore, Desenzano on Lake Garda.
Both have several hotels with elevators, close to ferry/train, etc.

I don’t know your budget but I can recommend:

https://www.milansperanza.it/en/
https://www.hotelmayerdesenzano.com/en/

I’d also advise you to book whatever you do find immediately and don’t worry about the cancellation policy. If one or both couples have to cancel- your trip insurance should cover that. That’s what trip insurance is for.

Stay out of Varenna. Every American wants to go there. Maybe Menaggio has some availability. Or even better, follow Christine’s advice and stay away from Lake Como altogether. It’s not necessarily the best lake to visit in Italy. Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore, Lake d’Iseo, are just as nice and not as crowded as Varenna.

I'm obsessed with Lake Garda! That could be an amazing option!

My friend who I am trying to convince to go to Italy just "has to" visit Lake Como so she can say she shared the lake with George Clooney......I'm just aching to go back to Lake Garda!

Also, I read your request.....when communicating with hotels and asking about accommodations, the first floor is the one above ground floor, just to warn you.

Roberto, when I was mapping out the easiest way to do the lake, Varenna came to be the best option, probably because the train (when it is done with construction) goes there, right? In my imaginary trip I was trying to plan for my friend it seemed the least nutso, compared to Bellagio, but is there another one that is only slightly more difficult to get to on the lake than Varenna? (or if there is an easier one that's not Como town, I guess mid lake is a big ask and in high demand)

A recent post said George Clooney no longer lives on the lake....

Closing this off - for various reasons do need to stay with Lake Como - compromise because of mobility issue of one person is staying in Como right near ferry and lake - thanks again to all for taking time to reply