Best Lake Como Travel Practices

Where are you studying?
Weekend rentals in the summer on Lake Como will probably not be budget friendly. Maybe the city of Como could be reasonable.

For the sake of convenience on a short visit like this, I'd want to be in a town with relatively frequent ferry service, around the middle of the lake. However, as already mentioned, such lodgings will not be what I would call "budget-friendly". Sheer availability can be an issue as well. You should try to nail down something ASAP.

Menaggio is one of the stops for the mid-lake ferries. It has more lodging options than tiny Varenna (which is very popular here) and is likely to be less expensive than Bellagio (the ritziest town).

There's a rail line along the east side of the lake, which offers an additional transportation option. The west side of the lake has only hourly bus service, plus whatever ferries serve the town you are staying in. Some of the ferries run infrequently enough to limit your ability to get around the lake at will.

Decide what you want to see and do while you visit the lake. That may open up additional reasonable--if not ideal--lodging possibilities. For example, I knew I'd be going to Villa Carlotta and Villa Balbianello. I decided staying in Tremezzo was workable even though it didn't have super-frequent ferry service; my hotel was walkable from Villa Carlotta, and there was an hourly bus traveling toward Villa Balbianello.

Honestly, the most fun I had in three days on pricey Lake Como was walking the southern half or two-thirds of the Lake Como Greenway, which runs for some length along the west side of the lake.

Varenna is a great spot to stay to tour the mid-lake area. With a mid-lake full day ferry ticket you can easily explore many great towns and villas. Varenna has a train station (2 stops from Milan), and Hotel Olivedo is a very short walk from the train station, with a ferry ticket office / ferry landing right out front of the hotel.

Menaggio as I recall has a hostel which is going to your best bet for inexpensive lodging. It also has an old historical center that we walked around. There is a free beach at a campground that we visited as well. There are hikes in the area which cost nothing.

There may be other hostels in the area as well.

But you ought to spurge on at least one of the gardens . Villa Carlotta is the largest and perhaps gives you the most for your money. Take a ferry there and back because seeing Lake Como from the water is one of its great charms.

We were there in August with our young adult children and it was beastly hot. We did fewer hikes than I had intended but we found lots of beaches to relax on. Be sure to bring water shoes.

Menaggio also has a good-value Agriturismo accommodation that could add a fun dimension to your visit. It’s called “Agriturismo Barcola.”