Day trip to Lake Como from Milan

There is no train station in Bellagio so the easiest route is : ferry to Varenna, then train to Milan....

Have a wonderful trip!

The ferry also goes from Bellagio to Como and very nice.

When you say this will be "after Christmas" do you mean late December/early January?
If so keep in mind weather will be cold, the days will be short (probably sunset ~5:00pm) and the ferry schedule will be in reduced "off season" mode. The season ends mid to late October in the lake districts and services are cut back and some businesses close or reduce hours.

I'm sure the lake is beautiful every time of year in its own way but the tourists will be looking elsewhere. Dress warmly, check the train and ferry schedules ahead of time and I would keep an eye on the weather and have alternate plans if it looks like it is going to be raining or stormy.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Tod,

Thank you. It will be right after Christmas. We wil be in Milan for 5 days bcluding Christmas day and one of those days I was looking at doing Lake Como, weather permitting of course. I know it’s off season so ferries will be less in number so thinking on how to do it without being stuck without a ferry in one of the town lakes.

Would you be able to point in the direction where I can look up the ferry schedules?

Thanks.

We did a day trip from Milan to Como in late July. It was through Get your guide. The tour included a bus ride from Milano Centrale to a ferry dock that takes you to Bellagio. The first ferry was about 15 min. We had a couple hours to explore Bellagio and then a ferry ride around lake Como that was about 2 hours. The ferry took us to Como where we had an hour to explore Como, then a bus ride back to Milano centrale. It was a good tour with a multilingual tour guide where all transportation was included.

The current schedule runs through November 3rd, 2024 so I would guess that sometime in October the new schedule of times would be out. The page to watch is this one: https://www.comoanditslake.com/timetablenavigation.htm since it covers all the different ferry options and explains the service and options.

The current schedule is here: https://comolake.today/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Lake-Como-Boats-TimeTable-2024.pdf

You can search specific routes into the future here:https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/en/tickets-and-timetables-lake-como/
But I don't think I would trust it for searching past November 3rd since I don't think anyone knows for sure what that is going to be right now.

Hope the weather treats you well, enjoy your Buon Natale,
=Tod

@hiredman,

Thank you, appreciate all the information. What would be your suggestion as an alternative to Lake Como if the weather situation does not pan out?

Thanks.

Bergamo, about an hour from Milan.

I would DIY the loop mentioned a few posts above. Train to Varenna Esino, ferry to Bellagio, ferry to Como, train back to Milan (either from Como Lago or from Como San Giovanni). This is the better order, because you can stay in Como later if you want.

As an alternative it depends on what you want to do post Xmas. Milan is within an hour or so of many places large and small.

Large northern city is Turin, medium size Bergamo, Verona (chic and walkable) and Brescia (under rated Roman ruins) and south into Emilia Romagna are smaller cities (in a row) Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and the big capital city of Bologna which are foodie destinations. Florence is a stretch at 2 hours best time on the train.

If you want to replace the lake experience you could look at Lake Garda (before Verona) as the train stops directly on lake and the normally touristy areas may be vacant enough to be charming. But if the weather is keeping you away from Lake Como then I wouldn't count on weather on Lake Garda being significantly better.

Maybe someone with more experience around Milan can suggest a less well known local town that is interesting and closer than the more well known tourist destinations.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Appreciate all those who have chimed in.

My last question, hopefully, is this. The ferry ticket bought online, say for Varenna-Bellagio, is that tied up to a specific time or ferry schedule? Or can i be flexible and spend more time (or less) at a specific lake town? I hope my question makes sense.

Thanks in advance.

I wasn't aware you could buy Lake Como ferry tickets in advance. The question has been asked here on the forum, and the response was, "You can't buy before the day of the trip." I think the ticket is good for any departure on the indicated route that day; I hope someone else can confirm. This summer I observed a few people at the back of the ticket line as departure time neared being told to just get on the ferry and buy the ticket there. There will be a tiny ticket booth that opens if necessary; normally, you flash your ticket as you board.

I didn't have time to go to Monza; Milan has a lot of sightseeing options, especially if you like art. But Monza is on my list for the next time in the area. It's almost a suburb of Milan, accessible by train from Milano Centrale or by Metro plus a bus ride. This is from my notes on Monza:

Villa Reale, Viale Brianza 2: Late 18C. Glorious interior, apparently restored after lengthy period of neglect. 38 rooms accessible; has exhibitions. Entry fee for villa; park and gardens free [don't know what the latter would look like in winter]. Autoguidovie Monza e Brianza Bus Z221 or Bus Z208 to main entrance of park and Villa Reale. Mon-Fri shuttle bus from Monza center to entrance of Porta Monza Villa Reale [but verify it runs in winter]. www.reggiodimonza.it

Duomo, Piazza del Duomo: White-and-green banded façade, apparently very handsome interior as well. https://www.museoduomomonza.it/orari-e-tariffe/

Museo e Tesoro del Duomo, Piazza del Duomo/Via Lambro 2: One of Europe’s finest collections of religious art, including Carolingian art and 15C rose window. Ticket includes viewing of Corona Ferrea. Reservations recommended. www.museoduomomonza.it

Civic Museums of Monza, Via Teodolinda Regina 4: Civic Art Gallery and Arengario Historical Museum. www.museicivicimonza.it

If you're interested in Monza, check opening hours for all those sights. Heaven only knows what they'll be like in the winter.

I've made a couple of quick visits to Bergamo and would like to return to see more; the fastest (under-one-hour) trains to Bergamo depart from Milano Centrale at 05 after the hour; round-trip fare is 12 euros. I'm not suggesting the unseen-by-me Monza would be better than Bergamo; Monza's just another option that happens to be very geographically convenient and has many quick transportation options.

I know Monza quite well, being born there and living there from 0 to 8 years and from 19 to 25. The place is less stressful to live than Milan, but it is not exceptionally interesting to visit; certainly no more than Bergamo. Mostly on the sleepy side. The Monza Duomo is a 15-minutes visit and the Villa Reale, reached only by obscure bus lines, may be interesting if there is some special exhibition; the Villa Reale in Milan (Modern art museum) is as beautiful, the same kind of architecture, has more interesting collections and is easier to reach.

The golden age of Monza was around 7th/8th century (that's the epoch of the Tesoro), after that it was a mostly provincial place. Since early 19th century the Villa was a sort of summer palace for rulers in Milan; it then went to Savoia family and king Umberto I was shot while going back there in July 1900 - there is a very simple chapel on the place of the assassination. - Monza has a very large park, one of the largest in Europe, both the Villa and the car racing circuit are within the park. I spent so many Sunday afternoons there when I was a little child!

I’d do Bergamo since during the holidays it’s absolutely beautiful. No, I know it’s not on the lakes but from Città Alta the view is magnificent. Just be aware that in 2023 Bergamo had 3 million tourists which, to me, as one who’s been traveling to northern Italy for decades and whose in laws and extended family are all from northern Italy, that’s A LOT of people and I’ve never heard there being that many tourists. Ever. Buon viaggio!