My wife and I will be in Italy in late September/early October. We will be renting a car as we enjoy the countryside to view the scenery (me for photography, my wife to get ideas for paintings). We were considering touring the lake district, especially Lake Como. Is driving there difficult, and are there places to stop to enjoy the scenery? I've read much that parking is difficult and driving can be a problem around the lake, but I wanted to get some recent feedback.
Many thanks!
The roads and communities are much the same as in prior years - they don't move much.
The roads are still away from the lake in the most part.
The best way to see the lake is from the lake. The boats are exceedingly full of beautiful views, and the villages can be visited.
What we did with our car when we stayed in Varenna was we parked it. For the length of our stay.
Best option is drive to Varenna which is breathtaking. Ferry dock is right there for great options of seeing lake district. If you have a chance and take hike outside of town to the waterfall, it's dirt trail by cemetery with some stairs - less than 1.5 miles, worth every step and the effort you can get great photo's along the way of lake and your wife will get great painting ideas.
In the distant past, I drove to Menaggio to stay at the youth hostel, and also left my car parked, while doing my sightseeing by ferry. Rick's description of driving the lake mentions narrow roads, traffic congestion, and tall fences and hedges to block your view.
Drove in the Lake Como area 1 1/2 years ago and have driven on all 6 trips to France and Italy. The roads in Lake Como are very tight and windy. Also Italian drivers like to 'push' you along by driving on your bumper. That being said I don't mind driving. I like the convenience of a car. We stayed near Bellagio and it was super convenient. Car ferry is right there. We love to look at the sites when we drive so If I see drivers behind me I pull over the first chance I get and let them pass. Let the Italians go fast while I enjoy the view. Driving takes a day to get use to and then you get the hang of it. Also you can make the drive to Lugano a Swiss town which is less than two hours away. Nice town. Parking is difficult, period in Italy but always found a place. Just bring coins to feed the meters! I think between parking fees, bathroom fees and all the bottled water tourists buy, the Italian economy should be in better shape than it is!
