Good low-stress town near Varenna/Lake Como?

If you go a day or two early, you could stay at the tour hotel in Varenna. But if you really want to try a different location, you might want to consider Menaggio which is directly across the lake from Varenna. You said easy going so perhaps Menaggio would suit you better than the trendier and more upscale Bellagio, that would be your 3rd choice.

That's easy...go to Milan, you will love it beyond belief, unless you don't like NY City...in which case you could stay at Bellagio across the lake for a night or two. Seriously, we were really surprised by how much we enjoyed Milan. By all means stay near the Duomo, try to get reservations in advance for the Last Supper...and just soak in modern Italy for a couple of days....Italy is not just a big museum...

What does "easy going" mean to you? If you go to a small town you'll deal with the language barrier immediately and have more transportation issues. If you go to Milan you'll be in a big, hectic city. Why not just go to Varenna early and day trip to Belaggio or someplace if you're up to it? And then you can impress your fellow tour members when they arrive because you've already scouted out the best gelato.

Robyn, I strongly agree with Doug! Why not just contact the tour Hotel you'll be staying at in Varenna, and pay for a couple of extra nights? That way you'll have a day or two for exploring, and perhaps to take a day trip to Bellagio. Varenna is very easy to get about by foot, and if your Hotel is in the main Piazza (by the Church), it's only a short (but beautiful) walk to the Ferry dock.

Be sure to try Laura's fantastic Ravioli at Albergo Olivedo (right across from the dock).

If you're flying into Milan, it's about a one hour rail trip to Varenna (might be listed as Varenna-Esino). Be ready to disembark though, as the train only stops for about a minute! As this is your first trip to Italy, Varenna will be a wonderful introduction to the country!!! As mentioned, be sure to try the Gelato (there were a couple of good shops down on the lakeside walk).

I arrived early for my RS Ireland tour last fall, and stayed in the tour hotel. I'll be doing the same for my South Italy tour.

If you stay in Varenna you can buy a day pass for the ferry and explore Bellagio, Menaggio and other cities along the lake at your own pace. If you're in Varenna on a Tuesday or Thursday and like to cook try Chef Morenos's cooking class.

These are great suggestions....thanks!

I loved Varenna, but would suggest staying in Milan (as I did) or in a different Lake Como town. Several of my tour mates went to Varenna several days early, and were "done" with their sightseeing there before the tour even started. We had the misfortune of a ferry strike, so the options to leave were limited. Prior post about language barrier are very true - if you want to ease in, stay in Milan, get an early train to Varenna, and you'll have nearly a whole day to explore before you meet your group. Make sure to explore the cemetery above the town - fantastic views from there.

You're already going to be going to an "easy-going place" - Varenna. Have a little contrast and stay in Milan first. RS says that no Italian trip is complete without visiting Milan, so since you're going to be right there anyway, I say go for it!

The Duomo is amazing (be sure to go up on the roof and wander around) and the Last Supper is also worth a visit. If you can appreciate fashion and/or beautiful women, go to the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele to see the most gorgeously dressed pedestrians in the world. The Sforza Castle is also amazing, looking like the kind of castle/fort you might have built when you were a kid, only HUGE!

And if you love opera, La Scala is there so maybe you could catch a performance. And La Scala also has a very cool museum (but only for opera-lovers).

I don't think you'll experience much culture shock since Milan is definitely northern Italian, albeit big. It's southern Italy that can be hard to adjust to.