Info on staying near Lake Como and then Cinque Terra

Lake Como: Among travelers on this site, the most visited area of Lake Como is the mid-lake area, the towns of Varenna, Bellagio, and Menaggio.

None of these areas has too much in the way of budget accommodations--they're desirable locations with limited numbers of rooms, which has an effect on the cost of lodging--but you can find places with moderate (as opposed to budget) costs. As a general statement only, Bellagio will be somewhat more expensive, Menaggio will be somewhat less expensive. You'll generally pay more for lake views.

Almost everyone here takes the train from Milan to Lake Como; get off at Varenna and either stay there, or take the ferry to Bellagio or Menaggio. A rental car is an unnecessary hassle there. The views you came for are to be had from the ferries in mid-lake, not from the road around the lake, which has limited parking and limited views.

You asked about 3 of nights: the average or most typical # of nights in Lake Como, among travelers here, seems to be 2 or 3 nights.

Lake Como is on one side of Milan (north) and the Cinque Terre (CT) is on the other side of Milan (south). So you'll have to double back, it's unavoidable. Most here would take the train from Lake Como, back through Milan, and then another train to the CT. Again, a car is an unnecessary headache in the CT. The average # of nights in the CT seems to be about 3 nights.

Tonia,

As Kent mentioned, the "average" time in each location is usually 2-3 nights. You'll have to decide what time frame works for you.

A few questions for clarification....

Were you planning on spending any time in Milan prior to visiting each of the other areas? Are you planning to visit any other places in that area?

The small town of Varenna is very popular with many of Rick's readers, and it's an easy trip from Milan (about 1 hour). Bellagio is best reached by Ferry from Varenna (about 20 minutes), but it tends to be a bit more "upscale" than Varenna so your budget will be a consideration.

As Kent mentioned, you'll have to return to Milano Centrale for the trip to the Cinque Terre. It's not difficult, but the trip will probably involve one or two "changes", depending on which train you choose. Hiking the trails in the Cinque Terre is a favourite activity of many people. You'll need a Park Pass for that, but it's easily obtained (there WILL be people checking for these).

You might want to have a look at a copy of the Italy 2010 Guidebook, not only for transportation suggestions but also ideas on lodgings, restaurants and sights to see in each of the areas.

Cheers!

I stayed in Bellagio last July for 10 days. There are afforable apts for rent in town and also in Aureggio and Pescallo -small villages just outside Bellagio. A car is not necessary - we took the bus to Como for great shopping in the open market on Saturdays, we took the ferry to Varenna for cooking classes with Chef Moreno and also to Menaggio to catch the bus to Lugano, Switzerland. There is so much to do and see. Sitting outside the Hotel du Lac and people watching in itself is entertainment for an afternoon.Our young friend booked a room at the Hotel du Lac for a reasonable 70E. Armando has a great little pizzeria in Aureggio where the locals hang out in the back garden. We visited Villa Carlotta, Villa Monestaro(Varenna) and hiked up to Castello Vezio (Varenna). The people are helpful and friendly. You can't go wrong in Bellagio. Great gelato. Lasagne at Sergio's Art in Flower ,pizza and pasta at Baba Yaga. Buon viaggio!!

Good info already provided above. As for hotel recommendations if needed, I’ll suggest Albergo Milano in Varenna and La Torretta in Manarola.

Just across the lake from Bellagio is Tremezzo. Several nice places there (Hotel Rusall is located on a hilltop a good walk up fromt eh lakeside)

Even tho' September seems far away, you should be
booking your hotel rooms for both places NOW if not
sooner!

For instance, I booked Albergo Milano in December
for the following September and it was filling up
then.