Lake Como

The uniqueness about Lake Como is its tranquility and beauty. you must be ready for this to enjoy it. Varenna is the best loc to stay for alot, ease of train from Milan, small, freq ferry access etc.
leave the hustle and bustle of Rome , Florence etc for Varenna , an excellent first or last stop from Italy. Enjoy

Lake Como is just divine. If you are looking to relax and take it easy then 3 nights definately. There are lots of lovely little towns around the lake and Bellagio is worth almost a day just in itself

We thought two nights was plenty. I recommend against staying at Albergo Baretta in Varenna, although it's in Rick's book. They run a little scam where, when it's time to check out, they tell you that their credit card machine is broken and that you'll have to pay cash. The exact same thing happened to other couples we met later who had stayed there. It forced us to use up almost all the cash we had on us and we maxed out our daily ATM limit. (And they wouldn't offer us a cash discount, common at other places.)

One of the owners of a pensione where we stayed later said that some hotel owners do this to avoid declaring you as guests and to take the cash under the table (unreported). It left a bad taste in our mouth right at the start of our trip.

I definetely agree with the others, three nights would be better. I was surprised to hear about the unfortunate Hotel experiences of the previous poster. I imagine that establishment will be removed from Rick's book immediately, as ETBD has a strict policy regarding places that take advantage of tourists.

I also stayed in Varenna and found it an ideal "home base" for touring the lake, especially as the Ferry dock was right in front of my Hotel. I stayed at Albergo Olivedo and had no problems with the bill (the food was wonderful!).

Happy travels!

I agree that Varenna is a good place to stay and three nights is good. However, I would not stay at Albergo Olivedo again. The beds were terrible, breakfasts meager, and the owner weird. In addition, there is plenty of noise from the ferries and foot traffic outside this hotel until late. Hotel Gaudio Eremo sounds perfect but I am not sure of the spelling. You have to use the funicular to get up to it. Apparently they have a nice rooftop terrace(with great views) and also rates are comparable to AO.

I'm always amused at the remarks about the Albergo Olivedo in Varenna. If you enter it in the right hand corner, there are 25 results. I don't think that there is a Rick-recommended hotel that inspires so many both positive and negative postings. Although I understand where the negative postings are coming from, it is definitely among my lifetime "Top 10" for both accomodations and food!