Lake Como

Stay mid lake in the ferry triangle, Bellagio, Varenna, Mennagio, Caddenabbia, etc. More ferry routes and prettier scenery than farther south.

Hi jenna. Suggest you go to library or bookstore and get the Rick Steves Italy book - it will have a wealth of the type of info you are looking for. Enjoy your trip!

jenna,

Many in the group here like to stay in Varenna, which is in the mid lake area. It makes a great "home base" for touring other parts of the lake such as Bellagio or other towns. It's also easily accessible by train from Milan, about a one hour trip.

As this is your first trip to Italy, you'll need to be aware of some potentially expensive "caveats" when using trains and other public transit in Italy. If you need more information on that, post another note here.

Are you going to be travelling elsewhere in Italy? I'd suggest packing along a copy of the RS Italy guidebook as it's a valuable resource to have at hand when touring.

Thank you so much! Ken, please do let me know about the potentially expensive caveats when using trains and other public transit in Italy—I know nothing at all about it, so I’d love any information you can give me. I will make sure to pick up the Italy guidebook. We are going to have 19 days in Italy—an unexpected opportunity came up and we’re jumping on it. This is what we have planned:

May 19: Fly in to Milan. Train to Lake Como.
May 20: Lake Como
May 21: Lake Como
May 22: Train to Venice
May 23: Venice
May 24: Venice
May 25: Train to Florence
May 26: From Florence, possible day trip to Cinque Terre
May 27: Florence
May 28: Car rental to drive through Tuscany
May 29: Day trip to Siena
May 30: Florence. Train to Rome.
May 31: Rome
June 1: Rome
June 2: Rome
June 3: Train to Sorrento. Stop to visit Naples on the way.
June 4: Day trip to Pompeii
June 5: Day trip to Capri
June 6: Day trip to Positano
June 7: Fly from Naples to Paris (it’s cheaper for us to fly to Paris and then to Boston, where we live, than to fly Naples to Boston).

We stayed in Lenno, Alberge Lenno, which is across the lake from Bellagio and less touristy. We got a room with a balcony facing the lake including breakfast/they do dinner also and the town is very nice. The boats stop at all the towns. Bellagio is very touristy, Varenna is nice, Como is a nice city which has more to see, Villa Balbianello is walking distance to Lenno or the boat can take you there, Villa Carlotta where they filmed a Month at the Lake is also nice to see. We also stayed in Bellagio at Hotel Bellagio but it is more touristy and more expensive. Depends on what you want. We liked to come back at the end of the day with a bottle of wine and sit on the balcony watching the world go by before dinner and after a full day of touring on the lake. Have fun as it's a beautiful lake. If you are taking a boat down to Como the guys on the boat may even point out "Georgio's" house as in George Clunney's house!
From the train station in Como we took a taxi to the boats and then took the boat to Lenno and our hotel which was right there.

jenna,

I've sent you a PM with more information on the "caveats".

"From Florence, possible day trip to Cinque Terre"

For a day trip from Florence to the Cinque Terre, you'll likely have at least two train changes, so you'll have to be familiar with that too. If you need a few tips on how to do that, anyone of the group here can help. You'll undoubtedly have to deal with train changes with some of your other trips too.

"Car rental to drive through Tuscany"

There are also some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of with car rentals and driving in Italy. Do you need more information on that?