Lake Como.

Allapod, it would help if you told us which town this hotel is in. Como is a big lake, about 60 Km from end to end.
How are you getting there? Will you have a hire car with you?

You say you are staying in Cadenabbia which has ferry service. You do want to drive around the lake! Mountains come down to narrow roads. One time we were behind a bus and it got stuck.
Take the ferry around mid lake. Go to Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio, and Lenno. From Lenno you can walk to Villa Balbianello or you can also take a water taxi there from Lenno. I don’t even recall lines for tickets but only went inside the Villa one time. We love the grounds and usually just walk around them, looking at the different views which are magnificent.
Villa Carlotta was our least favorite of the villa gardens. I only recall shubery. We preferred Villa Melzi in Bellagio and Villa Monasterio in Varenna.

Thank you Suki, I will look up those two villas you mentioned.

"From Lenno you can walk to Villa Balbianello or you can also take a water taxi there from Lenno. I don’t even recall lines for tickets but only went inside the Villa one time. We love the grounds and usually just walk around them, looking at the different views which are magnificent.
Villa Carlotta was our least favorite of the villa gardens. I only recall shubery. We preferred Villa Melzi in Bellagio and Villa Monasterio in Varenna."

@Suki, I've been watching this thread since I will be at Lake Como in October. How would you rank Villa Balbianello to Monasterios and Melze? Also, for clarification, RS liked Carlotta more than Monasterio, though I think he was referring to the villas, themselves. Did you go inside any of the villas? Also RS said that the gardens at Monasterio were nicer than Carlotta, is that what you meant?

We were at Villa Balbianello this past April. Obviously, that wasn't the summer season, but we had no lines nor any crowds. The area was very peaceful and beautiful, and the Villa tour, an hour, was quite interesting. We walked up to the Villa, and took the speedboat back. Got some great photos of the Villa from the lake, framed with the splash from the speedboat.
Also- use the ferries.
Safe Travels!

You definitely want to use the water transportation and not the car! We took the bus from Bellagio south around the lake to Como to catch a train. Talk about narrow roads! Cars and buses and trucks all come to a grinding halt at some of the narrowest points and forcing someone to back up so someone else can get through! The ferries and private boat tours give both the car driver and the passenger to ooo and aaaah over the beauty of Lake Como without the stress of the road.

We stayed in Varenna and took a private boat tour of the mid lake region which also included a private tour of Villa Balbianello. It is a must see, and you would love a meal at a cafe on the water in Varenna. For us it wad the most beautiful spot on the lake.

Don't sleep in the town of Como.

Villa Balbianello is by far one of my favorite places to visit. I could have skipped Carlotta - not all that interesting really but the Villa Balbianello is beautiful and has a great story. I think it was 20 Euro for the Villa tour. Nothing like "skip the lines" that I am aware of.
Not sure how you picked Cadenabbia but I'd love to read your trip report after your stay. You don't need to rent a boat the ferry system works great. And not sure about marina parking but car parking is almost non-existent so hopefully your hotel has access to parking.

Hi , Donna . Thanks for replying. We picked Cadennabia for a few reasons: it has a parking, has an air conditioning, very good reviews, close location of the ferry docks, and we where able to use points. I will give my feedback after the trip. Lol