Hi all,
I'm spending 3 nights at Lake Como in September 2024, coming from in Milan and going to Brescia after. I've seen a lot of people recommend Bellagio as the village to stay in but it seems much worse connected to other Italian cities by train, which I'll be relying on. Is it easy enough to catch the ferry to Varenna to catch the train from there, or would I be better off booking accommodation in Varenna? I'm wanting to explore Varenna, Bellagio, and Como on my trip.
Thank you!
I would recommend Hotel Olivedo as a base, right at the ferry landing in Varenna, and only a short walk from the train station. It's a very nice family-run hotel, great restaurant onsite, and convenient ferry connections to anywhere on the lake.
It will be easier to sleep in Varenna instead of Bellagio for the reason you stated. Otherwise, you have to take a ferry between Bellagio and Varenna (15m). Ferry departures are one-hour apart and then you have to wait for the train.
You can take a ferry to Varenna or across the lake to Mennagio. In Bellagio you aren’t bothered by train or traffic noise as it’s on a peninsula. We also stay in Bellagio, one time for two weeks.
Varenna has the train and is well connected to Milan, however both Bellagio and Menaggio are just minutes across the lake from Varenna with one of the frequent ferries.
Choose a location among the 3 aforementioned towns on the lake as they are all well served by the midlake shuttle ferries that constantly go across back and forth. Other towns on the lake may be served by ferries, but not as frequent as the midlake shuttle ferries. All three are quaint and full of restaurants and cafes.
We stay at the hotel du Lac in Varenna. We have found the ferry schedules to be somewhat of a suggestion, especially as the weekends wind down Sundays late afternoons, and many folks are heading back to Milan. I wouldn't schedule connections too tightly. Also note that the train to Milan Central is a regional/ commuter train, so no seat reservations are possible.
Have a great trip in this beautiful area!
Pat, we have booked Hotel du Lac for our 40th wedding anniversary trip in late September. The hotel gets fabulous reviews, is it as good as it sounds? Especially for a special event?
For our 30th we stayed in Bellagio in a hotel with a terrace over the lake, so we have booked the same at Hotel du Lac.
Thanks everyone! I think I'll stay in Bellagio and ferry to and from Varenna for transit :)
Theharbergers,
We loved the Hotel du Lac, and plan to return next year. The views and staff are wonderful. They have a daily happy hours. Congrats on the anniversary, and I hope you enjoy your adventure. Safe travels!
