Lake Como?

OK, I'll try to make some sense of it. Not that many "waterfront" hotels in Bellagio, but you will see the lake from about anyplace you can choose. The only trouble with the city of Como is that is at the "bottom" of a very long lake. It's closer to Milan and you can make good train connections to anywhere from Milan, it is a long way from a lot of the other towns on the lake. We have stayed where Rick suggests, Varenna. This is a very small town but on the "middle" of the lake and you can get anywhere from that area. It's also a beautiful setting. We were there in October and had a great, relaxing time. I would suggest a side trip to Lugano, Switzerland. Mostly, you go to Lake Como to enjoy the natural beauty and relax.

Yes, your question makes sense. There is a town named "Como" at the southern end of Lake Como. I believe it is larger than the other lake towns. Ferries leave from Como town to the other towns up the lake. Most of the discussion about places on Lake Como refers to towns further north: Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio, etc. These more northern towns can be reached by rail to Varenna and then short ferry rides. You probably should get your hands on a travel book about Italy rather than trying to figure out everything from the Rick Steves Graffiti Wall.

Follow Kents advice he is absolutely accurate. The charm is NOT to be found in Como town even tho some stars live there. but it is a good town to rent a car from then move on.

One evening after work I drove from Milan up to Como, the city. I then spent some time driving to the lake by taking the road that went downhill. I ended up in a small town north of Como and got a few nice pictures. Too crowded for me though.

On Saturday, after reading Rick's tale of Verena I decided to give that a try. Wonderful. Found a parking place (not easy) and also a restaurant on the water at the Hotel Du Lac, partially chosen because of the Shrek movie. The smoked trout was as great as the view.

I talked to some British tourists and they planned on taking the ferry to Bellagio so I checked and it was 3.50 Euro for the car, not bad.

I also enjoyed the road from Bellagio to Como. A bit narrow but worth it for the views.

The easiest way to understand Lago di Como would be to look at a Map (there's a good Map in Rick's Italy book). However, here's a brief description.

Lago di Como is a long, narrow lake shaped like an inverted "Y". The city of Como is located at the bottom of the left-hand leg. Bellagio is located about the center, on a peninsula where the "Y" joins (if that makes sense?). There are small towns and elegant old Villas located all along the lake.

The city of Como is has perhaps not the best place to enjoy the area. Some of the other towns are better to enjoy the "charms" of the lake. Varenna is a favourite with many here, as it's well covered in Rick's book. It is indeed a great place to relax and enjoy the area (and of course some Gelato).

Bellagio tends to be a bit more "upscale", and you could certainly stay there as well. The quickest way to reach Bellagio is via Ferry from Varenna (about 20 minutes). You can also travel there as a "foot passenger" for a day trip if you base in Varenna.

There is at least one lakefront Hotel in Bellagio, the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. It's been owned by the same family for five generations as I recall, but one important point if you choose to stay there - be sure you have a LARGE budget!

Varenna also has many good lodgings and two old Villas with beautiful gardens that are open for touring - Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero (buy a combo ticket to tour both).

It's very easy to reach Lago di Como by train from Milan. If you'll be staying in Varenna, it's about a one hour trip. I don't see any need to rent a car for that part of Italy. Others here have commented on the narrow roads along the lake, which can be challenging.

Some of the "rich & famous" have Villas on the lake. On my last visit, one of the favourite activities at dinner was trying to guess where Clooney's villa was (we had it narrowed down!).

Cheers!

The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, in Bellagio, is indeed extremely expensive. (It's the only 5 star hotel in the area.)

However, a few years ago, my parents went there, since it was highly recommended, for a splurge. The rooms were extremely tiny, so they were a bit put off and weren't going to stay. The front desk mentioned their apartments, Residence L'Ulivo, as an alternative. They enjoyed their stay there so much that we stayed at the Residence L'Ulivo when we spent a week (there's a one week minimum) in Bellagio a few years ago.

We found it to be very economical, and what a place! We had a 1 bedroom apartment (they have varying sizes, but they're all 1 bedroom), with a nice kitchen. It is set above the hotel itself. We had access to everything that the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni offers: health club, tennis courts, gardens, indoor and outdoor pools, lakefront access and beach, restaurants, private parking, etc.

We rented a car in Milan and drove to Bellagio. While we didn't use the car often, we did enjoy having it. The road to Bellagio is (as others have said) narrow, but nothing out of the ordinary for Italy.

If you can get to the town of Como, you can then take a fast ferry up the lake and be in Menaggio within the hour. The ferry also stops at Lenno, Bellaggio, and Verana, just to name a few places. Below is a website where you can stay in a condo or villa almost anywhere along the lake. The prices are also included as well as dates the units are available. The further you are from Menaggio, the price per night decreases. We have used this site often. We have also stayed at the Hotel Du Lac in Menaggio, it is a lovely three star hotel, reasonable and very clean. It is in the main square where all the action is for this quaint little town along the lake. My favorite place to go...feels like home.

http://www.lakecomohomes.com/