Lake Como ferries

I don't know about schedules but when we were there in May, it seemed like the ferries were always less than convenient. If possible, spring for the fast ferries. It takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get anywhere on the slow ones. Scenic yes, but tediously slow. Pay close attention to when the last ferry of the day is. The timing may take you by surprise. It did us. On the plus side, we found the Lake Como ferry workers to be helpful, cheerful people. It was a big contrast to the grumpy folks we had two weeks later on the Amalfi Coast. Enjoy! It will be beautiful.

Thank you! Yes, I do think it will be slow. This is the very end of our trip, so we plan to kick back for the most part. But I at least need to get to our hotel from the train station. The schedule should come out eventually - I hope! Can't wait.

Currently the only schedule available is through Oct. 2nd.

https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/risultati?lake=Como

Click on the "Timetable PDF" for a list of currently available schedules. Come October 3, expect less frequent passages

When I go to Como I use the fast boats only for necessary fast transportation. They have poor visibility (small non-openable windows) but do go reasonably quickly. I did that once to get back to Varenna from the bottom of the lake near Como.

I much prefer the slow, call everywhere boats. I get to relax and enjoy being on the lake and seeing the scenery coming into view and slowly getting bigger. Because the decks are open the sounds of the villages make their way to the boat, as well as the sound of the boat passing through the water. For me, that's relaxation.

Nigel - I like your style!

We do the same as Nigel.

Thanks, everyone!

There's no denying that the slow ferries are more scenic and have their charms. However, if you are based in one place and trying to get from A to B, or the weather is bad, a fast ferry is nice. It takes a couple of hours to get from Como to Bellagio. It may make sense to spend more time at your destination than in transit. Fast ferries do have limited visibility but there is also speed and limited passenger capacity. Most people are very nice but there are generally crowds on the upper decks and a lot of jostling around to take pictures. Even on the lake, it can be very hot. If you were stuck like we were on a packed ferry from Como to Villa Carlotta with a small group of loud, foul-mouthed, obnoxious Americans, you might wish you were on a fast ferry. Use the schedule to your advantage and consider all ferries. When poking around I found this search area which is easier to understand than the schedule. https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/risultati?lake=Como It might help.

I recently spoke to our hotel about this as I will be there in late October and their response was that they have no idea what the ferry schedules will look like after October 2nd because those schedules are set by the harbormaster. Given the inconsistencies of the last few years, the hotel staff wouldn't render a guess except to say that it would likely be less frequent.

FYI - the boat schedule is available online for October 3-November 6, 2022.
https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/doc/pdf/orari/Como/Navetta%20CL_A2022.pdf

Thank you for the update @Elizabeth! I was just looking for this as well.

Here is the web page for the additional timetables.
https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/risultati?lake=como
Click on "Timetable PDF" and then the others will appear