Lake Como / northern italy

Many folks haven't been across the pond since 2019, so there's incredible pent-up demand this year for travel.

If you pack very lightly , spending nights in different hotels in the same city isn't awful- at least you get to be in these beautiful areas. For Lake Como-
Did you try Menaggio, or the other smaller towns around the lake, on the ferry stops (Lenno, Lecco, etc )? Find a visual map of the ferry schedule and check out those towns. Or Como town?
The area is so beautiful and you will be so happy once you're there.
Perhaps give up on Cinque Terre, and add more nights in Venice. You really don't have enough time for exploring those magical canals.
Good luck!

Yes, this is a popular year for travel! The smaller places you mentioned were probably booked up a few months ago. Try a few towns away on the train line from Cinque Terre to see if you can do day trips over to those villages.

Are you locked into the flights?

I recall from another of your posts you have to be in Florence at a fixed time. Can you move your 'free' around and see if you have better luck with finding lodging in the other destinations?

If you cannot add days, then one less destination would make for a better trip. My $0.02

Look at other options in the area. For Lake Como, consider Menaggio, which has a ferry port so you can travel to Bellagio or Varenna. If no availability, check the other towns on the ferry line.

Are you looking for something very specific in your lodging? Where are you looking for availability?

I did book the flights and can’t change them (flying into Milan and out of Venice).

It’s true, we must be in Florence for specific 3 days so we can’t give Venice more time unfortunately.

We would’ve loved to have a room with a view on the lake but obviously it seems that this is not an option.

I heard Menaggio is not as nice, which is why I focused on Varenna and Bellagio. We would like to be close to all the spots we have to see.

I found an Airbnb (a bit expensive) at Bellagio centre for 2 days, though I prefer Varenna because it’s just a direct train ride from Milan. The other option is to stay at 2 different hotels for each day in Varenna.

Most folks explore the lake towns via ferry, so if you found two nights in Bellagio, take them! Mennagio is fine, I haven't stayed there, but explored the area. It's smaller, but again, just jump on the ferries to get around.

Would you choose 2 nights in Bellagio (transfering after Varenna with Luggage)

Or

2 nights in Varenna in 2 hotels (but direct train ride)?

I would choose 2 nights in Bellagio over a split stay in Varenna. Assuming you arrive in time to catch the last ferry! Moving hotels eats up valuable time, when your time is already limited. You only have one day to explore. I’d rather be able to leave the hotel early, hop on the ferry, explore and return to the room later in the day.

We’re staying in Milan the first night. So the second day, we’ll check out of the hotel near the Duomo then head to the train station to Varenna. After that, if I understand well, we have to catch the ferry? How often do the ferries come?

I was hesitant to stay in Bellagio just because of this transfer and the fact that it is not direct from Milan.

Also, after Lake Como we’re heading to CT Monterosso so it will be Bellagio -> Varenna -> Milan -> Cinque Terre. It seems like a long route!!

Of your two Lake Como choices, I would stay two nights in Bellagio. It will be more relaxing, and I think it’s a prettier town. The ferry runs about every 30 minutes, and the ferry ride is about 15 minutes. I would definitely take an earlier ferry, so you don’t miss your train back to Milan that would make you miss your subsequent train out to CT.

You mentioned luggage. Be sure to have your suitcase ready to go by the train door before you reach the Varenna stop. It’s a short stop for you to depart the train as they continue to head north. At the Milano Centrale station, the train stops longer or terminates at the station.

Thanks for the advice! It’s definitely important to plan ahead which ferry and train we plan to use on our way back so we don’t miss the CT train. In case of delays, should it still be okay? We have to catch a ferry AND a train at the right time to get the subsequent CT train!

I’ll be sure to add to my notes to have the luggage ready by the time we reach the Varenna stop. 👍🏼

What train rides should I book in advance?
I prefer to plan everything ahead so when I’m on my trip I don’t have to stress or do any research.

Do plan to take a ferry quite a bit before your train, especially on weekends. We have found the ferry schedule to be somewhat of a suggestion- again, this is our actual experience.
Safe travels!

Have you considered staying a second night in Milan and then visiting Lake Como as a day trip? If you get up early and take the train to Varenna you should have time to explore there as well as Bellagio before heading back. For what it's worth Lake Maggiore is also accessible via train from Milan.

I have considered that option, but we thought we would enjoy relaxing at the Lakes and soaking in the scenery at a slower pace since we will be visiting bigger cities like Florence and Venice afterwards.

We really are most excited to see Lake Como on our trip; it looks magical!