Lake Como, Sept 2017

Kassie,

We enjoyed our visit to Varenna, on Lake Como, which is an easy one hour train ride from Milan.
Once you reach Varenna, you can visit other lakeside villages ( Bellagio, Menaggio, Lenno, etc.) via frequent ferries.

Swiss Influence? Hmmm.
You might want to try Lake Maggiore instead where the lake boats will take you to the north end of the lake which is actually IN Switzerland.

Kassie,

I have the same comments as Sam. Exactly what "Swiss influence" are you interested in? I also agree that perhaps Lago Maggiore would be a better choice (unless you have time to see both lakes). If you stay in Stresa, it's very easy to take the scenic Cento Valli Railway to Locarno, and then return by boat in the evening. You could also spend a few days in Lugano, which is in Switzerland but has the Italian influence.

We enjoyed our stay in Bellagio on Lake Como, which is livelier than Varenna. From there, one morning we took a boat to Menaggio, walked through the town to take the "autobus" to Lugano, Switzerland. It was about a one hour drive to Lugano, where the scenery from the lake and mountains was breathtaking, and we were able to see some swiss chalet style homes. We spent the morning in Lugano, taking the tourist "choo-choo" around the city for a tour, then walking around to get a feel for the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. There is also a funicular ride in Lugano for some great views. Had a great day, and we were back in Bellagio by dinner.

I too would recommend Lago Maggiore, stay somewhere in the northern part of the lake, take the ferry (including into Switzerland).

Hotel Florence in Bellagio is wonderful! It's in the Rick Steve's book.

We stayed in varenna this past September and it was spectacular. Like you we were there for three days and spent time enjoying the town as well as taking a ferry and spending one day in bellagio. Our hotel was the royal Victoria and it was fabulous with amazing rooms, views and food all in one. We enjoyed the hotel and the region so much were are going back in 2017.

Our Villages tour ends at Lake Orta. We would love to spend 3 days on our own at the end of the tour. Como (Varenna & Bellagio), OR Lake Maggiore? Seems like a trek from Orta to Varenna?

Kassie wrote: Hi all! This will be our first trip to Italy and we plan to stay on Lake Como for 3 nights. Any recommended town(s) on the Lake?? Would love to see some of the Swiss influence in this area.

A couple of thoughts on Lake Como and Lake Maggiore. They are both very beautiful and great places for a restful vacation. Lake Maggiore is in an area that is not as hilly (mountainous) as Lake Como. I find Lake Como more beautiful and perhaps more restful - although it might bring out the urge to shop. I have stayed in Stresa on Lake Maggiore and Bellagio and Tremezzina‎ on Lake Como.

My Lake Como experience is much more recent than Maggiore so I will focus on Como. Bellagio is right on the lake and has excellent (expensive) shopping. Silk seems to be a specialty. One shop even claims to have sold/given Bill Clinton a tie - that could be a positive or negative! We stayed at Hotel Florence, recommended by Robin, and had a great view of the lake. It's very close to the shops and the ferry, so its location is hard to beat. One caution. If you are driving you will find the roads to Bellagio extremely narrow. I would recommend taking the car ferry instead of driving to Bellagio.

In Tremezzina we stayed at La Perla. Again we had a room that overlooks the lake (I think all rooms at La Perla have lake views). Tremezzina is perhaps a mile up the hills to the west of Tremezzo. The road along the west shore of Lake Como to Tremezzo is an easier drive than the one to Bellagio. The owners of La Perla provide a free shuttle down to the lake so that you can catch the ferry.

Once you are located on Lake Como I would do all your sightseeing by ferry. There are lots of pretty little towns accessible by ferry. Be sure to visit at least Bellagio and Varenna, The weather should be nice in September (our trips were in September and October and we had perfect weather).

I am not sure about Swiss influence or just how easy it is to get to Switzerland from Lake Como if you are not driving. In fact I am not sure that I would recognize Swiss Influence but I can confirm that prices in the area were approaching those in Switzerland.

We stayed in varenna...which is very peaceful & quiet. (we stayed in an apt.) We went to bellagio one day on the ferry...it has a more bustling, touristy vibe. So, it depends on what you are looking for