Lake Como - Varenna

My husband & I stayed in Varenna in 2005 & fell in love with the beauty of Lake Como. We stayed in a RS recommended hotel the Eremo Gaudio. Loved it & the location but some people might balk because it is not on the waters edge but high up on a hill overlooking the lake but with spectacular views. Our room had a small balcony & you could see Bellagio & Mennagio which was especially beautiful at night with the lights twinkling in the distance. Can't remember what we paid but it was reasonable & since I have the 2005 RS Italy guidebook I'm sure the prices have changed.

It is a magical place. We stayed in an apartment rented by Hotel Montecodeno, but there are plenty of hotels and lodgings available. Be sure to enjoy the ferry to take you to so many places along the Lake- and listen too the ducks quacking in Italian!

Varenna is wonderful - small town but easy to catch the ferry to other places. It's easy to reach by train from Milan. You can spend a good half day roaming around the town (don't miss the cemtery above the town, the view is amazing). The ferry takes you all around the lake - Bellagio, etc. I stayed at Hotel Villa Cipressi with a Rick Steves tour group (http://www.hotelvillacipressi.it/eng/hotel.htm). Great views if you have a lake side room. Check TripAdvisor to make sure their service is still as good as it was in 2006.

Varenna is wonderful - small town but easy to catch the ferry to other places. It's easy to reach by train from Milan. You can spend a good half day roaming around the town (don't miss the cemtery above the town, the view is amazing). The ferry takes you all around the lake - Bellagio, etc. I stayed at Hotel Villa Cipressi with a Rick Steves tour group (http://www.hotelvillacipressi.it/eng/hotel.htm). Great views if you have a lake side room. Check TripAdvisor to make sure their service is still as good as it was in 2006.

One of the advantages of staying in Varenna is that it is at the train station connecting to Milan. If you are in one of the other towns, you need a ferry to get to the Varenna train station. This can be a problem if you have an early train; the ferries may not run early enough for you to get to the train and make your connection.

Lori...we spent 2 nites in Varenna last in early Sept...just returned. We loved it and stayed at the Hotel du Lac in Varenna. It was pricey for us, but well worth the splurge..we had a wonderful view. It's quiet and so relaxing. If you're coming in on the train, try to take a taxi...we walked the "10 min" but it was rough with one rolling suitcase...lots of steps. We took the ferry to Bellagio one afternoon, more shops, restaurants there, but for relaxing, you can't beat Varenna. Lovely waterfront eating places, great walks after dinner. Tom/Sherry, Steger, IL

We stayed in Varenna Sept 3-8, 2007 at Eremo Gaudio. You take a funicular up to the rooms and you have a fabulous view. The owner and staff are very nice. It is a bit of a walk from the train station though. We enjoyed it but you can also take a taxi if you don't want to walk. Albergo Milano is a lot closer to the train station but they were full when we were there.

We had drinks at Hotel Du Lac for sunset and it was beautiful. Dinner at Villa Cipressi and Albergo Milano was excellent. The place we had the most fun dining was The Nilus Bar. The waiters were fun and cute! The food inexpensive. Great Crepes and brushetta.

Bellagio was a bit of a disappointment so I am glad we didn't stay there. Big tourist trap. Ate at Ristorante Billicus and it was a very rushed meal. Not fun.

Menaggio looked like a fun place to stay. A little more to do there than in Varenna. The BellaVista was a three star that looked really nice. Varenna is good if you are coming by train.

I stayed in Varenna at the Eremo Gaudio last month. It was nice and quite at night. You do have a hill to walk up to get to it.

Take a taxi from the train station. It's too much to walk with a suitcase.

I paid 95 Euros per night and had a beautiful view and a small patio.