Lake Como-Varenna or Menaggio

We stayed in Varenna, but we took the ferry to Mennagio one morning just to explore. It is a lovely village and right on the water. You can easily see the other mid Lake villages using the frequent ferries. The rides to Bellagio and Varenna are about 15 minutes. I say go for Mennagio if it meets your needs. You will still be in the most scenic part of Lake Como.

One benefit of Mennagio is that it is flat. There is a nice promenade too and several nice hotels. That side of the lake is very nice. George Clooney’s villa is on the west side, hotel Villa d’Este too, though both are farther south. The west side actually probably has the edge to being “nicer” with mountains coming down to the lake. Bellagio has the benefit of being on a peninsula that extends into the lake so is quiet at night for sleeping. The Varenna side on the east has to deal with train noise and the Mennagio side on the west with road noise, not that any of is really bad.

Thanks for the responses. I am always worried when something is cheaper that I am missing something. This makes me feel confident enough to book the place!

Although I visited Varenna more than once, I’ve stayed overnight only in Bellagio and, most recently in Menaggio.
Varenna is very small compared to both Bellagio and Menaggio, and has become extremely popular in recent years (I wonder if Rick Steves contributed to that). As a result prices in a Varenna have increased.
All 3 places in the Midlake are gorgeous so you can’t go wrong.

The advantages of Menaggio are that is very close to Lugano, if you care to visit, and also to the splendid Villa Carlotta.

We stayed in a rented apartment in Cadeabbia and enjoyed it. It was quite easy to take the ferry to Varenna and Bellagio, walk to Villa Carlotta, and enjoy a couple of hikes. The area is served by the C10 bus which makes it easy to explore other towns.

I had tried finding a reasonably priced place for a large group in Varenna, but the options were limited.

If you want to spend a day in Varenna before taking the train back to Milan, the TI office offers free luggage storage (donation accepted) and they have very good maps showing attractions and walks.

If you are interested in recent history, near Menaggio and Cadenabbia is the village of Tremezzina.
That is where Benito Mussolini, after being captured by the partisans in nearby Dongo, was held prisoner and executed along with his mistress Claretta Petacci. Their bodies were later taken to Milan to hang upside down at an Esso gas station on Piazza Loreto. The place of the execution is marked by a plaque and an explanatory sign. George Clooney’s house is also in the area, in Laglio, a little to the south toward Como.

I booked the apartment this morning. I really appreciate all the feedback. Perhaps we can check our bag when we arrive in Varenna and see the town. We will only be coming from Verona so should be early enough to do some sightseeing.

And I must admit I got the idea of staying in Varenna from a Rick Steves’ video. He talked of the train stopping there and that spiked my interest.

I did not know about Mussolini. A bit gruesome I must say.

Hi Beth,
Would you mind sharing the name of the place you’re booking in Menaggio? You can dm me if you prefer.

We’re going in July & would like a place with 2 separate bedrooms & a lake view, so perhaps your place will fit the bill.
Cheers!