Lodging in Varnna

Hi Steve, It would help to know when you'll be there and how many are traveling with you. I haven't been yet but we are staying here http://theheartplaceinvillamichela.blogspot.com/ Laura has been incredibly helpful and is even going to meet us at the train station and take us to her place. Now we did their apartment but they also have regular B&B accommodations. I found it on vrbo.com
Buon Viaggio

My wife and I will be traveling with our 10 years old son next summer. Let me know how Heart place villa is.

It is under Villa Michela on trip advisor Given a 97% from reviews!

Hi Steve. We stayed in Albergo Milano in Sept '09 & loved it. I think they also have an annex (in a building nearby) but we stayed in the actual hotel in a room with a lake front balcony. The views were amazing & the room was very nice. It was very quiet & clean. The breakfast buffet was fine and they also run a restaurant every night. Supposedly their dinners are incredible but we opted to eat elsewhere. I would stay there again in a heartbeat. It's rated #1 of the B&B's in Varenna. We had to leave very early on a Saturday morning (before the scheduled breakfast time) to catch our flight out of Malpensa & the owners were nice enough to set a breakfast table for us so we could eat before we left. We didn't ask for this; they offered & I thought this was a nice touch.

Hi Steve. We, like Sheron, stayed in the Albergo Milano in 2009 and stayed in a room with a balcony. The views over Lake Como were spectacular and we enjoyed sitting on the balcony at night watching the sun set and sipping a glass of wine. However, we were there in July and we thought it was hot at night sleeping. There was a ceiling fan but it didn't help much. I do need to tell you that we live in Houston, Texas, and are accustomed to sleeping in air conditioning. Varenna is on the side of the lake that receives afternoon sun. I can believe that it must be wonderful in the fall and winter particularly. We really enjoyed our stay at the Albergo Milano but did not eat dinner there because we prefer to eat a large lunch and then simply picnic in our room....we always try to get one with a patio or balcony. The following year we chose to stay in Bellagio in July and because it has a different position on the lake, the afternoon sun was not a problem. Bellagio is a more active town with more shops and restaurants but my husband and I love both places.

We'll be staying at Eremo Gaudio (in RS book) in early September. You reach the hotel through a funicular above the town. We read the trip advisor and the negative complaints seemed to be regarding rooms on the lower portion of the hotel (due to the funicular noise), so we elected to pay more for a room with a balcony on the upper part of the hotel. Unfortunately, Albergo Milano was booked. Send me a PM and I'll let you know how the stay was when we return.

Eremo Gaudio is my second choice! We definitely would stay there if the Albergo Milano were not to be available. We did not stay there but we did travel up to see the hotel and liked it....it also seemed cooler because it is higher up on the mountain.

Steve, what month are you planning to visit Varenna?

We'll be traveling next summer.