Milan to Lake Como

Where on lake Como :-)

Anyway. You could do something like: Take a train to Como Nord Lago. Get on a boat there. Hope on and off boats all day till you end up in eg. Varenna. Take train back.

https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/en/

I read about Bellagio and Varenna. Maybe i should plan to stop there also. Do you think it is doable in a day? thanks

Yes, you can certainly do a day trip to Lake Como from Milan. The trip from Miilano Centrale to Varenna-Esino is as short as 1H:04M. According to the schedule I checked tonight using an arbitrary date of 4 June, the trains are operating on a normal schedule, so it's an easy trip. Be sure to choose a direct train, and not one with one or two changes.

From Varenna you can take the ferry for the short ride across to Bellagio (about 20 minutes each way). The ferry dock is down at the lakefront, right in front of Albergo Olivedo..As I recall, there's a ticket office right there. Walk downhill from the rail station and you'll find it.

Those trains are Regionale so if you buy paper tickets at the station, be sure to validate prior to boarding the train on the day of travel.

A couple of cautions?
Upcoming line closure:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/june-train-from-milan-to-varenna

Kenko posted:
"The Trenord train line from Milan to Varenna-Esino will be closed north of Lecco at least from June 15 through September 15. This means train travelers to Varenna-Esino will need to disembark the train in Lecco and board substitute buses for the remainder of the journey. Your train ticket will reserve you a spot aboard the substitute buses completing the journey."

Not sure what day you're planning this journey so just a heads-up.

Also, some recent posters have commented on how very busy Varenna, the trains and/or ferries have become:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/is-lake-como-getting-crowded-like-the-ct-and-ac

Again, just a heads-up?

We are doing something similar as well we are heading to Como from Venice through Milan Centrale. It's totally doable for a day just grab the earliest train to maximize your time. It's a quick train trip under 40 mins. when booking though just make sure you pay attention to the times some Milan trains will be a little over an hour and some are around or under 40 mins. You will probable get the best times using the Milano Centrale to Como San. Giovanni , You should see options from EuroCity and Trenord.

Good luck and report back on how it went, Be very curious.

We just returned. The train crowding, delays, and cancelations make this a daunting day trip currently. And the Milan-Varenna train line will be under repair, so you must transfer to a bus- good luck with that. Then there are the hour plus lines for ferry tickets. And the lines for the ferries themselves. This is no longer a carefree day trip. Private transportation would work but very expensive. Sadly, the area is over- touristed. I was heart-broken to see the lake ruined by the crowds. Good luck.

Thank you all for the info. You all are great!!

If you find the Como lake too touristed, a visit to Lugano in Switzerland may be a very easy substitution. Or may be a railway trip to the rack railway of Monte Generoso (still in Swiss territory), from the top you can spot multiple lakes from above :-)

(if going to Switzerland, take your passport with you).

Thank you Lachera for the Switzerland suggestion. I will look into that. i was looking at the train tickets from Milan to Varenna and there were only 2 trains listed 8pm and 9pm because of the repair. Just wonder how can i get to Varenna then. I was reading other people take the train from Milan to Lecco then the bus to Varenna, but they also don't know how to get the bus to Varenna. Any suggestions? thanks

hey hey jinnietrinh
how many days are you staying in milan and how many of you? you are traveling during high summer season with italy being one of the top countries "everyone" wants to see, the crowds will be outrageous, big cities will be nightmarish, tourists from all over the world, cruise ships add thousands more, train disruptions especially milan to lake como, long lines for ferries, buses and restaurants as Kathy and Pat have posted, irritated/grumpy people, the weather may be hot.
lake como is mentioned everyday day here and "best/economical/budget" ways to get there, it is on tourists overload, like cinque terre & amalfi coast, dolomites, venice, rome, etc. much disruption taking place for the olympic/paralympic winter games for milano cortina 2026. who know how long that will take and taking longer than expected.
couple other lakes near milan you could check out: lake iseo, lake maggiore, lake garda. i've been to lake garda and absolutely loved it. so many things to see and do, small villages/towns, ferries, buses. other posters have great ideas here about lake maggiore and iseo, search area on top of page.
it's your vacation, you do you. just some other options to think about. good luck with your planning
aloha