Milan to Lake Como Water Connections

The mid lake shuttle runs more or less hourly with boats to/from Menaggio and Bellagio.
22 departures from Varenna to Bellagio between 6:45 am and 11:20 pm M-Sat, 20 on Sundays and Holidays.
https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/05P2024_Web_TrFeriale.pdf
https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/05P2024_Web_TrFestivo.pdf

Thank you for your reply. Do you know if I should order tickets in advance to be safe or am I ok buying tickets the day of the trip? Also, where is the ticket office located and where do you pick up the boat/ferry? I plan to go there around May 16-17.

Thanks again,

Ticket office is located at the dock. About 1/4 mile from the train station, downhill (uphill on the return). See photo.
https://www.google.com/maps/@46.0139559,9.2829218,3a,90y,215.97h,79.89t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjF940EWyly440Vllps4CCQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Ferry schedule depends on the months of the year; so make sure to look at the correct schedule for the month you are visiting.
* March - May
* June - November

This is ferry operator NAVIGAZIONE LAGO DI COMO schedule homepage: https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/en/
Here is the current 2024 March-May weekday schedule:
https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/05P2024_Web_TrFeriale.pdf

Check back later for the June-November schedule.

There are various ferry routes, the mid-lake route Corse Traghetto operates only in the central area of Lake Como (Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio, Cadenabbia); so this is the one you want to take. It’s mostly car ferries but also a few fast ferries (passengers only). Fast ferry has no outside seating; so on a sunny day you might want to take the car ferry to enjoy the view from the deck. The car ferry piers are marked by the word "Traghetto”; a seperate pier serves passenger-only fast ferries. These two types of ferry piers are close to each other at Varenna; but are on the opposite sides at Bellagio. So make sure to go to the right version of pier you want.

On www.navigazionelaghi.it/en/ ticket website select 'Lake Como'; there are two pier options with similar name:
For Varenna: Varenna & Varenna (Traghetto)
For Bellagio: Bellagio & Bellagio (Traghetto)

Select Varenna (Traghetto) & Bellagio (Traghetto) if you want to take car ferry (more frequent ferry services).
You can buy the ticket at the ferry pier or onboard the ferry. But during busy season the ticket line can be long; that happened to me when I was there last year. Luckily I was able to bypass the ticket line by buying it on their website; and went straight to the boarding line. You can go to Navigazione Laghi website or use their mobile app called 'DreamLake' to buy your ticket.

If you are traveling between Como (left southern tip of the lake) and Bellagio; you will take the fast ferry (the only option). They don’t sell the ticket for this route online, so you will want to show up early to buy ticket as during the busy season the line can be long and tickets can sold out. This particular fast ferry route runs not very frequently (see schedule); if you miss it you will have to wait a long time for the next one.

P.S. I rode the Treno (https://www.trenord.it/en/) regional train from Milano Centrale to Varenna Esino; and the ferry pier is walking distance from the train station. https://goo.gl/maps/PjiT7MzZyYutBXvi9

Have a wonderful trip!

This was the itinerary for my trip last year from Milan to Lake Como (Varenna & Bellagio):

Milano Centrale > Varenna Esino (train to Varenna)
RE 2820 10:20am - 11:24am

Varenna Esino > Varenna Traghetto (ferry pier)
Walk (6-8 mins)

Varenna Traghetto > Bellagio Traghetto (ferry to Bellagio)
T613 12.05pm - 12:20pm

Bellagio Traghetto - Varenna Traghetto (ferry to Varenna)
B168 3:50pm - 4:05pm

Varenna Esino - Milano Centrale (train to Milano)
* RE 2835 5:35pm - 6:40pm

BTK: the Treno one-way train ticket is good for six hours; so try to book an earlier train to give you more flexibility. If you change your mind and decide to go earlier (or you miss your train) then you have the choice to ride a different train.

Expect chaos and some confusion at the ferry pier and the Varenna train station; most people have no concept of queuing and there're no clear signage ... part of the fun :)

Thank you so much for this information! It is very helpful.

Best Regards,

Thanks to everyone that graciously responded to my inquiry so quickly. I really appreciate the time you spent replying and hope I can pay it forward in the future.

Safe travels everyone!

In my experience, the ferries can run late by the end of the afternoon, especially on the weekends, so don't schedule your ferry and train times too close together. Also, we have often had to stand on the commuter train from Varenna to Milan Central, so be prepared mentally. The trip is only an hour. There is no reserved seating.
( We have never had a problem with the Milan to Varenna route, always found seating,)
That being said, we love Lake Como, have been there twice, and plan to return in 2025. Enjoy your visit to this beautiful area.

If you have the time, another option is to train from Milan to Varenna (as described), tour Varenna, ferry to Bellagio, then board one of the slower ferries (stops at multiple small towns along the way) from Bellagio to the town of Como. Finish your day on the train from Como back to Milan. My wife and I did this trip a few years ago on a glorious, sunny fall day. I've added her photo blog from that day.
You can see exactly what your day can look like. https://graciamc.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/a-day-at-lake-como/

Thanks again to everyone that responded to my inquiry about Lake Como. This was valuable information and much appreciated!