Hello,
I will be going to Italy in late September / October 2024 for a trip with my husband. For one of our destinations we will be staying in Varenna for 2 nites. The hotel we are staying at is the "Hotel Olivedo."
I've been searching for boat tours on Lake Como. I"m seeing a lot from Trip Advisor/ Viator and it seems like a lot of them leave from Milan. I Trip Advisor/ Viator the only ones that do the boat tours around Lake Como ? Unless if I look into a private tour.
thank you,
sandy
Check out this site:
https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/en/tickets-and-timetables-lake-como/
Just get a day pass and use the ferry. It leaves from right outside your hotel. You can stop off at many beautiful towns. Just do not miss the last boat home!
You can just use any of the many scheduled boats that leave from the Varenna dock, right in front of the hotel. This will cost you a lot less than doing a "tour", especially as the packages you see appear to be designed for people staying in Milan.
You can take the ferry and make an all day excursion all on your own. That will allow you to stop and spend time in various spots on the lake. Cheaper and more "personalized" than a tour.
Thank you very much everyone ! this is very helpful !
sandy
hello,
I meant to ask do I buy the day pass for the ferry when I arrive in Varenna ? or is this something I can purchase ahead of time ?
thank you again,
sandy
...buy the day pass for the ferry when I arrive...or...purchase ahead of time...
We bought it the day we took the ferry, and would do so again. If it happens to be rainy weather you might want to do something in Varenna rather than tour the lake that day.
Day passes ("free-circulation" tickets) are sold by the "stretch" number. For example, a Stretch 3 day pass will allow you to use the ferry system as often as you like on the day it's purchased, around a good part of the mid-lake area, and it's about half the price of a full-lake Stretch 8 day pass. Stretch 3 from Varenna includes beautiful towns like Bellagio, Menaggio, Tremezzo, Lenno, and Villa Carlotta.
Here's a chart that will help you determine what "stretch" number day pass to buy, depending on where you're going on a particular day...
The ferry ride from Varenna south to Como is beautiful, as is the ferry ride from Varenna north to Colico.
Are the Day passes "free-circulation" tickets with different "stretch" numbers sold online? Or would it be best to purchase at the port?
I don't see a way of choosing the "stretch" number online or how to purchase "free-circulation" tickets
On the navigazionelaghi.it website it says:
"Holders of free circulation tickets are entitled, as long as the ticket is valid, to an unlimited number of trips between the ferry ports for which it was issued, including intermediate stops."
I'm guessing the "between the ferry ports for which it was issued" is the stretch number, but when you try to find it online and enter departure and arrival ports it only finds ferry's for your search (A) TICKET WITHOUT INTERMEDIATE STOPS FOR ORDINARY BOAT RUNS), does that mean the "free-circulation" ticket can only take you back and forth between those 2 ports? How can you stop by the main areas mid lake with the "free-circulation" ticket?
We will be in Varenna soon. We booked a boat 'tour' that takes us to Villa Balbianello for a tour of the villa and the garden and also zips us around the lake. We ALSO plan to get the all day ferry ticket and check out other towns on the lake.
Just one more thing to consider. Villa Balbianello was featured in one of the Star Wars movies as well as a James Bond movie and has some interesting things inside.
Have fun, and happy travels. I've stayed in the Olivedo before and it was great. If Laura is still there get on her good side! The restaurant's poached pear was an excellent dessert.
Happy Travels,
Scott
There is absolutely no need, or benefit, in buying any Lake Como ferry tickets online. You mentioned that you're staying at Hotel Olivedo - great choice BTW, we've stayed there a few times and the family that runs the hotel is wonderful. The ferry ticket office and ferry landing is right outside Hotel Olivedo, and it's quick and easy buying whatever ferry tickets you want when you're ready to go. The ticket agents in the booth speak English, and are very helpful if you need any assistance in deciding what option is best for you.
Also, note that a day pass is not a "24 hour" ticket - it's good for the full day on which it's purchased.
And with a "free-circulation" ticket you can hop on and hop off as many times as you want during whatever time period the ticket is good for. If you look at the grid online at the link above, find the towns or villas that you want to see, and where the lines of any two intersect, that's the stretch number that you need to purchase. So if all of the spots that you want to stop at mid lake all intesect with a 3, then you can use a stretch 3 ferry system "free-circulation" ticket as much as you want to between any of those stops, within the time limitation of your ticket.
Thank you everyone ! this is so helpful about the ferries!
I'm so happy that we will be staying at Hotel Olivedo !
thank you again !
Sandy (Massachusetts)
I meant to ask where you were able to book the Boat Tour to Villa Balbianello to the Villa & Gardens ?
Was this a private tour ? or through Tripadvisor or Viator ?
thank you.
sandy
There are probably different ways to get to Villa del Balbianello, this is some info that we had from a few years ago...
Villa del Balbianello, Via Comoedia 5, Tremezzina
If you only visit one villa on the lake, this is it. The gardens (11 €) are truly spectacular and impeccably maintained. You need a combo ticket (22 €) to view the inside rooms. From the ferry at Lenno walk along the Lido Di Lenno until almost the end, where you’ll spot an unassuming jetty with a small white taxi boat which will take you on a round trip to the villa, a 5 minute ride, 10 € each. It leaves on the half hour.
The taxi boat ride is really fun and you get spectacular views of the Villa from the water. Enjoy!
Great ! thank you so much !
Sandy
