Varenna vs. Menaggio

You could easily stay there. Same train to Varenna, walk down the hill to the dock and take a ferry about 10 minutes across to Menaggio.

Or if you stay in Menaggio you can take a train to Como and then a bus (located near the train station) up to Menaggio. From Menaggio there is a handy boat dock where ferries run all day connecting Menaggio, Varenna and Bellagio. We had to use this western approach to the lake towns one year when we arrived Milan only to find a train strike of certain trains. On this day it was the train that went to Varenna so we had to go to the town of Como then use use the bus and ferry system to get where we needed to go.

Just one anecdotal experience, but when I was on Lake Como, I found both Varenna and Bellagio beautiful and wonderful, and Menaggio kind of dull and boring. Admittedly, for that reason I left Menaggio after a quick walk around, and may not have given it a full chance to impress me.

jd,

Are you looking for a 3-bedroom apartment in Varenna? How many people in your group?

Varenna is a great "home base" for the mid-lake area. If you're planning on exploring other locations on the lake, you'll probably find that Varenna is a better option as it's more of a transportation hub, and more convenient both for travel by train and by boat. There may be a reason why housing is more plentiful in Menaggio?

Yes, I am looking for a 3 bedroom. Any suggestions?

To answer your question of how to get to Menaggio from Interlaken, take the train to Luzern, then to Lugano. From Lugano take the bus to Menaggio. From Menaggio you can also take the ferry to Bellagio or Varenna. People coming from Florence, train to Milan, then Varenna, then ferry to Bellagio or Menaggio.

We stayed in Varenna (at the well-reviewed Albergo Milano) a few years ago & loved it. We didn't feel the same way about Menaggio and like Larry, we walked around for a few hours and left. I didn't find it to be as as quaint or enjoyable as Varenna. And, years later, my husband and I still talk about Varenna and yearn to return but we never mention the prospect of returning to Menaggio! That said, we didn't have the issue of finding a 3-room accommodation. Are you looking for an apartment or for 3 separate rooms in the same hotel? If you haven't already, you might try Albergo Milano & see if they have 3 rooms available (either in the main hotel or at one of their annex locations). I don't think you'll regret staying in Varenna; it's extremely picturesque. Have a great trip.

jd,

I've never had occasion to rent 3-bedroom properties, but you could have a look at Villa Torretta which is operated by Albergo Olivedo. As someone else mentioned, another choice you could check is Albergo Milano.

I'd pick Varenna over those two. Similar to another poster above, Varenna was more charming