Venice to Lecco (Lake Como) by train

You can take a Freccia (high speed) train from Venice to Milano Centrale then transfer to another train ( Regionale) that goes to
Varenna & stops in Lecco.
This is the website for train schedules: http://www.trenitalia.com

Make sure you type the city names in Italian:
Venice= Venezia S. Lucia
Milan's Central Station= Milano Centrale

Best option: leave Venice at 8:50am> arrive Milano Centrale @ 11:25am, get a snack or coffee then board the train leaving for Lecco @ 12:20pm > arrive in Lecco at 12:59pm

When checking the board to find the track # for the train to Lecco, you will probably not find, 'Lecco' , but 'Varenna-Esino' (which is the route the train takes) .

Safe travels!

Christie,

You don't need a car to get to Lecco from Venice-- the Freccia train will get you there in about 4 Hrs, 9 minutes.

The Freccia trains are high speed trains & they travel up to 300km/Hr.

You really can't beat that!

Go via Milano as explained above.

Do you like Lecco?
I certainly don't.
Try Varenna or Bellagio a bit farther north

Christie,

I wondered the same thing-- why Lecco?

I like Varenna & Bellagio.

When will you be traveling to Lecco?

Hi, Thanks everyone. We are going to Varenna but I thought Lecco was a bigger city on the way and might be easier...

I second the vote for Varenna. I just wrote a long response on a different post recommending the place we stayed and also my favorite café. I will attach it here......https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/home-rentals-in-lake-como-area

Christie,

You will enjoy Varenna as it's just beautiful!

So you will take freccia (high speed) train from Venice(Venezia S. Lucia) to Milano Centrale then transfer to a Regionale train to get to Varenna.
Sit on the left side of the train (Milano > Varenna) for best view of the lake.

Don't forget to purchase a return train ticket back to Milan (assuming you will be returning there) as the train station in Varenna is very small & does not sell tickets.

If you forget, there is a small travel agency about block below the train station next to Albergo Beretta.

Enjoy cruising and visiting the villages bordering the lake!

Here is the ferry schedule: http://www.navlaghi.it/eng/index.asp

Enjoy your trip!

mc,

FWIW, I would also enthusiastically recommend Varenna. It's a wonderful and scenic location to enjoy Lago di Como.