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Where to Stay - Menaggio or Bellagio?

We'll be spending a week on Lake Como next July but are having a difficult time finding a place to stay.

The first decision is which town. It looks like our first choice, Varenna, is out -- either no availability or too much money for our budget (under $400/night). We will not have a car so we need to stay close to the ferry landing and close to the center of town. We'd like to stay somewhere that has a variety of restaurants to enjoy since we'll be there for a week. Also would like to be in an interesting town to explore the different shops, etc. However, we plan on exploring other towns by ferry so that's not essential. Which do you think fits our needs best ---Bellagio or Menaggio?

The second issue is finding suitable lodging - either a hotel or an apartment. As mentioned, our budget is up to $400/night We'd like to spend less but don't want a cheap inferior room. If cabs are available, I suppose it could be a ways from the center and the ferry landing but unless it's an amazing place that we would enjoy hanging out in and provides breakfast or an apartment where we can cook, I'd rather not have to call a cab every day. We are in our mid to late 70's and like to go for "strolls" but are not comfortable with long hikes or extremely steep hills. ----- Any suggestions?

Thanks for your advice!

Bob

Posted by
2000 posts

Mennagio is usually less expensive, has a nice beach and boardwalk and its mid-lake views from Lake Como’s western shore looking toward Bellagio and Varenna are impressive.
The New York Times recently ran an article on how staying in Menaggio can be a way to experience Lake Como without breaking the bank. There are even a couple Agriturismos just outside of central Menaggio-one with rates around $100.
Menaggio is just a 20-minute ferry ride from both Varenna and Bellagio.