Some one told us that there is no way to get to Lake Como from the airport except to rent a car or hire a private driver. It this true? I have not tried this before, but this is a very large airport, and I assumed there would be a train to Lake Como. Any advice would be appreciated.
You can take the bus from Malpensa to Milan Central Station and then switch to a train there.
Cindy, you will have to go into town to catch a train to Como. However, you can also hire a car and driver for E100.
There is also infrequent direct bus service (08:30, 13:00, 19:30) Monday-Saturday. No service on Sunday. See here: http://tinyurl.com/2v5j3a.
There is a train from Malpensa to Lake Como. It is called the Malpensa express, and normally goes from Malpensa A/P to Cordova station in Milan, but if you change in Saronna you can go all the way to Como Lago. It is a private railroad; their station in Como is downtown near the water. If you are going farther, you need to transfer to the Trenitalia station west of town.
Bus or train to central Milan, train to Lake Como. Very easy to do. Helpful links:
Malpensa airport site (info about airport/transportation options): http://www.sea-aeroportimilano.it/en/
Malpensa shuttle bus (to central station): http://www.malpensashuttle.it/e-default.htm
Malpensa train (to Cordona station): http://www.malpensaexpress.it/
Trenitalia (national rail): http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
As the others have said, it's not difficult to get from Malpensa to Lago di Como, using airport shuttle or whatever to get to the central station.
If you're going to Varenna, the rail schedule will probably list the stop as "Varenna Esino" (if you're disembarking there, be quick as the train only stops for about one minute!). From what I recall, it's about a one hour ride from Milan. In Varenna you can take a Taxi to the Ferry dock, but I didn't bother as it's an easy walk.
If you're going to Bellagio, one of the quickest routes is via Ferry from Varenna (rather than taking the boat from Como).
Hope this helps. Happy travels!
When you look at the Malpensa Express website, www.malpensaexpress.it, click on LeNORD, and you will find the train from Saronno to Como Lago. It is not direct, in that there is a change at Saronno, but it is a lot faster to Como Lago than going thru Milan, where you have to change anyway.