Explore the lake
Six destinations, one lake
Whether you're arriving by ferry, car, or plane, these six towns form the heart of the Lake Como experience. Each has its own pace — pick the one that fits your trip.
Bellagio
~20 min to Varenna · ~25 min to Menaggio
The town at the tip of the peninsula where the lake divides into two arms. Villa Serbelloni gardens, steep silk-shop lanes, and the central car ferry hub of the lake triangle.
Explore Bellagio →Tremezzo
~30 min to Bellagio · ~15 min to Menaggio
Grand gardens on the western shore — Villa Carlotta's botanical showpiece, and Villa del Balbianello nearby. A relaxed lakeside base with good ferry connections.
Explore Tremezzo →Varenna
~20 min to Bellagio · ~25 min to Menaggio
Colorful waterfront houses stacked on the hillside above a quiet ferry pier. Villa Monastero's lakeside gardens and the medieval Castello di Vezio on the hill above.
Explore Varenna →Menaggio
Car ferry to Varenna · ~20 min to Bellagio
The western-shore hub with a lakeside piazza, car ferry pier, and Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club. Easy driving distance from Milan via the lake road.
Explore Menaggio →Cernobbio
~10 min to Como · ~40 min to Bellagio
Villa Erba's event grounds and a lakeside position close to Como. A quieter alternative to central lake towns — good ferry connections and close to the Villa del Balbianello.
Explore Cernobbio →Como
~10 min to Cernobbio · ~70 min to Bellagio
The lake's southern terminal — ferry pier, train station, Gothic cathedral, and the funicular up to Brunate. Most international visitors arrive here first.
Explore Como →Arrival paths
Getting to Lake Como
Three ways to reach the lake from the rest of Italy and beyond — air, train + ferry, or driving in directly. Tap a card for full logistics in the transport guide.
✈️ Milan Malpensa & Linate → Como
Malpensa and Linate both connect south to Como — Malpensa via the Malpensa Express + S11 rail link, Linate via a short shuttle + Centrale transfer. Private transfers available from both.
🚆 Milan Centrale → Como by ferry
The most scenic route in: Trenord FNM to Como San Giovanni, then a 15-minute walk or short taxi to the lakefront pier for the slow boat north to Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio, or Tremezzo.
🚗 Driving in directly
From Milan take the A9 motorway to Como, then the SS36 lake road north along the western shore to Menaggio, Tremezzo, and the Bellagio triangle. Allow 90 min to Bellagio in summer.
Accommodation
Where to stay in Lake Como
Hotel types by district — match your trip's pace and budget, then drill into the town page for curated picks.
🏨 Lakefront boutique hotels
Lakeside boltholes with private balconies over the peninsula's two arms — the romantic classic.
🌺 Lakefront boutique hotels
Garden-side stays opposite Bellagio, steps from Villa Carlotta and the ferry pier.
💼 Business-friendly near Como
Quiet lakefront rooms ten minutes from Como — fast Wi-Fi, parking, and easy rail access.
🏖️ Mid-range lakefront
Piazza-side hotels and apartment rentals at friendlier prices than the peninsula towns.
🌅 Mid-range hillside
Family-run hotels on the cliff above the pier — sunset views without the Bellagio price tag.
🏛️ Historic grand hotels & city stays
Belle-époque palaces and central hotels within walking distance of the train station and ferry pier.
Local cuisine
Where to eat across the lake
Lake Como's kitchens revolve around a handful of signature dishes — risotto con pesce persico, missoltini, polenta uncia — each town interpreting them its own way. Tap a town to see its dining guide.
🐟 Missoltino & lavarello
Peninsula classics — sun-dried shad, lake-perch fillets, and old-town trattorias.
🍚 Risotto con pesce persico
Lake-perch risotto and lake-fish antipasti from the western-shore kitchens.
🐟 Missoltino heartland
Sun-dried shad, lavarello, and lake perch on vine-covered terraces above the pier.
🍝 Polenta uncia
Lake-fish pasta and polenta uncia across the family-run waterfront kitchens.
🍝 Lake-fish pasta
Handmade pasta with lake fish, paired with Valtellina wines on garden terraces.
🐟 Risotto con pesce persico
Lake-perch risotto and missoltini — Como's lake-cuisine anchor since the 19th century.
Plan your trip
Events & Festivals across the lake
Annual sagre, jazz nights, and seasonal festivals across Cernobbio, Bellagio, Como, Varenna, Menaggio, and Tremezzo — tap a town to plan around it.
🌿 Sagra di San Giorgio (Varenna)
Patron saint festival with processions, frittelle, and fireworks.
🌷 Villa Carlotta Spring Bloom
Azaleas and rhododendrons in full bloom across 70,000 m² of gardens.
🏛️ Villa Erba Antiques Market
Vintage furniture, books, and silver at the lakeside Villa Erba gardens.
🎶 Como City Jazz Festival
Multi-venue jazz festival across Como's historic centre.
🎷 Bellagio Jazz Nights
Lakeside sunset concerts on the Bellagio waterfront.
🛍️ Salita Serbelloni Antiques Evening
Pop-up antiques stalls along Bellagio's famous stepped lanes — browsing with prosecco at dusk.
🐟 Sagra del Pesce (Menaggio)
Lakeside fish festival on the Menaggio lakefront promenade.
🌅 Punta di Bellagio Sunset Concerts
Acoustic sets on the tip of the peninsula as the lake opens up to both arms.
🎭 Villa Erba Festival Evenings
Open-air cinema and live music on the Villa Erba lakefront.
🌺 Villa Melzi Spring Azalea Bloom
The lakefront garden's azalea-lined paths reach their peak — swans, magnolias, and rhododendrons.
⛪ Como Cathedral Light Festival
Evening illuminations projected onto the Gothic cathedral façade — a free lakeside spectacle.
🥃 Lario Whisky Day
Tasting event at the lakeside convention centre — Italian craft distilleries plus international guests.
🍷 CittàSlow Long Table Dinner
A kilometre-long communal table through Como's walled centre — local producers, regional wines.
🚤 Regata Motonautica Cernobbio
Powerboat racing on the lake off Cernobbio's lakefront — close viewing from Piazza Castello.
🌊 Festival del Lago
Lakeside cultural weekend with food stalls, artisan markets, and a fireworks finale over Villa Erba.
🔥 Festa di San Lorenzo
Patron saint evening with a lakeside bonfire, food stalls, and live music on the piazza.
⛳ Menaggio Golf Open
Regional tournament at the historic Menaggio & Cadenabbia club — spectator-friendly lakeside holes.
🏖️ Menaggio Sand Sculpture Festival
International sculptors on the lakefront lido — large-scale works, free to view from the promenade.
🌳 Villa del Balbianello Open Days
Extended opening weekends at the wooded peninsula villa above Lenno — terraced gardens and loggia views.
🎻 Balbianello Music Evenings
Chamber music on the villa's lakefront loggia at sunset — small audience, exceptional setting.
🎶 Tremezzo Summer Sunset Concerts
Weekly lakefront concerts on the Tremezza waterfront promenade through the peak months.
🏰 Castello di Vezio Medieval Festival
Falconry, costumed archers, and a torchlit banquet at the hilltop castle above Varenna.
🌅 Villa Monastero Evening Openings
After-hours visits to the lakeside gardens with candle lighting — aperitivo at the loggia café.
💧 Fiumelatte Open Day
Once a year the shortest river in Italy is fully accessible — marked paths and a guided walk.
Iconic experiences
Top things to do across the lake
What Lake Como is most famous for — tap a card to drill into the town page and find out how to plan it in.
🌳 Villa Serbelloni Gardens
Terraced Rockefeller-Foundation gardens above the peninsula with sweeping views of both lake arms.
🌸 Villa Carlotta
17th-century lakefront villa with 70,000 m² of botanical gardens — azaleas, rhododendrons, and a centuries-old camellia grove.
🌿 Villa Monastero & lakeside gardens
A 1-km lakefront botanical garden stretching south from the centre — citrus, magnolias, and a cypress-lined path beside the water.
⛳ Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club
Founded in 1907 — one of Italy's oldest lakeside courses, 18 holes with sweeping western-lake views above Grandola ed Uniti.
🌳 Parco di Villa Erba
19th-century lakeside villa with Italianate and English gardens — open to visitors in spring and summer on the gentlest stretch of the western shore.
⛪ Cattedrale di Como & lungolago
Late-Gothic Duomo begun in 1396 paired with the 3-km lakefront promenade past the Tempio Voltiano and Villa Olmo.
Start planning
Build your Lake Como itinerary
Browse ferry timetables, compare properties across all five towns, and plan your route around the lake — all in one place.