Our recent trip to Italy allowed us to get back to places we love but also see some new spots. Lake Como has been on my list of things to see for so long and I’m so happy we added it to our itinerary. We only had a few days to check it out before heading down to the Amalfi Coast, so keep reading to see how we did it in two days!
How did we get to Lake Como?
We flew into Milan from JFK which made for a very easy trip to Lake Como. Milan Malpensa (MXP) is the main hub of northern Italy and will likely be the easiest to fly into.
Once at the airport, there’s a few options to get to Lake Como. The more expensive choice, but easiest in my opinion, is to hire a car service! For a little over 300 euros, we had a driver pick us up and drive us to our destination. There is also the option to rent a car, but the thought of renting a car in a foreign country stresses me out and is not worth it to me.
The other main option is to take the train. As an American who has an abysmal understanding of public transportation, I felt very overwhelmed trying to figure out the trains while planning our itinerary. I paid for convenience and less stress, which I’m perfectly fine with and recommend if your budget allows.
Where did we stay?
Lake Como has numerous towns surrounding the lake, and it can be difficult to choose where to stay. We rented an Airbnb in Como, which is the largest city on Lake Como and sits on the southern tip of the lake. While farther from places we wanted to go on the lake, I chose Como ultimately for how easy it is to get to. Since it sits at the bottom of the lake, getting there from the airport was quick and easy (less than an hour). I certainly appreciated an easier commute back to the airport with an early flight out of MXP. I recommend considering Como if you’re short on time like we were.
Bellagio, Varenna, and Tremezzo are other towns people often stay in. Bellagio is the classic town associated with Lake Como and is likely what you’ve seen in pictures. I thought it was very charming and glad I got to see it, but it’s definitely touristy.
If I were to go back and had more time, I’d splurge for the luxurious Grand Hotel Tremezzo! It has a more central location on the lake and looks absolutely stunning. Hotels are also much easier in my opinion, and I’m not sure I’ll go back to Airbnb if I can help it.
What did we do?
Our first day in Como was just lots of walking around the city before dinner. We had so much fun wandering around, popping into shops, and stopping at various places for some aperitifs before our dinner reservation. We had dinner at Bistrot Figli dei Fiori and it was such an incredible start to our trip. The food was incredible and our waiter was so kind to us! Highly recommend if you find yourself in Como (reservations recommended, especially in high season).
Our second and only full day was jam packed to ensure we were able to see everything we wanted. The best way to do this is none other than a boat tour. We used Lake Como For You and I only have wonderful things to say! They picked us up from the local docks in Como in the morning and whisked us away for a beautiful day of sightseeing and villa exploring. I admit it was definitely pricey (remember when I said how far Como is?), but I felt like it was worth every penny. We had access to Villa Balbianello (Naboo for any of my fellow Star Wars nerds), a very comfortable and beautiful wooden boat, and a tour guide who provided us with a lot of history about the area.
We were able to get a private walking tour of the villa, see the famous waterfall in the village of Nesso, and spend some time in Bellagio. To break up the day and get some food we stopped in the middle of the lake and ate lunch at Aurora Lezzeno (highly recommend the lake trout risotto). We were able to accomplish everything I wanted to and couldn’t ask for much else!
After we returned from our boat tour, we took the funicular up to the village of Brunate that sits above Como. There isn’t a whole lot to do up there, so we had a quick drink while taking in the views and took the funicular back down. I wouldn’t say this is an absolute must do if you’re pressed on time, but I thought it was nice.
We were pretty hungry after a day of exploring and I hadn’t made any reservations ahead of time. No reservations or plans? Pizza is always the answer to this problem. My husband found a place in Como called l’ideale Pizza Contemporanea & Bistrot Como and it did not disappoint! Pizza in Italy is a must and this really scratched the itch for us.
In Summary
As much as we’d all love to spend more time around Lake Como, two days is extremely doable. A day dedicated to exploring the town you’re staying in and another dedicated to a boat tour is my recommendation for how to do it.
Are you planning a trip to Lake Como anytime soon? If so, I hope you found this helpful!
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