Lake Como Highlights

My wife and I visited the Grand Hotel Victoria at Lake Como in late May for 5 nights. I reviewed our stay here: Grand Hotel Victoria Lake Como, Greg’s turn. In this post, I’ve gathered highlights from our trip outside the hotel…

Visiting towns via ferry

Gorgeous towns can be found all up and down Lake Como. Ferries are a great way to travel from one town to another. If you’re staying in the central part of Lake Como, you’ll find that ferries run often between the most popular central towns.

I asked our hotel concierge to show me how to read the ferry timetables (they’re very confusing) and was glad I did! Due to construction, the Menaggio ferry pier was at less than half capacity, and so they were running only smaller ferries to the town at that time. On our first day out by ferry, we (and many others) couldn’t get on the boat to Bellagio because it was crammed full. Those who bought a one-way ticket to Bellagio were stuck waiting an hour for the next direct ferry. But, thankfully, we had bought unlimited Day Pass tickets that are much more flexible. I consulted the ferry schedule and found that we could get on the next boat to Varenna and simply stay on board when it then went to Bellagio. I believe we arrived in Bellagio before the next direct ferry to Bellagio got to Menaggio.

Ferry Tips:

1. Ticket booths are available at each ferry port, and they accept credit cards
2. Day Pass tickets cost about 50% more than two one-way tickets, but they offer much more flexibility, so I highly recommend buying them even if you don’t think you’ll need them. For tickets within the central area, I believe that the day pass tickets cost 15 Euros while one-way tickets cost just under 5 Euros each.
3. Google Maps does a decent job of showing how to navigate by ferry. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do a good job if you want to do a connecting itinerary (i.e., it may be faster to get on a ferry that stops at Varenna and then goes on to Bellagio rather than waiting for the next direct ferry to Bellagio). I highly recommend asking your hotel concierge or desk agent to explain how to read the ferry schedules before you set out.

Visiting Villas

Many towns around the lake have beautiful villas built as summer retreats for the ultra-rich, but they are now available for tourists to explore (after paying the entrance fee). This was a great way to enjoy the area’s beauty while walking through each villa’s expansive gardens. We visited villas in Bellagio, Varenna, and Tremezzo. Bellagio’s villa was my favorite, but they were all very nice. A local recommended that we do Villa del Balbianello (which has been highlighted in James Bond and Star Wars movies), but we didn’t have a chance to. Next time!

Dining

Two restaurants that we particularly enjoyed on this trip both happened to be ones where we ate lunch:

• Ristorante n26 in Tremezzo: Amazing food and service, with a gorgeous view of the lake
• BstyleBellagio in Bellagio (obviously): We found this one along one of the many gorgeous, steep and narrow streets in Bellagio. Make sure to ask your waiter for personal recommendations!

Ristorante n26, Tremezzo

BstyleBellagio, Bellagio

Picnic experience in the Italian Alps (Don’t miss!)

Our #1 favorite outing at Lake Como was the “Picnic Experience in the Italian Alps.” Our guide, Maria, met us in Varenna and drove us and another couple to the top of a mountain. We parked near a tiny town and strolled the half-mile or so to the picnic area. While we enjoyed the views, Maria set up the picnic table with a terrific assortment of local meats, cheeses, fruit, and wine. The entire experience was spectacular! You can find this experience on Maria’s website here: picnickle.tilda.ws.

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