Last Minute Trip to Lake Como

you must go to varenna...you can take the ferry there from bellagio. and there is an incredible (AND I MEAN TO DIE FOR) restaurant there, but i cannot remember the name of it...if you see a menu somewhere in varenna that mentions ravioli stuffed with polenta and cheese and maybe some other things, that is it...and order it too (it's my death row meal). i'm very jealous and wish that i was going to lake como right now.

also, one more thing...we did the day trip to switzerland, and it was really incredible, but driving there was very scary...we were in a midsize fiat, and the road was practically one way the whole time and it was very very stressful...so i suppose taking a bus tour there or whatever would be the best bet.

You can get to Switzerland on several routes; one of those we took was on highways.

If you want to shop, I would highly recommend a visit to the outlet stores in Mendrisio, not far from Como city. Fabulous shopping and excellent prices. You can inquire as to organized shopping excursions, or investigate public transport from Como.


http://www.foxtown.ch/info.php?lingua=en&centro=mendrisio

Take the local bus from Menaggio into Lugano for shopping and more. It is about an hour trip.

The restaurant mentioned by plea444 is probably Il Cavatappi (which means "The Corkscrew"), thought by most to be the best restaurant in Varenna. Their phone number three years ago was 0341 815349. A reservation is almost always required - it's a small place. We managed to stay in Varenna without visiting it, due to unhappy circumstances. You can read about it in my trip report, which will give you other ideas about activities on Lake Como:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/italy-trip-report-the-lakes-district.cfm

There's a lot to see without a car. Just buy day passes for the ferries, and visit all the attractions around the lake.

Larry

I was a little sloppy above when I used the word "ferry". You'll take a ferry to Varenna, but just a boat, not a ferry, to get around to the other attractions on the lake. From the Trip Report I referenced above:

There are a few different boat services, as follows:

The “traghetto” is a ferry that carries automobiles (except in Venice, where the word refers to a large gondola that makes trips back and forth across the Grand Canal).

A boat that carries only people is called a “batello” (plural “batelli”). There are several types of those. The main line runs from Como in the south-west to Colico in the north, and back, but we were interested mostly in the stretch in the middle between Villa Carlotta and Bellano (the “Center Lake”, or “Centro Lago”). There’s a “Fast Service”, using hydrofoils, that does the same thing (with fewer stops), but we never used it. There’s yet another service that covers only the Centro Lago.

Some notes on Varenna:

Varenna is not very big, and it’s not jammed with tourists and shoppers like Bellagio. When you arrive, the hotel gives you a small booklet called “Varenna Tourist Info”, which lists all the local hotels, restaurants, shops, bars, services, and places to visit. You should also always carry a Lago di Como boat schedule, which the hotel can probably also provide (but if not, you can get one at the Ferry dock).

Larry

Thanks for all the help; specifically on the shopping; that will be high on the list for my daughters.

One area for me is what is the best villa/s to tour. I am more interested in gardens than the house per se.

Also is it easy to take the train from Milan to Lake Como (where does the train stop?). I need to start that research.

You can see some photos at:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=lgb54rm.7plude7y&x=0&y=-jcjeim

Click on the slide show, and then if you scroll down, you can see tiny thumbnails of the photos. Although we saw more gardens on Lago Maggiore than at Lake Como63, if you start at photo 63 (labeled M046), you can see a few pictures of the gardens at the Villa Carlotta on Lake Como, which can be easily reached by boat.

Although the food is quite good in Bellagio, the only memorable meal we had was at our hotel. The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.
Surprisingly we enjoyed the less costly restaurant on the lower level far more than the more High end in the Hotel itself.
You should visit the Hotel and the beautiful gardens within.
Also, in the evening if you visit the large bar, they have music from another era, and you can watch people dancing.. it is a step back in time.
The three piece orchestra was enchanting.
We shopped in Bellagio, which we found to be better than Como.
We were not impressed with the big discount mall in Lugano, so it depends upon what you are looking for.
Neither are Milan, of course.

Thanks for the photos justretired they were great. I am so excited to go.

erly...the discount mall you mentioned in Lugano is NOT the same one that ekscrunchy mentions in Mendrisio; do you know which outlets are closer?

I have been doing a little research on getting to Bellagio from Malpensa airport. It looks like a bus from the airport would take us straight to Bellagio. It looks like if we take a train we can go directly to Varenna without changing trains; if we change trains we can get into Como. Then I guess the ferry from Varenna or Como depending on where we get it.

Any recommendations on the best way?

I did a search in the forum on "Bellagio Malpensa" (using "Search the Forums" on the top of the page. Here it is:

http://www.fodors.com/search/results_community.html?search=bellagio+malpensa

Numerous threads show up with advice on how to do this.

thanks; lots of options

Lugano is literally almost attached to the Town of Como.
Drive down the main street of Como, and you enter Switzerland, and a very short drive (minutes) to Lugano.

Bellagio is not easy to get to by car, as it is very twisty via Como, which is the way we have gone.
Truthfully, we are Seniors, and have hired a car in the past to take us back to Milan, or to the Airport.
I am sure the threads above will be useful.
If you are coming to Como first there are direct trains from Milan to Como, and many choices of Watercraft to Bellagio, fast and slow.
I love the Lake Country.
We have spent time in the area every May for the past 25 years, as we have a trade show there (lucky us as we can combine Business with pleasure).
Our favorite restaurant in Como is little known, family run, and moderately priced
Ristorante Rino
v.vitani 3
This is just beyond the Old City entrance, and the giant whole Grilled Porcini to die for.The custardy center melts in your mouth.
They also serve either Risotto, or Pasta (your choice) covered generously with Truffles.
You would pay double or triple for this dish anywhere else.

Lugano is about a :30 drive from Como--hardly attached.

One warning - The direct, public Malpensa to Como bus no longer exists. Most people take the shuttle bus (Malpensa Express) to Milano Centrale and then take the train up the east side of the lake, usually to Varenna/Esinio. I saw a private bus (LarioBus) that said that they service Malpensa but I know nothing about it.

For garden tours, I liked Villa Monastero (Varenna) the best but I have not seen them all.

When you get there, six day boat passes are euro66 per person for unlimited travel, anywhere on the lake, regular class service. You have to pay a supplement for any high speed service boats (hydro foils and catamarans).