slgsm

We will be spending 3 days and 2 nights in the Lake Como region. Deciding between staying in Bellagio or Lake Como and looking for advice as to which town to stay in and best things to do while there. This will be the end of our 16 day trip to Italy so will probably want to relax a bit more. Thank you.

slgsm

Oops, meant stay in the town of Bellagio or Como.

sandralist

Bellagio is the most scenic part of the lake.

What will be available or enjoyable for you to do depends somewhat on which days, in what season, you are going there.

slgsm

We will be there at the end of August Friday-Sunday. I also just read that Varenna is a good option... any thoughts?

annw

Some prefer Varenna up the lake one or two boat stops, but we prefer Bellagio. There are some nice apartments in town as well as the hotels (check La Limonera and the apartments at Villa Serbelloni if you're interested).

There's a lake front promenade, a number of streets perpendicular to it that connect with a parallel street up the hill where the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker and the church are. There's a villa within walking distance and another up the lake in Varenna.

I strongly prefer it to the city of Como. Ferries can take you around the lake or just across the lake to Mennagio for lunch if you are so inclined.

sandralist

The weekend that you will be there might be one of the very busiest in the year for the entire lake, and Bellagio and Varenna will be among the most visitd places on the lake. If you have particular restaurants you want to eat at, make reservations in advance. Both Bellagio and Varenna are very small towns, so if you like tranquility, you might want a place to stay a little bit off to the sidelines. It could be hot and humid, so if you need air conditioning to sleep, be sure to get it.

Sorry to bring up what might be negatives for you, but if you dislike crowds, you will want some strategies for getting away from them. On the other hand, if you enjoy festivities and a holiday atmosphere, there will be music and perhaps fireworks and loads of people having a good time right in the heart of town, and the scenery is always beautiful.

vincenzo32951

Varenna would be my choice if your goal is a relaxing spot on LC. You're going to run into crowds anywhere on LC, but cities like Como and Bellagio are Tourist Central.

From Varenna, you can get a convenient ferry to most other places on the lake, including the hydrofoil to Como. Accommodations in V canbe limited, particularly if you want something lakefront, so booking quickly is a must.

Dukey1

If you want to avoid the large number of visitors but stay in the mid-lake area nonetheless then consider staying in Menaggio.

mels

We are going toward the end of September. We chose Belligio. Booked 2 nights at Hotel Du Lac. It was hard to book a hotel in May. You should decide soon. My friend told me not to bother even visiting Como.

thursdaysd

I'm booked towards the end of September in Varenna. I, too, had trouble finding a room - and I checked Bellagio as well.

mels

I could not get a hotel in Varenna. The ones that I liked were booked. Where are staying. I also liked Hotel Florence in Belligio but that was booked too.

Dukey1

Be aware of the need for air conditioning at that time of year.

thursdaysd

I'm at the Villa Cipressi, which is more than I wanted to spend, but should be nice. I'm going on to Lake Maggiore as well, where I'm splurging for a room with a view at the Belvedere on Isola Pescatori.

When will you be there? I'm in Varenna the 21st to the 25th.

HappyTrvlr

I wouldn't want to stay in Como but it is worth a visit, and it's medieval quarter is near the water. We always stay in Bellagio. Mid lake has the prettiest scenery.

rje

thursdaysd,

The Villa Cipressi is in a wonderful location, and has very beautiful views of the lake, although all we saw of it was from a brief walk through their grounds/gardens. I think you'll enjoy the short stroll from the hotel into town along a lovely lakeside path.

We also visited Varenna in late September 2 years ago, and were so glad we stayed there instead of the more crowded Bellagio. We stayed at the Hotel Du Lac, which required reservations many months in advance.

mels

We will be there on the 21st as well...for 2 nights. leaving from Milan on the morning of the 23rd. Enjoy!

mels

We will be there on the 20th. We will be traveling for 17 days......I forget which day is where sometimes.

thursdaysd

Glad to see the good report on the Villa Cipressi - at least on the outside! I expect to come through Como on the way - train from Zurich to Como, ferry to Varenna.

@mels - I'm traveling for three and a half months - I have the itinerary on calendar sheets and have to keep checking them.

bvlenci

We were in Bellagio last week; we stayed at the Hotel Fioroni, a small and simple family-run hotel a bit out of town. It had excellent air conditioning, which was really needed, as the temperatures were pushing 30 degrees. The breakfast was well above average, with fresh fruit, hard-boiled eggs, cereal, yoghurt, cheeses, cold cuts, and pastries. The center of town is about a 15-minute walk downhill, but the walk back is at least 20 minutes uphill. The Villa Melzi is about a 10-minute walk away.

I don't know if there was a rally somewhere, or if it's a favorite resort for bikers, but there was a plague of loud motorcycles in town when we were there.

Italians were a distict minority in both Varenna and Bellagio. Americans, British, and German visitors, in that order, were in the majority. In one bar on the lake, when we placed our order, we got a blank look from the waitress, and she asked if we could speak English!!

The scenery is very nice, but I can't imagine spending a week there.

mels

@Thursdaysd.....long trip! how many Countries?