3 nights Como 2 Salzburg then Vienna or just 4 nights Vienna?
 

Hi,

Planning on staying 3 nights,will take suggestions here , in either Menaggio,Bellagio or Varenna.Then ultimately make our way to Vienna for either 2 or 4 night,.or 2 nights Salzburg 2 nights Vienna.Reason for Salzburg is the Sound of Music tour for my wife.So I am looking for town suggestions to stay on the lake and if it makes sense to split Salzburg and Vienna and just day trip it from Vienna to Salzburg for a day trip.I understand it would be a long day but if I stop in Salzburg I need the most direct route by train to get there from Como.I will probably travel by car if anyone knows the cost from Malpensa to Como when I land. Please help! Thank you.

Don

Varenna to Salzburg by train will take 9.5 hours and involve 4 changes. Starting from the town of Como doesn't help much, perhaps an hour shorter with one less change. I doubt that's what you had in mind when planning your itinerary.

I'm not sure what you're asking about a car. Do you mean the cost of a transfer from Malpensa to your hotel on the lake? That would depend on the town you choose to stay in. Or were you thinking of renting a car to drive to the lake and then onward to Salzburg and Vienna? A one-way, multi-country rental will be very expensive.

I would spend two nites in Salzburg and the rest in Vienna. A day trip to Salzburg from Vienna would be very long, and we liked Salzburg so much we came back to it after visiting Vienna and Prague. Salzburg has lots more than just the Sound of Music Tour.

Can't help you with Lake Como or with the train. We had a car and enjoyed the drive.

Como - Salzburg means just 1 train change: either at Zurich (many trains) or at Milan (overnight train 40235).
Varenna - Zurich - Salzburg - Vienna means a second train change at Monza.

I answered an almost identical question on another topic, but I'm not sure it's from the same person. If you're the person who wanted to take a Sound of Music tour in Salzburg, I would suggest spending three nights in Salzburg and two on Lake Como. There's plenty to see in Salzburg and some nice day trip possibilities, and the Sound of Music tour will occupy most of the day.

As for the town, I liked Varenna more than Bellagio, and Varenna also has a train station. Varenna is quite hilly, although Bellagio also has hills, if that makes a difference. I've never been to Menaggio. I think it's smaller than either of the other two, and probably less touristy. To be honest, I wasn't enthusiastic about Lake Como, but every time I say so, I get yelled at.

In some ways I'd say Menaggio was more touristy - fewer day-trippers as there are few actual things to see there, but full of hotels, restaurants and people staying. It would probably be the easiest if going by car.

Varenna's the prettiest imo, and also has a train station, which neither of the other two do.