We will be taking the train through France and Switzerland, but I have been thinking about getting a car at some point for our trip while we are in Bellagio. At the end of the trip we will fly out of Milan for London. How scary will this be? I have just started checking for airline tickets, BA is really expensive. Have any of you did this leg of a trip and can offer some advice. How long of a trip is it from Bellagio for a drop off of rental car and which airport is it.

Hi Jelane - You may not need a car in the Lake Como area IMO. It's easy enough to visit the lake by ferry.

For flights to London try Easyjet (- from Linate or Malpensa) or Ryanair (- from Bergamo).

Hope this helps ...

Steve

thank you, I am sitting at my desk since early trying to get these flights into some sort of order. The thing is that I need to fly from US to London and be there a week or so, and then we are flying from London to Marseille, and then after Switzerland, and Italy, come back to states from Milan...I have never done an open jaw before and just don't want the $$ to get out of sight....thanks again

It's fairly expensive to rent a car in Italy; you have to buy CDW, never mind your credit card coverage.

And I agree that a car is not needed in Bellagio.

If we had a better idea of your itinerary, we might be able to help more. But there are many cheap airlines in Europe now. Check www.whichbudget.com.

Steve has it right...ferries are the way to get around Lake Como.

If someone DOES have a car and is planning to stay on Lake Como, I always recommend staying in Menaggio because it's on the main road that takes you to Lugano and points west

The best way IMO to tour Lake Como is by the extensive boat system - investigate boat passes for the day or longer i believe.

We've been to Bellagio twice. The first time we had a car (because it was a long term lease). The drive there was a little hairy and once we got to Bellagio, we left the car parked in a garage the entire time. Last year we returned to Bellagio by train to Varenna and then the little ferry over -- much easier and more relaxing. And of course, as said above the best way to explore the lake is by boat anyway.