First Lake Como holiday
 

Hi,

We are staying in Tremezzo for 5 days, but have 6 days prior to this to stay somewhere else around the lake. We have a car and will be travelling from Milan Bergamo airport so have flexibility.
Were thinking of Como town, but wondered if anyone had any other suggestions that would be worth staying at?

thank you x

CC

Varenna is really beautiful. Midlake like Tremezzo but on the other side.

thank you

What time of year?

If you want to spend most/all of that time on Lake Como, you could drive about an hour from the Bergamo Airport to San Pellegrino Terme, a beautiful spa town with several art nouveau buildings. Spend a night or two there and then take a drive through the mountains to Varenna. It's a beautiful drive (about 2 hours) but only possible in summer/early fall. I prefer the longer route (probably 3 hours) via Morbegno and Colico (again, summer/early fall). When you get to the highway along the lake, there are tunnels that bypass the small lakeside towns, but you can avoid them with careful GPS routing. Varenna is charming, but it's also very easy to visit by ferry from Tremezzo.

I know you said "somewhere else around the lake," but.... Depending on the time of year, I'd head to Lake Garda and stay a few nights at the northern end (Limone, Riva or Malcesine) and then drive through Brenta Park/Alps to Madonna di Campiglio and Dimaro and then west to Lake Como, arriving Tremezzo from the north. There are a couple of cable cars from Madonna di Campiglio (and elsewhere on this drive) that take you up to some gorgeous views and short hikes. In the Sondrio/Chiuro area (the Valtellina), there are some wineries that offer tours and tastings. The views throughout this itinerary are beautiful. There are also several tunnels along this side of the lake that you can avoid with GPS routing.

There are several things to see in the town of Como, but it has never appealed to me as a place to stay and certainly not stay for nearly a week. Just getting through the daily traffic for excursions in the area would bug me. With 11 days, and so much to see, I wouldn't stay at Lake Como the entire time. And I'm a big fan of Lake Como.

Lake Como isn't that big. I would rather spend the other 6 days around another lake like Lake Lugano or Lake Maggiore. On both lakes you find nice places in either Switzerland or Italy.

thank you for this, we’re going mid June x

The closest glaciers are in the Bernina area (no need to go up to Madonna di Campiglio). You can reacht them by car and cableway (gondola):
Bernina Diavolezza (9800ft), Corvatsch /10800ft).
If you prefer a viewpoint outside the Alps, but with views from Mont Blanc - Gran Paradiso - Matterhorn - Bernina up to Ortles, you may take the cog wheel train from Capolago (close to Como) to Monte Generoso (5600ft, just ebtween Lake Como and Lake Lugano).
,A 2-3 days trip from Tremezzo to Bergamo (historic city center) - lovely Lake Iseo (with a scenic Island) - Capo di Ponte (prehistoric rock engravings, Unesco site) - Bernina - Diavolezza - St- Moritz - Chiavenna - Tremezzo might be a good idea too.
In mid June, you will find tons of blooming rhododendron flowrs in the mountains above the lakes.

thank you xx

thank you for your suggestions. X

But there's also plenty to do around Lake Como.

Ahhh Tremezzo! I’ve had wonderful birthday dinners in many different places around the world, but my #1 memory is a September evening on the terrace of Al Veluu in the hills above Tremezzo.
The view is spectacular , food and service outstanding. All they ask us was meat or fish and the feast began.

https://www.bownsbest.com/alveluu.html

Just to add…..of all the picturesque towns we visited on Lake Como, Como itself was our least favorite.

Hi and welcome, clarks100. If you scroll down to post #15, you'll find the Bellagio portion of our trip. Maybe it will give you some ideas. Such a gorgeous area. If you are interested in textiles, Como city has a Silk Museum to check out. We never got there, darn it.

https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...gio-tr-947180/

I would stay midlake rather than at the southern tip of the lake. Here's where we stayed:

https://flic.kr/p/7phnd5
https://www.ilperlo.com/en

Michael…..that hotel has a beautiful view. We stayed at the Grand Tremezzo and loved it but it is quite pricy since they remodeled.

We stayed there in 2004, and a couple years later. talking about our travels in Italy with friends, they told us that they stayed there about 15 years before us. It might have changed, or maybe it is still an affordable hotel with a fantastic view.