I would appreciate ideas for a first time trip to the Lake Come area in November. We will be there about 3 days.

<BR>Hello Peggy - Where are you staying and will you have a car? If you have time to do a search, I wrote about our trip last year, "Home from Lago di Como..." on here and maybe that would help you. But briefly, <BR>Bellagio was my favorite. We stayed in Tremezzo at the Tremezzo Palace, and it was easy to take boats and ferries anywhere on the lake. We also enjoyed driving around the lake, and back up into the hills behind Tremezzo.

Cheryl, I sincerely appreciate your reply and will do the search.

At the risk of repeating information that I have posted here many times before (but it should still be <BR>"New to You", Peggy!) - - don't miss Villa Balbianello as part of any trip to Lake Como. hopefully, seasonal closure will not preclude your being able to do it. <BR> <BR>It can only be reached by boat. I recommend asking your hotel what options are easiest to get you there. We used a private (skippered) craft, made available by our hotel (Grand Victoria) in Menaggio; I think that it is available to non-guests as well as guests - - simply booked on a first-come, first served basis. I am sure it is not the only way to get there. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

Because of the flexibility offered by the ferry service, you have a choice of where to stay. Bellagio may be the most appropriate--accessibility, choice of restaurants, etc. <BR>Sites not to miss also include Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo, the town of Varenna and Villa Monastero in Verenna.

Loved Bellagio. Hotel Florence. But I think you'll find things very, very quiet as the "season" ends in October. We were there the second week in October. The weather was still great but things were definitely winding down. City of Como is probably more "year-round."

Any thoughts on what weather to expect the first week in Nov? How cold? Also, how easy to catch the train out of Varenna?

Anita, I saw your posting that you stayed at Hotel Florence. Im thinking of staying there or Hotel du Lac. Any thoughts? I heard Florence is nicer but no air. Any info would be appreciated.....Any particular rooms to ask for ?

They are next door to each other. Both have A/C. Florence slightly more expensive. I'd choose the Florence hands down. (The Du Lac is directly opposite the ferry stop: too much traffic).

We stayed at the Florence in June. We had two rooms with wraparound balconies overlooking the lake. I loved it!!!! The room numbers were 25 and 26 (the small room was for my son). The restaurant was just okay-- but the owner suggested the Bilacus which was wonderful!!! We had dinner and lunch there-- equally great food and service! <BR>Mary

We stayed at the Belvedere in Bellagio in 1999 and enjoyed the hotel and the location. The rooms on Floor 1 (our 2nd floor in the US) had large balconies that overlooked the lake. We had some great bottles of wine sitting out there. <BR> <BR>If you drive to Bellagio I recommend that you drive up the west side of the lake and ferry over. The east route looks like it is the most direct as it does not involve a ferry, but it is a small road, very slow and a hassle. The other way was actually quicker. <BR> <BR>Once in Bellagio, if that is where you stay, you can see a lot by using the ferry service. We moved around a lot that way but were glad we located in Bellagio. Great spot and nice town. You can easily walk to town from the Belvedere. <BR> <BR>Book your flight back to the US after 10am or so and you can easily stay in Bellagio the last night and drive to the airport. Beats spending the last evening in some airport hotel.

Re the question about the train from Varenna. I assume you mean Varenna to Milan. It's almost like a bus route. Several trains back and forth during the day. (Check train schedules on line: I think www.f-sonline.com.) However, there are no ticket sales (or personnel or clean toilets) at the Varenna station. You buy your tickets at the all-purpose tobacconist/newstand/coffeebar down the hill from the station (between station and ferry landing). Train stops for just a couple of minutes, so be early. Train will be crowded, and on-board toilets only marginally clean.