nochblad

vincenzo - advice which has unfortunately become cliché as I hoped is understood. If not I will come back with a far heavier put-down of Rick Steves and his ilk.

thursdaysd

Dear me. I stayed in Varenna and visited Bellagio. I was very glad I did it that way round. And I am as much English as American.

vincenzo32951

noch: Do as you will with Rick Steves. Doesn't concern me. And continue to be a pompous boor here if you wish. That's my put-down of your put-down.

There is a way to suggest a "better" choice w/o taking the approach you did.

But, hey, it's the Internet, where people who wouldn't dare to criticize others to their faces instantly become keyboard commandos.

Yes, yes, I know. You're similarly brave and insulting face-to-face. Sure you are. They all are.

nochblad

thursdaysd - the OP does not want to stay in Varenna but get to Bellagio

vincenzo - my comment was not a criticism of your posting. perhaps you misunderstood.

thursdaysd

@nochblad - my post was a response to your attack on visitors to Varenna, not a suggestion to the OP. I already suggested that she stay nearer the ferry dock.

PalenQ

I stayed in Como itself and found it a very very nice old town- not many dreamy lake views but I'd rather stay in a real city than a plastic tourist-dominated town.

Jean

The OP asked for advice. She got advice. Lots of it. She can follow whatever advice sounds good to her.

The end.

jessica87

Thank you all for your advices!!! I appreciate everyone for putting out the time and knowledge.

StCirq

Gosh, I didn't take nochblad's advice as anything but that...advice, and from someone extremely knowledgable about the area. And put-downs of Rick Steves never reflect on a poster's questions, nor do they ever bother me. This is the guy, after all, who in one of his early books noted that Magellan was the first to "circumsize the globe."

jessica got plenty of good advice. There was no need to become contentious.

PalenQ

If not I will come back with a far heavier put-down of Rick Steves and his ilk.>

Hundreds of thousands seem to like Rick Steves and his ilk - his advice is geared towards more novice travlers looking for his kind of guidance - not veteran tourists who think they know better.

PalenQ

My advice is to take the train from Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni and then take the local bus from the station to Bellagio>

would not Lecco be closer by train and bus?

PalenQ

Again Como itself is a good foil to the heavily tourist bombarded lakeside 'fishing villages' (where angling today is more for tourists' euros than fish)- if spending some days on the lake take a boat or bus ride to Como - which with its markets and shopping area redolent of any thriving Italian regional town - is yes a typical in many ways Italian regional town.

Lots of restaurants not totally tourist-oriented - give Como a look over.

nochblad

The trains from Milano Centrale to Lecco are only regionale which are not necessarily of a high quality and the bus stop for Lecco is not right outside of the station as is the case of Como San Giovanni.

The trains to Como are more frequent and often include EC trains or TILO trains which are both high quality.

Tickets for the bus can be purchased at the bar.

nochblad

I forgot to mention that the route from Lecco is less convenient in terms of a stop nearer to your ultimate destination as mentioned in my original posting.