How to get to Lake Como
 

Hi All
I’m still making decisions for our October trip. We are definitely going to spend the first few nights on Lake Como, probably Verenna. We chose Verenna because it will allow for a quicker day trip into Milan. The question now is how to get there. From reading posts I see two reasonable options:

Option 1: Fly into Malpensa, bus to Como, ferry to Verenna. (I recently saw a post that said there is no longer bus service to Como – is this true?)
Option 1: Fly into Lugano, bus to Menaggio, ferry to Verenna.

Is one better than the other for any reason? Shorter, easier, more scenic? Any opinions from experienced travelers to this area would be most appreciated.

The regional bus service is called SPT. The LarioOnline website has a transportation page with several helpful links including the bus service.

Lugano is served primarily by flights that originate within Europe. International flights will probably land at Malpensa.

The Malpensa Express Shuttle Bus goes directly to Milano Centrale for a train up to Varenna. Apparently you can take the Milan metro rail from Malpensa, change at a station in Milan and take a train to Como. (Have never done this myself.)

International flights land in the early morning, so you will have enough time to use any route that you want.

Hi Sger - Where are you flying from?

The easiest airport for Varenna is actually Bergamo - about 1 hr 15' by train (- via Lecco).

Steve

I'm flying from Tampa, Florida. A quick check of Expedia shows that relative to Malpensa, Lugano is slightly longer and slightly cheaper. It does however require an extra plane change in Zurich. Bergamo is more expensive and about 10 hours longer because of a plane change in Rome. Unless there is some flight info I'm not getting, I think I'm still choosing between Malpensa and Lugano.

For Lugano, look at the SPT bus website. You might also look at the Swiss Postal Bus website. I don't know if both do the Lugano to Menaggio service.

The bus service from Malpensa to Como has been suspended.

From Malpensa, you have two choices:

1) Malpensa Shuttle (bus) to Milan's Centrale station and train to Varenna Esino. Bus departures are frequent, and journey is about an hour (depending on traffic). Train departures are approximately every hour or two, and the journey is a little over an hour. Malpensa to Varenna in approximately 3 hours. For train schedules:

http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html

2) Malpensa Express (train) headed for Milan's Cadorna Nord station, but get off at Saronno (2nd stop). Then, LeNord train to Como and ferry to Varenna. The Express train departures are twice an hour, and the ride to Como takes 1.5-2 hours. The fast ferry to Varenna takes a little over an hour, but not all fast ferries stop at Varenna. You need to catch one that does or change ferries at Menaggio or Bellagio. For LeNord timetable (Milano line) and ferry schedules:

http://www.lenord.it/website/lenord/en/home/index.php

http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/eng/com/nlc.html

Option 2 provides views of the lake but takes longer and involves more shlepping. Ferry schedules are adjusted/reduced to the off season somewhere between October 15th and 20th.

If the Lugano option is still in your thinking, I'd suggest stopping there for the first night and enjoying a half day (or so) in this beautiful spot. I've taken the Lugano-Menaggio bus and enjoyed the scenery very much.

Thanks so much Jean - that's just the kind of info I need. I'm tempted to take one of the routes involving ferries, just for the views. Of course we will get those later, and travel time and schleping are important.

Since you seem to have a choice of flight, there is also an option of
Linate Airport - Milano Centrale
then
Milano Centrale - Varenna by train.


Linate-Milano Centrale can be done by bus or taxi:

http://www.sea-aeroportimilano.it/en...=come_arrivare

and

http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a...1094593/inc/-1

have uou thought about driving from Malpensa--it's really very easy.

Steve and greg - although they seem more expensive to fly into, I will keep Bergamo and Linate in mind as I search. TPAYT - because we are staying several nights on the lake, we didn't think a car would be useful until we were ready to leave. Does Varenna have a car rental agency?

No car rental companies in Varenna.
Europcar has an outlet in Como.
There is a company in Belaggio that rent smarts (Barendelli?), but local rentals only I think.

Bergamo would be an option if were connecting via London. (Ryanair have flights from Stansted and Luton - currently £10).

There are several car rental options in Como. Also Bergamo or Lecco ...

Hope this helps ...

Steve

A couple of thoughts. IF you take the train from Centrale to Varenna and you sit on the left side facing forward you'll get plenty of lake views beginning at Lecco.

OK, not exactly the same as being in the middle of the lake on a ferry but still...

I agree you do NOT need a car in Varenna or in the other two mid-lake towns you are likely to travel to and you can get to most of the sites on the ferry system.

Steve is correct about the car rental nearest being Lecco...as I recall there is a Hertz office there and possibly an Avis and Europcar.

The indisputably best way to get to Lake Como is an invitation from George Clooney.

The arrival into Lugano by air is very scenic (and steep, the planes sort of spiral their way down to the airport). A much prettier arrival than into Malpensa. (Zurich airport also is better than Malpensa, IMO, so I might prefer my "big" landing from the U.S. to be there instead of Malpensa.)
If you do fly into Lugano, then it would make sense to follow Jean's advice and spend a little bit of time exploring the city's attractive lake front area.

Also, are you traveling at the end of October or the beginning? Some places in the Lake Como villages start closing down at the end of October; most things in Lugano should be up and running at full speed. In early October, most places along Lake Como should be open.

Thanks BigRed and Steve for the car info - that is the next step for planning. I definitely appreciate the scenery info from Dukey and BT. Now I feel that either way we won't be spending our first half day on a boring train ride. We are starting travel the second week of October and moving south, so hopefully we will be ahead of all the closings. If not, there must be places locals go in the off-season...