Italy lake Como
 

Hi! We are a family of four visiting Lake Como in the month of October for 4 days .What would be a better way to reach Bellagio -by car or via ferry from Vernna ? And is the Italian terrain easy to drive ?(my husband has an international driving license ) also with two teenagers along with us which would be a better place to stay in at the lake Como ? Thanks

I can't comment on which is better but certainly the ferry from Varenna to Bellagio is easy. A short walk (10 minutes downhill) from Varenna train station to the ferry port in Varenna. Ferry timetables are easily found online. I think the ferries, buses and trains could be a good way for your teens to move around the lake area on their own if they wanted to. If they are shoppers, then Bellagio or Como. Otherwise any of the other towns that the ferry stops at would be fine.

"What would be a better way to reach Bellagio -by car or via ferry?"
From where: MXP, Milan city, Lugano, ZRH, MUC, Venice.....?

I've never driven to LC, so I can't comment on that. I have taken the train from Milan to Varenna, and as dreamon notes, it's a fairly easy and inexpensive way to get to Bellagio.

A "better" city to stay in with teens? Bellagio is OK -- a little too busy for me, but that's just me. Varenna is nice but pretty quiet, maybe too quiet for teens. I think you have to ask yourself what activities you have planned and which city provides the best access to those activities.

Also, going back to the transportation question: Will you need a car during your stay? Public transportation is good on the lake, via ferry, bus, etc. But I don't know what your plans are and whether they require driving.

You have to drive around half the lake. Driving time will be around 1 1/2 hours, but it will be a very scenic drive.

The ferry boat is more fun, but you have to negotiate your baggage.

There is nothing special about driving in Italy. The roads are good and the drivers are well-trained. The coastal roads at Lake Como are windy, of course, so the speed limit is mostly 50 km/h and sometimes even 40 or 30 km/h, which makes driving slow - but gives you time to enjoy the beautiful scenery while driving.

Thanks guys for the inputs ! We will be driving down from Milan city ,and further plan to drive up to Santa Margherita and other towns on the riveria .

From Milano, you drive to Lecco and from there the coastal road to Bellagio. It is just 79 km, but you will need two hours for the drive. From Bellagio, you can use the ferryboat to reach the villages and villas on the other side of the like (Tremezzo, Menaggio...).

While Lake Como is north of Milano, the Riveria is in opposite direction (southwards).