I'm heading to Lake Como in September for 3 -4 days. Trying to decide where to stay. Either Varenna or Bellagio

How are you traveling? The train goes to Varenna, not Bellagio. I preferred Varenna - smaller and quieter. But you will have more choice of restaurants and shops in Bellagio.

It's a five minute ferry ride between Bellagio to Varenna, so I'm not sure it should factor largely into your decision-making unless you have mobility issues. For 3 or 4 days you'll certainly find enough restaurants in Bellagio. Have you looked at hotel availability?

Thanks for the information. I am traveling by train and I have no mobility issues. I have just started to look into hotels. I like to stay near the shops and restaurants and am looking for a smaller, more quaint hotel or B&B. Any suggestions?

Will you have a car? If so, Varenna would be easier although you could still head to Bellagio by either driving up the 'peninsula' to Bellagio or driving to Cadenabbia, Menaggio or Varenna and using the car ferry.

I can recommend the Hotel du Lac in Varenna and the Florence Hotel in Bellagio. The Belvedere in Bellagio has lovely views and is in a quieter location, but it's a bit of a hike (.5 mile) from the lakeshore.

The two towns have different vibes. Bellagio is generally more upscale, bigger, busier (especially on weekends) and has more shopping. If you plan to ferry to several points on the lake, you might want to peruse the ferry timetables to see what that would involve from both towns, in particular noting the time of the last ferry back to your base town.

http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/c_dow...20CL_E2017.pdf

http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/c_dow...lico_E2017.pdf

http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/c_dow...Como_E2017.pdf

Sorry, I missed your last post about arriving by train...

We are staying in Bellagio, found a good rate, and "heard" that with ferry schedules, pick a town you don't want to be too dependent on ferries in the evening. Could be wrong, but that stuck out to me.

We are taking a car in from Milan...not that much and sure easier after that long flight.

I stayed at the Villa Cipressi - a bit above my usual price range but very nice and not that big. There are smaller places and B&Bs in Varenna, but they were booked for my dates. Check Rick Steves for a couple of listings.

http://www.hotelvillacipressi.it/en/

"not that much" - meaning how much?

Almost everything available is show on booking.com. You can search for your exact dates and budget. I wouldn't overthink this. I see in my original post that I wrote you'd find more than enough restaurants in Bellagio -- but I meant to write Varenna. You'll find plenty of everything, good and bad, in either place for such a short stay, so if you find an affordable hotel you like, don't worry about which town you are in unless you have a file folder of alleged tourist "must-sees" that you are determined to get through (in which case, study the transport schedules). But most people realize once they get to the lake that the point is to relax and enjoy the mesmerizing views as the light changes during the day.

I loved La Pergola in Bellagio. It's about a 15 minute walk outside the main part of town, but is right on the lake and most rooms had a balcony and lake view.

It's a small hotel, a converted convent with charming quiet atmosphere and a wonderful restaurant.

I was last there about 10 years ago and don't know if it has changed since then, but my experience was completely positive.

I agree that either town would be fine as they are just one stop away from each other by ferry and very close.