Lake Como AREA questions
 

Flying into Milan then want to do three nights in Lake Como area. Never been. Me (mid 50's) and my 80 year old mother. Both of us are very active, walk miles each day, etc....but no need to be up a flight of many steps if we don't need to. End of August. Train in from Milan MIL airport then on to Stressa.

Question....aiming to stay in Bellagio area. I HEAR this is a good central location. Do you agree? (Would love a room with two single beds, but take what we can get.) I see The Florence recommended a lot. Have a request into them. Any other hotels to recommend? Any other location? I hear Como is not the preferred locale.

Question....any reasonable restaurants to recommend? Aren't looking for fancy, just good food and a view never hurts!

Budget is $200-$450 or so max. per night for the room. Presuming that will get clean, reasonably located and nice.

Would like to explore the area and without a car, will rely on ferries, I see Bellagio is a good location for that. Please let me know if you have another opinion.

Many thanks!! And yes, I know it is last minute!! :)

Look at booking.com. You can search for date and price, plus also amentities like air conditioning (youll need it in August) and twin beds.

If you cannot find what you like in Bellagio, look in Menaggio or Argegno.

Also look at AirBnB but be careful about location. You especially don't want to be too far up into hills.

I recommend that you book a car transfer from Malpensa airport to your hotel. It is expensive, but August heat at Malpensa airport and in the area can be intense. Carrying luggage, it makes sense to have a car.

The scenic area of Lago di Como where you are going is notorious for having low quality tourist restaurants at inflated prices. Perhaps some people here can give you some personal recommendations but otherwise, Italian restaurants by custom post their menus in outside or in their windows so you can see the prices. If the people inside look happy and you like the decor, settle for that.

The so-called mid-lake area is popular with many (Bellagio-Menaggio-Varenna). Having been there in the summer there is NO way I would stay in anything which is not air conditioned and I don't care how "charming" anybody says some town is. Bellagio really isn't that much better IMO ferry-wise than the other two towns so don't get hung up on that.

Bellagio is excellent for exploring the whole lake by ferry. No car is needed.We have stayed there four times, once for two weeks, and never ran out of places to visit by ferry.
The pedestrian ways in town are cobbled staircases. The one road goes up the hill, across the top and down the other wide. The road would be easier for your mother to get to upper Bellagio to see the historic church and more local shops up there.
With three days, don't go all the way south to town of Como.
Florence Hotel is down on the flat lakeside and is a good choice for that area. Villa Serbonelli is nearby the Florence, a luxury property. This lower area, however, attracts day trippers from the ferry docks and the ships there are very touristy. Hotel Belvedere is way at the top of town with beautiful views to the eastern side of the peninsula and lake. Off the road at the upper less tpuristed part of town is Residence La Limonera, rooms/efficiency apts with small kitchenettes, lovely owner and grounds.
A place with a view north up the lake,perhaps you'll see the Alps, is La Punta out beyond the Serbonelli- on the point. Best view in town. A flat walk.
In the opposite direction , walk south through through the pretty and flat , no stairs, lakeside Melzi Gardens to Alle Darsena di Loppia, perhaps your table will have a view, and really excellent food.
Otherwise the good restaurants are tucked away on those cobbled staircases such as Ristorante Terazza Barchetta and Ristorante Bilacus. Enjoy this beautiful town.

I stayed in Varenna at the Villa Cipressi which I can recommend. Varenna seemed a bit quieter and less touristy than Bellagio, plus you can get there by train.

Not sure why you mention Stresa, on Lake Maggiore, although I actually preferred Maggiore to Como.

massimop, will do on the car transfers...we are flying into LIN, but sure it is just as nuts as Malpensa, and we get in around 6pm, so, thank you. Yes, a bit leary of the steps, and non-hotels for this short of a stay, I think we will splurge.

Dukey1, ok, mid August, yes, AC is a must. And thank you for opening up the other towns....good to know ferries are fine at all. we are doing a bit of jet lag recovery before another tour begins. thanks.

HT, ok, so the "flat side" does sound like a place to maybe not stay directly at. I see Hoter Belvedere has a lakeview double for 1500 for the three nights. Not bad if it is a great place, as you say. La Limonera is full. And I just sent La Punta a reservation request for dinner our last night. Thank you!! I will make a note of the others you mentioned.

thanks all...keep it coming if you think of anything else. we are intending to be well rested enough by the end to take the train into Milane Centrale, then transfer to Stresa to meet with our group on day 4. xoxo

We've stayed at the Hotel Florence twice (2016 and 2013) and like it a lot (get a room with balcony for sure). It's an old school hotel but with gorgeous views, and large high ceilinged rooms. Also quite like La Barchetta for dinner. Bellagio is touristy but beautiful, and the stone stepped lanes aren't too challenging IMO- and it's easy to stop mid climb to rest or catch your breath.
Varenna is charming but too small for our taste to stay in.
Be sure and just ride the ferry around the lake- so, so beautiful!

We are in our early 70s and planning our (approx) 7th trip to Lake Como area at end of August. We've booked at Albergo du Lac in Varenna directly with their management as we have several times previously. The view from their terrace is breathtaking and the place is easily reached via two different walks (one up and one lakeside) from the ferry dock. The hotel is on multiple levels but has a small elevator. Terrific breakfasts and wonderfully pleasant staff. I recommend it highly as well as the town of Varenna. Here is the website for the Du Lac http://www.albergodulac.com/en/home-3/ Varenna is the smallest of the 3 towns in the middle of Lake Como but everything is easily accessible by ferry/steamer. Varenna is also the only one of the three central towns that has train access.

As far as restaurants in the area we recommend Florence (the outside area under the wisteria) in Bellagio and also Suisse Hotel restaurant here. We like Vecchia Varenna in Varenna and the restaurant at the Bellavista Hotel in Menaggio. If you do a search here, you can find many posts about the Lake Como area (including this one that I wrote many years ago but remains pretty much current--except probably for prices ) http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...and-dining.cfm

BTW we will be staying at the Du Lac for 4 nights from August 22 to 24. If you will be there at the same time, we'd enjoy doing a very mini-Fodos get together. Whenever you go, you will love it.

We have stayed at the Florence Hotel in Bellagio. So easy to visit the other towns by ferry.

If I were to stay at the Florence again, I would make sure to have a room on the second level that has a very large deck. Looks out over the lake.

Only accessible to two rooms.

A/C in summer is advisable.

Whether to insist on air conditioning or not depends very much on what you are used to. It wouldn't be a priority for everyone. Even if you have it, close the blinds/shutters during the day and open them up in the evening.

great advise, friends. we will be there 8/15-ish, or would love to get together, Julie. Making fast notes of all your choices. Thanks.

Funny, this central triangle seems to be a great location. However a friend stayed at Hotel Villa Imperial and Hotel Regina Olga, both on the lower west coast of the Como leg, near Villa D'Este. What are your thoughts on that area?

I guess there isn't much a bad area at Lake Como though....come to think about it.

I do like the appeal of the train station at Varenna. We will hire a car in, but expect to take the train upon leaving to Stressa to meet up with our tour.

As to why both? Have always wanted to see Lake Como. It is an easy stop from flying into Milan a few days before our tour leaves Stressa.

I don't think anyone has mentioned that August 15th is a holiday in Italy. It may be difficult to get lodging reservations at the lake that week.

IMO, there is no 'wrong' place to stay on the lake, but there is the 'wrong' place for your sightseeing plans. You should figure out what you're going to do with your two days and then study the ferry timetables to understand how you would get there (and back). For example, you couldn't eat dinner at La Punta in Bellagio if you're staying near Moltrasio or Tavernola or even in Varenna. The ferries don't run late enough.

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

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

If you stayed in the area near Villa d'Este, you'd ferry or taxi to Como to catch the train to Stresa. From Bellagio or Varenna, you'd take the train from Varenna. If you had to return a rented car, you'd need to drive to Como or all the way to Sresa. There are no rental return offices in Varenna.

If you use the train station in Varenna, you need to understand that it does not have staff, so you would need to go to a travel agency in Varenna to purchase tickets (or possibly use a machine--can't remember about that since we went to the travel agency)

There used to be ticket machines IN one of the waiting areas of the Varenna-Esino station. Rick Steves, for YEARS, told everybody to go to the "nearby" travel agency wherever that actually was.

No, Linate will NOT be as busy as Malpensa and it is a LOT closer to Milano Centrale the main station from which you'll travel by rail to Varenna.

Be aware that staying somewhere like Tremezzo is also a possibility with ferry connections. if you like those "big 'ole hotels" like the ones you are going to see along the lake in Sresa then check out The Grand