Hi, I need help with traveling form Luca to Lake Como. I thought I could take trenitalia from Luca (closest station) to Milan and then travel by ferry from Milan to Lake Como. I need any advice as I’m in the beginning stages. Last resource would be to rent a car but would rather use the train. Thank you!

I take it you mean Lucca? Have you looked at a map??

You can take a train to Como S. Giovanni and a ferry from there to anywhere else on the lake. You can also take a train to Varenna.

Train timetables at bahn.de or trenitalia.it, ferry timetables at Timetables search Como Lake

Yes thank you Lucca. Greatful for this information!

Joy2:

Thursdaysd gives great advice. Look at a map!

Would be helpful to know when you are travelling and what you are looking for on Lake Como. Most either choose Como itself or mid-lake but recommendations will depend upon time of year, number of days and your particular interests (as well as budget).

Yes thursdayds has it right as usual- book discounted tickets online at Acquista il biglietto con le nostre offerte - Trenitalia for possible nice discounts if book early enough. for lots on Italian trains check www.seat61.com (great advice on discounted tickets); BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. For Bellagio take train Milan Centrale to Varenna-Esino which has ferries to Bellagio.

If you train to Como S. Giovanni, you have to take a taxi to the ferry dock. If you train to Como Nord Lago, the journey involves an additional train connection, but you can walk to the ferry dock. It comes down to choosing the taxi or the additional connection. Either way, overall travel time is about the same, but the taxi fare will probably make the CSG option more expensive.

Depending on your final destination on the lake, training to Varenna-Esino might save overall time and perhaps some money on the ferry ride. You can walk from the station to the ferry dock.

You don't "need" a car for the lake, but depending on your destination the overall travel time could be less and the logistics would be definitely easier. Load the luggage once and go. No getting on and off multiple trains, walking to docks, etc. You'd also have more options for excursions away from the lake. But of course, convenience comes at a cost, and in high season traffic can make drIving slow, parking difficult. Only you can make that call.

" If you train to Como S. Giovanni, you have to take a taxi to the ferry dock. "

...unless you board any bus to Lake Como (Menaggio, Bellagio, etc.) They all stop at Como San Giovanni station.
There are also city buses (lines 1, 6, 11 and E) between San Giovanni and Piazza Cavour (boats pier).

No you don't. I walked it, with luggage, in my late 60s. It's not far and it's all downhill.It's only another 400 meters, and if you are starting from Milano Centrale you have to change for Como Nord Lago.

Like thursdaysd above, we easily walked to the ferry dock from Como S. Giovanni station.

We will leave Lucca on Saturday September 8 to Bellagio, Lake Como. I am grateful for this information! I wasn’t sure the easiest commute but this information was very helpful. Thank you!

Yes not long walk to boat docks as I have done too but take buses or taxis right from S. Giovanni to Bellagio but seems better to take train Milano Centrale to Varenna then short boat. Trains to Varenna are also regional trains dirt cheap no reservations needed I believe.

Though you can go Lucca-Pisa-Milan that would seem to require two changes of trains and if go via Florence just one - both routes take about 4 hours.

www.bahn.de/en is easy to use to see schedules and what routing in best for you at the time you want.

Milano Centrale is a huge station that may flummox novice encounterers - leave plenty of time between connecting trains (could even put bags in left-luggage and take metro into central Milan to see famous Duomo, etc.

Thank you PalenQ. After our visit to Lake Como we will visit Milan for two nights and fly home from Milan. I will definitely visit Duomo. Excited!

Yes, if you're going to Bellagio it will be quicker to take the train to Varenna. However, the ferry ride up the lake from Como is just gorgeous.

Yes maybe when going back to Milan take the longer ferry ride especially as it docks right across the Nord d Como train station with trains to Milan (going to Milan Cardona station but not Centrale) - that smaller station is much closer to central Milan and a commuter train dirt-cheap and just hop on.

Huh? Are you saying that Milano Centrale isn't central?

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...300000019&z=15

I am saying that Cordona Station is closer to the historic center around the Duomo as appears to be on the map - Central Station refers to being train central for Milan I believe but is not in what most would call the center of Milan.

Capiche?

Yes, Milano CADORNA station is close to Leonardo da Vinci Museum, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Scala and Duomo.
If you arrive at Milano Centrale or Milano Garibaldi, you will have to reach this area by metro (4 resp 2 stops).

Personally my routing would be as follows:

1. Lucca to Florence
2. Florence to Milan Central station either with Trenitalia Frecciarossa or Italo
3. Milan Central to Como San Giovanni - select one of the trains which go through to Switzerland. The Tilo trains are excellent.
4. Take the C30 bus from Como San Giovanni (buy the tickets in the bar) to Bellagio.
5. Returning from Bellagio take the ferry to Como and then take the train from Como Lago to Milan Cadorna station.

Especially for Como this involves the least amount of walking (unless you take the C30 back to Como which has a stop closer to the station than the ferry) and still gives you the ferry ride recommended by thursdaysd albeit in the opposite direction.

" Huh? Are you saying that Milano Centrale isn't central? "
Palen is right. The construction of Milano Centrale began some 100 years ago in the outskirts of Milan. It replaced the old railway station from 1867 in the city center which couldn't be enlarged because there wasn't enough space.