Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Our Return to Italy

By Saul Schwartz

My wife Fern and I had traveled twice before to Italy. We toured Rome on one trip. In the other trip we started in Milan, took a train Florence and Pisa, and finished with a train trip to Venice. In May 2025, we spent three days in beautiful Lake Como.

This time we took a train from Sargans, Switzerland, to the Como San Giovanni train station, near downtown Como, Italy. This scenic train route takes about 3 and one-half hours, and involves one change, in Zurich, Switzerland. The tricky part of taking a train from Sargans, Switzerland to Como, Italy is that you must separately purchase train two train tickets, one for the portion of the route in each country.

With luggage, the best option is to take a taxi from the train station to the hotel. It took us about twenty minutes due to traffic issues on a busy weekend. Without luggage, there are several bus options available that were not utilized by us.

Lodging at Sheraton Lake Como – Due to the popularity of Lake Como, our lodging options were limited. Our spacious room featured a comfortable bed and decorative Italian furniture. We took advantage of the large fitness studio, which included cardio equipment and weights. The adjacent spa area had an indoor pool, a whirlpool and relaxation area. All of the spa/gym area was complementary for hotel guests. The park-like outdoor features included plenty of seating by the outdoor pool. The nightly rate was high, as typical for Lake Como. The hotel was further from the town of Como than we thought, resulting in long walks or short taxi rides (of about 20 Euros each way). The hotel is located at the edge of Como, bordering the town of Cernobbio. The hotel features three restaurants, including one with a Michelin star.

We found Lake Como to be special because of its deep blue waters, the charming towns and villages along the lake, the stunning mountain scenery along the lake, and delicious local food. This was our last stop on our two-week European trip of Spring 2025.

Activities:

Walking around Cernobbio – Twice we went through the cute town of Cernobbio, which is begins across the street from the Lake Como Sheraton. This small city is located northwest of Como. Fern and I walked to the town center. Piazza Risorgimento, the town center, is at a lakefront. The town center includes a war memorial dedicated to victims of both world wars. There are many benches in the town center to sit and view Lake Como, the very scenic houses on the hillside, and the boats going by. This town is less crowded than Como. Although there is a ferry option from Cernobbio to Como, we did not try this service.

Walking to Villa Olmo and Gardens – This Villa is about a twenty-minute walk from Cernobbio. The sidewalk path was very crowded along the way. This grand palace was completed in 1812. We could only view its exterior due to renovation work. The neoclassical Italian villa is located right along Lake Como. We wandered through the extensive gardens which include a series of sculptures. There is no fee to stroll through the gardens, located at Via Simone Cantoni.

Walking to Duomo in Como – We took another twenty-minute walk, this time from Villa Olmo to the Duomo. Along the way, we stopped briefly at the neoclassical Volta temple, a memorial to the inventor of the battery - the scientist Alessandro Volta. We did not enter the museum within the temple. Also, we briefly stopped to admire the monument to honor the victims of World War 2 and the resistance. The 33-meter-high monument includes stones from Nazi concentration camps.

We arrived at the Duomo as Sunday services were wrapping up. The interior of this vast church is clad with lovely tapestries, colorful stained-glass windows, paintings, and gothic sculptures. There is no fee to enter the church. The cathedral with its dome is easily visible throughout Como. It is in the historic center of Como, not far from Lake Como. The construction of the Cathedral began around 1396, and the dome was added in 1744. Its architecture is a mix of styles (Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance), as the church was built in stages. As the services wrapped up, we were able to briefly meet Cardinal Candoni. He had just returned from the conclave in the Vatican.

On the way back to our hotel, we briefly admired Villa Saporiti, although it was through gates. This two-floor neoclassical villa was built around 1793. Guests include Napoleon and Tsar Alexander II. The building is now owned by the provincial administration.

Our day in Bellagio – We spent one full day in beautiful lakeside town of Bellagio. The ferry to Bellagio leaves from the Como dock, not far from the Cathedral. The ticket line is right beside the piers. The fast high-speed ferry takes about one hour, to Bellagio from Como, with one stop along the way. The less expensive slow ferry makes many stops and takes over two hours each way.

Our first stop in Bellagio was the Di Villa Melzi national monument and gardens. This attraction is a ten-minute walk from the Bellagio pier, along a flower-decorated promenade. We did not realize that the interior of the villa is not open to the public to tour. The ten Euro admission fee included entry into the family chapel and into a small historical museum.

The villa was built around 1809 for Melzi, a former Vice-President of the Italian Republic. The neo-classical villa sits right by Lake Como. Gardens contain species from around the world, along with sculptures. The gardens are extensive, much like Versailles.

Next, we walked up and down the picturesque staircases of Bellagio. These steep cobble stone alleys contain restaurants, boutique stores, galleries, and cafes. We purchased bread with olive oil at a small market on one staircase, to enjoy as part of our lunch.

We ate lunch in the main Bellagio square at the top of the staircases. Piazza della Chiesa is an attractive Italian square, with a central fountain and colorful buildings. This charming square is truly a vibrant hub of activity, as tourists and locals walk by.

We stopped inside the small twelfth century church on one side of this square. There is no fee for admission. The Romanesque Basilica is a landmark at the top of Bellagio. The stone façade is squeezed against the bell tower. Inside there is a mix of paintings, colorful stained-glass windows, and sculptures.

We then took a midday coffee/tea and snack break outside at one of the cafes within the square. Taking a break in a true European square is one of our favorite activities.

We then took the fast ferry back to Como. We saw many villas on the scenic hillsides along the way, including the villa owned by actor George Clooney.

Dining and Food Options:

Eat With Experience – Our dining highlight was a cooking class with Veronica at her house, about fifteen minutes from our hotel. Her husband Luca picked us up at our hotel. Over a three-hour evening, together we made pasta using Veronica’s family sauce and her pasta maker. Then we made a tasty vegan cake with orange and chocolate toppings. The time passed quickly as Veronica told us about her family’s life in Como. We then dined on our creations and drank one of her favorite rose wines called Piccinni, the Italian family wine, and her homemade Limoncello, an Italian liquor flavored with lemon peel. We booked this experience in advance on the Eat With website. It was a superb evening experience.

Kincho Grill and Pizza – This outdoor restaurant sits within a park-like setting across from the Sheraton Lake Como. We absolutely had to try pizza while in Italy. Our pizza choice (Ortolano) was good, but not amazing. The pizza was thin. Prices were moderate. Service was very good. The restaurant is only open in spring and summer, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is one of the three restaurants at the Sheraton Lake Como.

Da Michele Restaurant – This restaurant was recommended to us by Luca and Veronica at our Eat With dinner. The pizzeria is right in the heart of Como, near the Cathedral. There are indoor and outdoor dining options. We ate outside on a pleasant evening. Prices are moderate. The service was superb. This famous family pizzeria dates to 1870. Our very large fifteen-inch pizza came with vegetables. It was thin, but very tasty.

Gran Mercato markets – There are four locations for this large supermarket in Como. We found a large variety of food options to take away, as well as drinks. One location is within several minutes walking distance of the Lake Como Sheraton hotel. Prices are moderate.

Tips and observations – Our walking tour of Como was canceled by Viator at the last minute due to insufficient attendees booking it. Unfortunately, we were unable to find a replacement walking tour.

Como was extremely crowded this May weekend. As a result, we were unable to take the Funicular in Como to the hilltop village of Brunate due to the extremely long lines.

Tickets for the ferry to Bellagio cannot be purchased online in advance. We got up early on our last day in the Lake Como area to make sure that we could get through the long lines and purchase the ferry tickets. In Como, you buy a one-way ticket to Bellagio. Then in Bellagio, you buy the return ticket to Como.

The weather in late May was warm but not unpleasant, with a high temperature of around 70 degrees. We experienced no rain.

We ended our trip by taking a two-hour train from Como San Giovanni train station to the Zurich airport train station. The trip only required a switch at the Zurich main station. Then we spent our last night at the Hilton Zurich hotel. We had dinner in the executive room, with a great view of the airport runways. On our last morning, we used the very nice gym. Then we had a breakfast buffet before we flew back to Dulles airport on Swiss Air.

Tips and Observations –

In hindsight, I would not have ended our European trip at Lake Como. Three days was not enough to explore the charming towns and villages along the lake.

Although most attractions take Visa credit cards, we used Euros for tips. The exchange rate was 1 Euro to $1.14 during May 2025.

Knowing Como better now, I would have booked lodging at one of the small boutique hotels in the city center. The city center of Como is the best location to take the ferry, as well as to tour the key attractions in Como itself.

While we enjoyed our stay at this famous Italian lake, it may be a bit overhyped.

The serene waters and surrounding mountains are very scenic.

Both tourists and locals were more dressed up than we expected throughout the area.
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