Train or bus to Lake Como?
 

Does anyone know if we can take a bus from the Milan airport directly to Como? I know we can go to Milan and take the train, but is there must be a more direct route? Any one? Thanks.

There is a bus direct from Malpensa to Como Stazione Autolinee. The brochure I picked up last week while in Menaggio is all in Italian so I won't pretend to know everything and will want to verify this info. There is a website www.sptcomo.it or tel. +39 31 579 211 <BR> <BR>From what I can make out. <BR>Departs Malpensa Terminal 1 (use uscita 4 to bus stallo 13) Sundays and Holidays 9:20, 12:20 <BR>Working Days Monday-Saturday above times plus 11:00, 14:15, 16:45 and 19:25. cost oneway L. 21,000 <BR>(terminal 2 departures 4 minutes later) <BR> <BR> <BR>The 12:20 bus also goes all the way to Menaggio arriving 14:10, so if your main objective was Bellagio this would be the one to take IF the time is close to your flight arrival. cost oneway L. 25,000

Chris: Hope you'll pop back to answer following (even though I will try to decipher info on the site you provided). My final destination is Varenna on Lake Como. I arrive after overnight flight from San Francisco via Heathrow into Malpensa at 4:55pm on a Monday. What are my options for getting to Varenna in the evening after processing through customs? Will I have to bus into Milan's Stazione Centrale to catch train to Varenna? Or if I bus from Malpensa to Como, will a ferry or bus to Varenna be running in the evening? Thanks for any help.

I'm afraid, Jan, that by the time you get to lake Como boats won't be running anymore. Even if there are buses from Como to Varenna, it should be a long trip because they have to go through Lecco. Your best bet will indeed be to take the bus shuttle to Milan and a train directly to Varenna thereafter. <BR> <BR>Paulo

Thanks, Paulo, that's exactly what I needed to know. Would you also suggest that it might be a good idea to simply stay that first night in Milan near the train station and head out to Varenna the next day, perhaps after morning tour of Milan?

Jan, I might have a better suggestion, I think: Take the bus from Malpensa to Como and stay overnight there. Then in the morning you can take the hydofoil/ferry to Varenna.