VARENNA-BELLAGIO-LAKE COMO-FOXTOWN OUTLET in one day
 

Dear all,
I need help and advice. I'm planning a trip to Europe and planning to visit Milan from Paris.
Do you think one day trip is enough for Varenna-Bellagio-Lake Como-FoxTown Outlet?
Just a short trip for each place (Varenna is only for transit on my way to Bellagio from Milan, perhaps just taking few pictures there). Or should I drop one of them out of my list?

I only have one day as the next day I will focus on Milan city and need to catch up evening train to Venice.

Hope you guys can advice me on this. Thank you.

What is the Foxtown Outlet ? Is that the focal point of this trip ?

Hi Bedar,
It is a shopping outlet located at Mendrisio, Switzerland. Approx. 30-40 minutes from Como. It is not really important but I would love to do some shopping there if posibble.

I suggest visiting Varenna and Bellagio and perhaps, if time allows, taking the public boat to visit other towns/sights on the lake. It's lovely and the towns and lake are worth exploring. Do your shopping while there and also while in Milan (which will have much better shopping than the outlet mall). I don't think you will have time for the outlet shopping.

Please have a look to a map. If you have a car, Varenna to Bellagio to Foxtown involves one or two ferry crossings (two are faster). If you do not have a car, I am not sure you can make it in a single day, let alone spend some time anywhere. - Thinking about it, I'd guess it would be something like train from Milano to Varenna, ferry to Bellagio, ferry to Menaggio, bus to Lugano, train to Mendrisio, local bus to Foxtown, then shuttle to Milan or a combination of bus with two trains.

The only practical way to visit Foxtown from Milan without a car is with a bus shuttle, and forget about Lake Como area.

BTW, I have never been to Foxtown. Queues to access it by car are so frequent that they are rebuilding the highway exit.

Short answer: no, you can't. If you're interested enough in shopping to want to check out Foxtown in the first place, then you should plan to spend a few hours there.

My friends and I have been to Foxtown several times -- we go about three times a year. Each time, we spend about four hours there -- including time out for cappuccinos and gelato. Add in the 20 minute or so cab ride from Lugano and that's not much change from five hours.

There's no point to a quick trip to Foxtown. The mall is large and has a confusing layout. Either enjoy yourself in Varenna and Bellagio, do some local shopping there, or build a day in your itinerary for Foxtown.

FWIW, we have found some great bargains there -- but we're spending Swiss francs and don't have to pay duty on our purchases (we live in Switzerland). If your home currency is weak against the franc and/or you have to pay duty on purchases over a fairly modest amount, then you won't realize any significant savings at Foxtown.

I have not been there, but, I've been to an outlet in Tuscany that had many top designers and to be honest I didn't think it was worth a detour - and I like to shop. They were full of pretty clothes and shoes but they didn't really pique my interest as I thought they would.

I would not make this a top priority, were it me, especially in comparison with Lake Como. If I had a full week, maybe, although I've been to Lake Como four times now (4-6 days each time) and never felt the urge to go.

I don't know your level of shopaholic-ness, though!

"They were full of pretty clothes and shoes but they didn't really pique my interest as I thought they would"

Foxtown has all that, of course, but quite a bit more as well. For example, we got some great cookware at Le Creuset's store and gorgeous Italian bedlinens at deep discounts from Bassetti.

Dear all,
Thanks for all your opinions and advices I'll visit Paris, London and Milan. So I guess FoxTown Outlet is not really a priority.

Thanks again you guys. Now it's time for some research on Bellagio and Como! It will be a day trip from Milan.

You could also travel by train:
Paris L dp 6.41 - Como SG ar 15.08, change at Milano Porta Garibaldi
Paris L dp 14.23 - Como SG ar 22.15, change at Zurich
or
Paris dp 7.19 and 10.23 - Menaggio ar 16.42 and 19.40, change at Basel, resp Zurich and Lugano
or
Paris dp 10.29 - Varenna ar 20.36, change a Zurich, Chur, Spluegen and Chiavenna (in summer only)

Should be Zurich dp 10.23, sorry!

Really: Paris dp 10.23 - Varenna ar 20.36!