Where to stay in the Lake Como area?
 

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are planning a one week trip to Italy in September of this year for our belated honeymoon and would like to stay in the Lake Como area.

We'll have a car for the week but are on a fairly tight budget.

Can anyone recommend some good B&Bs or hotels? As long as they're clean we don't really mind if they're not too fancy!

Thanks,

Lucy

I'd skip the car and have a little more money for accommodations. If you stay mid-lake (Varenna/Bellagio/Menaggio), you'll use walk-on ferries to get around. This area is reachable by train to Varenna (and ferry to Bellaggio) or by hydrofoil from Como town. There are also buses to Bellagio and Menaggio.

Where else are you going in Italy? Maybe you don't need a car at all. Remember you must pay CDW insurance on Italian rental cars.

Can you give us a range for what you want to spend on hotels?

The Hotel Tres Rose in Nesso (half way between Bellagio and Como) is a lovely clean hotel, with stunning views and a great restaurant and is only €55 a night for a double. It also has free wifi!!

http://www.trerosehotel.com/hoteltre...lese/home.html

Think that there are some good reviews on Trip Advisor

If Lake Como is the extent of your trip, then the above advice about rental cars is good advice. In Italy, rental cars start at about $75 to $80 per day. By national law, rental cars have to have full insurance and they don't accept the insurance your or any credit card provide.

Since ths is a honeymoon trip, I'll list some hotels and you can then do your research. There are plenty of hotels in the 100 euro to 200 euro per night range. This is not an all-inclusive list. I tried to order from no-frills and cheap to almost luxury. Except as noted, all of these have some lake-view rooms.

Varenna
Albergo Olivedo, 2 star, located by the ferry stop and public, non-reserved parking lot, offers a half-board. we have stayed here twice.
Cipressi, in a converted villa, beautiful grounds and garden, lobby is a knock out, rooms are reported to be less impressive
Du lac
Royal Victoria ***

Bellagio
Metrople Generazzi, 2 star, Bellagio's only hotel directly on the water (the are several others that are only a parking lot off of the water).
Hotel Bellagio, we have stayed here.
Florence
Du Lac
One to avoid, The Suisse. This is the only hotel in Bellagio where I see lots of complaints. Obviously, not to be confused with the Hotel Suisse in Como.

Mennagio
Garni Carona, 2 star, good location but minimal to no lake view, no parking, 100 euro per night high season.
Hotel Vapore, 1 star, good location but minimal to no lake view, no parking, 60 euro per night high season.
Du Lac, one road off of the lake and has a few parking spaces.
Bellavista, lake-front and some parking,

Have a good trip.

You have good advice above. Your location will depend on your car decision--I can argue both sides of that, but we did spend a week last Oct. in Bellgio without a car and used a private driver to and from at lees total coast than the car for a week.
With a car, I suggest Menaggio on the west shore---the last 2 hotel suggestions are fine.

Heer is my recent photo gallery at Como---you can see my trip report by clicking on my name above and finding NAVIGATING IN NORTH ITALY. You will love the Como area.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4442

Thank you to everyone for all of your replies - I shall work my way through each one!

I think we plan to just stay in the one area so maybe we can do without a car - I'll explore this further.

In terms of hotel costs - if we could get 7 nights for around £500 I'd be very happy! I guess that would be about 600 Euros.

Thanks again!

PS Thank you Bob for the link to your photos (the area looks so beautiful!) & trip report, I shall share them with my husband.

Are you interested in staying in an apartment?

I stayed here a few years ago and loved it. It fits within your budget, but it's about a mile south of Varenna so it would be a bit of a walk (although a very pretty one and I did walk to Varenna from the flat). I decided to rent a car when I stayed here.

http://www.homelidays.co.uk/varenna/...t-24034en1.htm

Lake Como is wonderful. You should have a delightful time wherever you stay.

Hi Shanti,

Yes, we would be more than happy to look at apartments - thank you for your recommendation!

Look at La Limonera in Bellagio for good value and location.

In that case, this place would be lovely for a honeymoon

http://www.lakecomoapartment.com/

It may not be up to 'honeymoon' standard but we rented a 2 bedroom apartment in the lakefront village of Nobiallo. Nobiallo is a 20 - 30 minute walk north of Menaggio. The owner's high season rate is 75 euro per day. You can see the apartment on YouTube 'Nobiallo Holiday flat'. Owner's contact info is at the end of the video. The owner can get a dedicated parking space for you.

La Limonera is a good idea. Seems to get consistently good comments.

I would take Big Red's good advice above. I used to live in the Como area, and much preferred the east side of the lake to the west or "George Clooney" side. You should know that there are frequent trains from Milan right to the ferry terminals at Como. The city of Como itself is a disappointment, with poor views of the lake. Once at Como you can take the excellent ferries anywhere. The reason I prefer the east shore is that is the side the railway runs along, all the way from Lecco up through the Valtellina, so you can stop off wherever. The east shore also contains the lovely towns of Bellano and Varenna, within walking distance of each other and also reachable by ferry. Rick Steves recommends an albergo in Varenna, and I would recommend a lovely Gelateria in Bellano, with outdoor tables beside the lake, where you can sit and watch the steamers over your cappucino. For a first time visitor I would avoid driving and use ferries and your feet. Buon Viaggio!

I really like Como town...the views from Brunate are fab and it's a lovely wee city to wander around; interesting buldings and shops and a great place to people watch

Bookmarking.

We love Varenna and have stayed several times at the moderately price Albergo Milano (via Rick Steves). Eight rooms all with balconies and views of the lake, beautiful gardens, a passeggiata by the sea and quick ferry across the lake to the tonier Bellagio and its lovely gardens. I agree that you don't need a car--spend the money on a taxi to pick you up from Malpensa, take you around Milano, avoiding the city, and settle your jetlagged self into your hotel.

Have a wonderful trip!

thanks cmstraf, that's it, the Albergo Milano in Varenna.....and you can catch the Milano-Sondrio train from Milano Central for the 1hr ride to Varenna (express trains leave every two hours---8/10/12, etc.).....and you know cmstraf's suggestion about a taxi from Malpensa isn't such a bad idea.... I checked http://www.compagniataxi.com/taximilano_000008.htm, and they are giving a quote of 79 Euros for Malpensa-Como, which for 2 people actually isn't bad! (especially since you will pay approx. $6 per gallon in a rental car)

We stayed at Il Perlo Panorama a few years back, and at that time it was reasonable. Because it is above Bellagio, it does have a parking area and makes it ideal when one has a car.

http://www.ilperlo.com/en/photogallery-ilperlo

Your hotel in Varenna will give you the name of a local cab driver who will pick you up for an agreed up fare in advance. Another hotel in Varenna is I think the hotel du lac--one star more, more money, but with airconditioning. We have always stayed at the Albergo Milano--very much like the owner--but have had an enjoyable lunch at the Hotel du Lac on its balcony over the lake. There is also a Michelin rated restaurant in town, La Vechhia Varenna, which is excellent.