Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Which town to stay at in Lake Como?

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)

- Europe (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/)

- - Which town to stay at in Lake Como? (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/which-town-to-stay-at-in-lake-como-1011535/)

Hope your suitcases have strong wheels. Be prepared to struggle with suitcases no matter where you go in Italy. Lake Como has its own issues. Varenna can be steep, and depending on where you stay, you may need to deal with steep steps.

It starts to get cold in late August around the lake. It can get quite cold in September.

Varenna is a very convenient base. Of all the cities along the lake, I think Varenna offers the most charm and authenticity. There's only one car road that goes through the city, and its path is fairly straight. So, to access homes, hotels, and restaurants on the side of the mountain, you walk steep stairs and designated pathways. This can be a challenge with luggage.

Bellagio is a bit more spread out, with a few winding streets for cars that lead up the mountain to Via Garibaldi. Most of the hotels are on the lower strip near the ferry docks. Bellagio offers many more retail shopping options, lower level and upper. I love to shop, but I don't visit Lake Como for that reason. I can't remember the last time I purchased a gift from Lake Como. Varenna is not great for shopping choices, so I'm delighted that the shoppers go elsewhere.

Since Bellagio is in the center of the lake, it can offer 360º views. But, in order to experience them, you need to climb to the top, and there really isn't a perfect place to situate yourself for a clear view, except on the roof of the Belvedere Hotel, which is my favorite on Bellagio. If you can't do the Belvedere, you have to move around a bit to take in the entire magical vista.

Bellagio is the most famous city in the mid-lake region, therefore, most tourists visit it daily. The ferry area is often wall-to-wall people, especially on weekends. I never see it that crowded at the Varenna ferry docks.

There's lots more going on in Bellagio but......I loved Varenna. Lovely walks, good food, a gentle town not over run with shoppers and day trippers. An uncrowded beach, beautuful scenery. Would return to Varenna in a minute!

Since this has been resurrected...what about Cadenabbia di Griante? I see a lovely place to stay there, and it looks like ferry service to both Bellagio and Varenna is available. Looks like there are frequent ferrys to both Bellagio (10 minutes) and Varenna (34 minutes).

Comments? We’d be going in 2016, probably late May-early June.

Thanks.

Was considering Lake Como in Sept until I saw NYC's comment that it could be cold then. Perhaps Aug would be better but do Italian shops and restaurants close down in August as they do in France? Mary

Another vote for Bellagio!

We were at Lake Como and loved it there in October. I clearly remember sitting at outdoor cafes (and have photographs to prove it!). And, yes, just about everything was open.

is staying in Como really such a bad decision?

ON the advice of friends, we plan to sty in Lake Como. Now you've got me worried. I'd love to hear from others who have stayed there and loved it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCFoodSnob (Post 11699304)

"Como city wouldn't be my first choice to stay."

Good grief. No sensible person with taste and vision would go to Lake Como to stay in Como. OK, so Como is a small Italian town with lakefront property and a hill or two to view, but let's get real. Como offers very little visual charm when compared to other parts of the lake. Como provides access to transportation, or perhaps some fine silk, or a segway to Villa d'Este, but to actually base yourself there for a visit to Lake Como? What a waste.

"would definitely recommend Bellagio for your age group"

Never heard that one before. I had to go back to the OP to see if the tourists were old farts. There are plenty of seniors with canes trying to climb those stairs in Bellagio.

"Neither town has much night life but Varenna really doesn't have any."

Not sure how anyone defines "night life." No city on Lake Como is Ibiza. IMO, Varenna has the most "buzz" in the evening along the lake, partly because the sun sets on the cafe chairs lining the shore. And most of those merry folks making all that merriment noise tend to be young lovers drinking more than they should.

Bellagio is far from hip. It's more like an old-money version of Disneyland in Europe for the mature. And the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni deserves to be a much better hotel. I enjoy my visits to Bellagio, but staying there offers too many limitations. The views from Bellagio are half as exciting as those found in Varenna because Bellagio faces west and sits in the middle of the lake. IMO, there simply is no argument to justify geographical inconvenience.

Menaggio is one big bore, and Tremezzo is fun if you have a car and get to swim in the floating pool at Grand Hotel Tremezzo. But crossing the street in your swimsuit is so tacky. Both cities offer an interesting visit, but staying there? Not for me.

We have visited Lake Como four times and always stayed in Bellagio away from the dock area. We have traveled the entire lake by ferry, having lunch in different towns, visiting villas and gardens. It is a beautiful place, lots to see and do.

I have only spent one night in the town of Como for an easy and short trip to Malpensa the next morning. I wouldn't choose to stay there again other than for airport access and certainly not if my goal was to explore the villas, gardens and towns in the mid-lake area which would require too much time traveling around and being limited/tied to timetables.

I like both Bellagio and Varenna for different reasons. We also stayed briefly at Bellano which I liked A LOT, but we had a car on that visit which made for an experience that was less lake-centric. Friends of ours like to stay in Argegno with a car for the same reason.

We recently visited Lake Como and stayed in Varenna. We absolutely fell in love with the town and the lake.
Being on the train line was a plus too.
We arrived by private transfer and left by train.

can't go wrong with Bellagio or Varenna. We stayed in Bellagio for 5 nights, so may do Varenna next time. These are the most central, IMHO, towns for what you might want to do, and you will probably explore both, I would recommend that. Varenna has the advantage of the train connection, but I might recommend Bellagio for a first trip. Really would not stay in Como. Look at the map, it is at the foot of the lake. Not central, a hike to get to Bellagio and Varenna. Don't know who recommended it, but I would say they did it and feel compelled to recommend they made the best choice. yes, it is convenient for in and out of Milan, but you are staying long enough that that isn't a concern.

Quote:

Originally Posted by werth (Post 16962579)

We recently visited Lake Como and stayed in Varenna. We absolutely fell in love with the town and the lake.
Being on the train line was a plus too.
We arrived by private transfer and left by train.

Werth, where did you buy your train ticket?

You can use the Trentitalia website for tickets https://www.trenitalia.com/. You can also read about train travel at https://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm

We enjoy staying in Bellagio, more dining options, good ferry service.

We bought our tickets at the train station in Varenna on the day we traveled.

We stayed in Bellagio, but if we were to go again (unlikely) we would stay in Varenna.

Hi, can you explain about your private transfer? Where did you get the transfer from, company name, etc? Thanks!

We used LakeComoTransfers
Nice car, pleasant driver, and on-time.
We were picked up at Linate airport and dropped off at our hotel in Varenna.

We have used Davide Guerrera out of Como several times, excellent, dependable. MXP to Bellagio.