Discussion
SWMBO is trying to think of somewhere we can go for my 50th - I took her to NY for her 40th and Vegas for her 50th.
Anyway, she has suggested Lake Como in March - I fancy it, but not sure what there is to do - I like exploring and the thought of a nice hotel and not having the ability to explore (maybe hire a car or boat) might make it a none starter . So my question is what's it like, worth it???
Anyway, she has suggested Lake Como in March - I fancy it, but not sure what there is to do - I like exploring and the thought of a nice hotel and not having the ability to explore (maybe hire a car or boat) might make it a none starter . So my question is what's it like, worth it???
Stayed here: https://www.royalvictoria.com/en
To do? If you have wheels the whole area is stunning. Varenna is a stop on the lake ferry system, so you can boat down to Como or across to Belagio. Otherwise you'll have to make do with the multitude of fabulous restaurants and drinking prosecco.
I absolutely commend the area to anyone.
To do? If you have wheels the whole area is stunning. Varenna is a stop on the lake ferry system, so you can boat down to Como or across to Belagio. Otherwise you'll have to make do with the multitude of fabulous restaurants and drinking prosecco.
I absolutely commend the area to anyone.
Another wholehearted recommendation here.
We have probably been around a dozen times and never get bored. We used to hire a car and drive from the airport, but to be honest it never moved once we were there as it's so much easier to travel everywhere by boat, so we get a taxi from the airport and then float around for the rest of the week. We have mostly stayed in Bellagio or Menaggio, but it's all beautiful.
We now stay in Pescallo which is a tiny (and very quiet) fishing village about a 15 min (uphill) walk from Bellagio, but is very peaceful and away from the tourist throngs of Bellagio itself. There's not much there though (one hotel, one restaurant) so we walk into Bellagio every evening for a bit more nightlife.
We hire boats, we eat out, we drink Negronis at Bar Rossi, we have flying lessons in a floatplane, we swim at the Lido, we take boat trips to other towns. It's fabulous. If you want more action, then Garda is better for water sports etc, or if you want peace and quiet then Maggiore has a lot to recommend it, but for the perfect balance we would choose Como every time.
We have probably been around a dozen times and never get bored. We used to hire a car and drive from the airport, but to be honest it never moved once we were there as it's so much easier to travel everywhere by boat, so we get a taxi from the airport and then float around for the rest of the week. We have mostly stayed in Bellagio or Menaggio, but it's all beautiful.
We now stay in Pescallo which is a tiny (and very quiet) fishing village about a 15 min (uphill) walk from Bellagio, but is very peaceful and away from the tourist throngs of Bellagio itself. There's not much there though (one hotel, one restaurant) so we walk into Bellagio every evening for a bit more nightlife.
We hire boats, we eat out, we drink Negronis at Bar Rossi, we have flying lessons in a floatplane, we swim at the Lido, we take boat trips to other towns. It's fabulous. If you want more action, then Garda is better for water sports etc, or if you want peace and quiet then Maggiore has a lot to recommend it, but for the perfect balance we would choose Como every time.
Edited by FlyingPanda on Thursday 26th January 17:59
Beautiful place, negroni and aperol spritz please....oh, villa d'este Hotel for gin and tonics..andstay there if you can handle €1000/ night...I didn't and cannot..
I'd get the ferry everywhere...roads are small and get busy..
Play golf at villa de site golf course if up for that, there's also a float plane school in como if you fancy a breathtaking tour of the whole lake.
We flew into Milan malpensa, great train service from airport(45min ish) to como...2min walk to water bus, sit back on top deck with beer in hand, hop off where you want
I'd get the ferry everywhere...roads are small and get busy..
Play golf at villa de site golf course if up for that, there's also a float plane school in como if you fancy a breathtaking tour of the whole lake.
We flew into Milan malpensa, great train service from airport(45min ish) to como...2min walk to water bus, sit back on top deck with beer in hand, hop off where you want
Lake Como is excellent, and beautiful
Strongly recommend that you base yourselves in Bellagio as it is a good place to get ferries to various other places...see Google Maps to get the idea. Can recommend the Hotel Metropole, and get a room with a lake view.
Via Malpensa, Milan, Como and then ferry, as mentioned above, is a nice but slowish way to get there. Otherwise, could get a cab booked from your hotel.
Nice day out is to take an organised trip on the Bernina Express to St. Moritz.
Some lovely villas, gardens etc to explore lakeside.
You could take a seaplane trip from Como itself up to the other end of the lake and back.
Nice to simply take a late morning ferry to another village, have a stroll, then lunch lakeside, and return.
R.
Strongly recommend that you base yourselves in Bellagio as it is a good place to get ferries to various other places...see Google Maps to get the idea. Can recommend the Hotel Metropole, and get a room with a lake view.
Via Malpensa, Milan, Como and then ferry, as mentioned above, is a nice but slowish way to get there. Otherwise, could get a cab booked from your hotel.
Nice day out is to take an organised trip on the Bernina Express to St. Moritz.
Some lovely villas, gardens etc to explore lakeside.
You could take a seaplane trip from Como itself up to the other end of the lake and back.
Nice to simply take a late morning ferry to another village, have a stroll, then lunch lakeside, and return.
R.
Como is a special place for me.. I took my wife there just before we started Ivf treatment, we sat at the waters edge drinking a beer (wife was drinking water) and eating chips, watching the seaplanes taxiing on to the lake and taking off to fly where ever.. We've not been for a few years now, We might drive down in the Easter holidays for old times sake..
Yes absolutely love Como, been 4 or 5 times, it’s just a special place. We also normally stay in Bellagio as it has plenty there and good ferry connections. My second favourite was Verena, it was just very small and calm.
As has been said it can be cool and sometimes wet. If you go with good weather definitely hire a boat for a few hours and get out on kyaks for a tour for a few hours.
As has been said it can be cool and sometimes wet. If you go with good weather definitely hire a boat for a few hours and get out on kyaks for a tour for a few hours.
We stayed at Bellagio and timed it to coincide with the Monza GP.
It's about an hours drive away - tours available: https://www.monzanet.it/en/tour/
It's about an hours drive away - tours available: https://www.monzanet.it/en/tour/
Another postive post about Como ... its as beautiful as the pictures show. My personal preference would be visit in Spring or Autumn as the Lakes are very popular ... its very busy in summer but it loses none of its charm during the other seasons. Last time we stayed in Menaggio ... quick ferry trip over to Bellagio which is v popular. Its so accessible ... we had a day in Lugano another day in St Moritz and a drive over to Stelvio. As a cyclist, Italy is always a great place to ride, so we had a few day doing some of the local cliambs and routes.
My advice would definitely hire a car to get around, you'll see so much more.
My advice would definitely hire a car to get around, you'll see so much more.
Did a Euro road trip with mates and we hired a 6 bed villa airbnb with parking for cars out front I think it was something like £1500 for the week it was so cheap. We stayed in Cernobbio in the south as it gave great access to going out driving the mountain passes and heading down to Monza and the museums Ferrari Lambo and Pagani (Pagain museum was awesome we did the workshop tour which was amazing).
You definitely need a car though...even driving around Como itself has all different types of places to see or you can hire a boat.
You definitely need a car though...even driving around Como itself has all different types of places to see or you can hire a boat.
We stayed in Bellagio in this place for a couple of nights https://goo.gl/maps/fMkowednoM6d55C57
The view from the balcony and the fact its so close to the ferry/water taxi was great. Would recommend it if you are getting a lake view as its stunning otherwise maybe stay somewhere else. The breakfast is not good and its worth going somewhere else, the rooms are quite old style but have lots of character you may or may not like this, I personally liked the room.
There is a Michelin Guide restaurant nearby https://goo.gl/maps/2SwSd6uKX3wDGJf39. They have a "surprise menu" which is fantastic and its paired with wines.
You can rent boats to tour around the lake and see some of the sights, would recommend this and plan out where you want to stop, you can also park the boats at restaurant's moorings around the lake which is nice.
A warning if you are having a relaxing holiday and planning on having a lie in until late morning.... they are very regimental in the times they eat. Everything is closed more or less between breakfast and lunch unless you want to eat absolute dirt.
Lecco I didn't think there was anything special about. Veranna is worth a visit as is Como.
The view from the balcony and the fact its so close to the ferry/water taxi was great. Would recommend it if you are getting a lake view as its stunning otherwise maybe stay somewhere else. The breakfast is not good and its worth going somewhere else, the rooms are quite old style but have lots of character you may or may not like this, I personally liked the room.
There is a Michelin Guide restaurant nearby https://goo.gl/maps/2SwSd6uKX3wDGJf39. They have a "surprise menu" which is fantastic and its paired with wines.
You can rent boats to tour around the lake and see some of the sights, would recommend this and plan out where you want to stop, you can also park the boats at restaurant's moorings around the lake which is nice.
A warning if you are having a relaxing holiday and planning on having a lie in until late morning.... they are very regimental in the times they eat. Everything is closed more or less between breakfast and lunch unless you want to eat absolute dirt.
Lecco I didn't think there was anything special about. Veranna is worth a visit as is Como.
We stayed in a great apartment in Lenno at the end of 2021, gave good access to the rest of the lake and ferries. Como is lovely, the lake is beautiful.
As mentioned get over to Bellagio, and if you’re a Star Wars or James Bond nerd the Villa Del Balbianello is well worth the forest walk out to the peninsula on the lake.
Wonderful place.
As mentioned get over to Bellagio, and if you’re a Star Wars or James Bond nerd the Villa Del Balbianello is well worth the forest walk out to the peninsula on the lake.
Wonderful place.
I went to Lake Como last summer for 5 days. We stayed in Lenno.
Beautiful place, unquestionably.
However, someone made a comparison that I agreed with and may be relevant here.
It's a bit like the Italian Cotswolds, with great weather: It's very beautiful but there's not much to do apart from going from small village to small village, eating in little restaurants.
Now, to some, that's nirvana. But for others, it's.....less so.
We enjoyed our holiday and were glad we went, but our personal circumstances dictated that we wouldn't have enjoyed a trip that was a fortnight, for example.
Beautiful place, unquestionably.
However, someone made a comparison that I agreed with and may be relevant here.
It's a bit like the Italian Cotswolds, with great weather: It's very beautiful but there's not much to do apart from going from small village to small village, eating in little restaurants.
Now, to some, that's nirvana. But for others, it's.....less so.
We enjoyed our holiday and were glad we went, but our personal circumstances dictated that we wouldn't have enjoyed a trip that was a fortnight, for example.
Muzzer79 said:
I went to Lake Como last summer for 5 days. We stayed in Lenno.
Ah, Lenno. Great if staying in Bellagio to take a late morning ferry to Lenno, have a stroll, then excellent lunch by/over the lake at Albergo Ristorante Plinio, then visit Villa del Balbianello via their little ferry boat from Lenno.
R.
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