Where to Stay on Lake Como: How to Choose Your Area

On Lake Como the distance that counts is not measured in kilometres but in departures: the ferry from Bellagio to Varenna takes 15 minutes, the fast service from Como to Bellagio takes 40-50, and the boat from Lecco to Bellagio takes about 90, but in autumn it runs three times a day on weekdays. That is why the question of where to stay on Lake Como is answered first with a map of connections and only then with a list of hotels.

This guide names no hotels and gives no prices. They are third-party data that change all the time, and you will find them up to date where you book. Instead it compares the areas of the lake on what can be checked: how you get there without a car, what you can reach on foot or with one departure, and what closes with the season. The data come from official sources and were collected between 29 September and 5 October 2026: boat and train timetables on 29 September, opening hours and openings of the places on 5 October.

It starts with a table of the most convenient bases, then goes area by area, and closes with the questions to ask before booking.

Where to stay on Lake Como: the bases compared

The lake is shaped like an upside-down Y, and on this site we divide it into five areas: Ramo di Como, Ramo di Lecco, Triangolo Lariano, Centro Lago and Alto Lario. The table lists the bases for which we have official data.

Base	Getting there without a car	What is within walking distance or one departure
Como	train to Como San Giovanni or Como Nord Lago	old town, walking routes of 3-4.6 km, fast boat to Bellagio
Lecco	train from Milano Centrale or Porta Garibaldi	old town and Manzoni sites, boat to Bellagio
Varenna	train, Varenna-Esino station	ferry to Bellagio and Menaggio, villas, Sentiero del Viandante
Bellano	train, Bellano-Tartavalle Terme station	Orrido, Sentiero del Viandante
Bellagio	boat or ferry	village and hamlets on foot, ferry to Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia
Tremezzina and Menaggio	boat, ferry and C10 bus	Villa Carlotta, Balbianello, Villa Vigoni, ferry to Bellagio and Varenna
Colico	train, fast boat from Como	Forts Loop, Piona Abbey

The Triangolo Lariano, the inland area between the two branches, is not in the table because we have not checked on official sources how to get around there without a car: more on it below.

If you need to decide quickly, three pointers that follow from the data below:

• without a car, with a station on the spot: Como, Lecco, Varenna, Bellano or Colico;
• for villas and gardens: Bellagio, Varenna or the Tremezzina, where seven of the nine villas in our guide are;
• for walking: Varenna or Bellano for the Sentiero del Viandante, Civate for San Pietro al Monte, Colico for the forts.

Ramo di Como: Como and Cernobbio

Como has two stations. Como San Giovanni, run by RFI, is the main one: it is served by Trenord regional trains on the line to Chiasso and by international trains to Switzerland, and it is the terminus of the line to Lecco via Molteno. From Milano Centrale it takes about 40 minutes. Como Nord Lago is on the shore, close to the old town, and connects Como to Milano Cadorna in about an hour; the boat landings are within reach from here.

From the lake, the Navigazione Laghi fast service reaches Bellagio in about 40-50 minutes, Varenna in about an hour and Colico in about an hour and a half. These are values taken from the autumn 2026 timetable: for a specific day, the timetable rules.

On foot, Como offers three routes already described on the site: rationalist Como, 4.6 km including the Asilo Sant’Elia (half a day, according to Camminacittà), Como and Alessandro Volta, 3 km in the centre, and medieval Como, with the walls and the climb to the castle.

Two warnings for anyone choosing the city in autumn and winter. On Mondays the civic museums with published hours are closed: the Tempio Voltiano, the Pinacoteca civica and the Museo Didattico della Seta. And Castel Baradello can only be visited on a guided tour, on Sundays and public holidays, until 31 October 2026; the dates for 2027 are not yet out.

A note on the villa parks: the park of Villa Olmo is open while the villa is closed for restoration, and the park of Villa del Grumello is closed on Saturdays.

Cernobbio

Cernobbio is the third stop on the Como-Colico line, after Como and Tavernola; not all departures call at every stop, and the timetable lists the stops of each departure. The Camminacittà route, described in the walking itinerary, measures about 3.5 km and an hour and a half on foot, visits excluded. The four stages of the route add up to 3.1 km and 70 minutes, though, less than the 3.5 km and the hour and a half given for the whole route, and we say so.

Villa Bernasconi is open from Friday to Monday, 10 to 18; Villa Erba can only be visited for events or by appointment.

Ramo di Lecco: Lecco, Mandello and Civate

Lecco

The tourist portal of Lecco gives the train from Milano Centrale or Porta Garibaldi: 40 minutes on the direct train and an hour on the local one, with a frequency of about one an hour. From Como San Giovanni it takes about 1 hour 10 minutes, changing at Molteno.

The boat to Bellagio is the weak part of the connection: it takes about an hour and a half and in the autumn 2026 timetable it has three departures a day in each direction, plus four more on public holidays. Anyone sleeping in Lecco who plans to visit Bellagio in a day should settle the last return departure first.

On foot there is Manzoni’s Lecco, a day through the old town, Pescarenico and Acquate. As in Como, on Mondays the civic museums with published hours are closed: Palazzo delle Paure, Palazzo Belgiojoso, the Torre Viscontea and Villa Manzoni.

Mandello del Lario

Mandello del Lario is among the places served by the Lecco-Colico line (the RFI line has 12 stations and also serves Lecco, Varenna, Bellano and Colico) and by the Lecco-Bellagio boat. The draw is the Museo Moto Guzzi: from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 it is open Thursday and Friday from 10 to 17, Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 18, and closed from Monday to Wednesday. Anyone coming for a winter weekend should check the opening days before fixing the nights.

Civate

For the climb to San Pietro al Monte, according to the association that looks after the basilica, you arrive by the C40 bus from Lecco or by the S7 train to Civate station; the main path takes about an hour. The climb has seasonal hours and the guided visit must be booked.

Centro Lago: Bellagio, Varenna, Tremezzina and Menaggio

Here the lake divides and the ferries link four places. The crossing times, from the autumn 2026 weekday timetable, are: Bellagio-Varenna 15 minutes, Bellagio-Menaggio 15, Varenna-Menaggio 15, Cadenabbia-Bellagio 10. Some departures make an intermediate stop and arrive after 30 minutes. The ferry also carries vehicles, but only between these places.

A useful consequence follows: anyone sleeping in Bellagio reaches Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia with a crossing of 10-15 minutes, without changing hotel. And for a stay built around villas it is the area with the most choice: seven of the nine villas, gardens and parks in the guide Lake Como villas to visit in 2026 are here.

Bellagio

Bellagio is reached by boat or ferry. The tourist office offers two walking routes, described in the itinerary: about an hour for the village and about two hours for the hamlets on the lake.

The gardens of Villa Melzi are open from 10 to 17 from 25 October 2026 and close on 1 November. The park of Villa Serbelloni can only be visited with a guide, and there is no tour on Mondays.

Varenna and Bellano

Varenna has the Varenna-Esino station on the Lecco-Colico line and the ferry to Bellagio and Menaggio. Here people walk: the Sentiero del Viandante links Varenna to Bellano and Dervio, and the two half-stages measure 4.8 km each, 1 hour 40 minutes from Bellano to Varenna and 1 hour 30 from Dervio to Bellano, according to Le Vie del Viandante. It is the Viandante itinerary.

Varenna has two gardens, Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi. The house museum of Villa Monastero is closed on Tuesdays, and from November on Wednesdays too. More places on foot are in the itinerary historic Varenna.

Bellano has the Bellano-Tartavalle Terme station and a half-day walking itinerary in the old town, with the Orrido.

Tremezzina and Menaggio

The Tremezzina has the landings of Lenno, Tremezzo and Cadenabbia. Villa Carlotta is 400 metres from the boat stop according to the villa’s site; the Navigazione Laghi timetable gives about 450 metres from the Tremezzo pier and about 900 from the Cadenabbia one. The two sources do not agree on the distance. The villa is open until 8 November, then only on days listed on its site (14-15, 21-22 and 28-29 November, 5-8 December).

The Balbianello is different: it cannot be reached by public transport. From Lenno it is about a kilometre on foot, partly on gravel and with a stretch uphill, in about 25 minutes, or there is a paid water taxi from the Lido di Lenno that is not run by the FAI. Entry requires booking.

Menaggio has the ferry to Bellagio and Varenna and the C10 bus line to Como and Colico; the same company also runs the link to Lugano. Villa Vigoni can only be visited with a guide of about an hour, on Thursdays at 15, from March to October except August, and booking is compulsory.

Alto Lario: Colico and around

Colico is the northern gate of the lake: the railway line from Lecco arrives there, and the fast service from Como takes about an hour and a half. In the autumn 2026 timetable the Como-Colico boat line calls, north of Varenna, at Bellano, Dervio, Pianello, Musso, Dongo, Gravedona, Domaso and Piona, but not all departures call at every stop.

The best-known walk is the Forts Loop: about 2 hours 30 minutes and 80 metres of climb according to Visit Colico, while other sources give about 3 hours and 150 metres, and we say so. The two forts, Montecchio Nord and Fuentes, open on a seasonal calendar that must be checked again each season.

For swimming, the European Environment Agency classifies the Colico beach as «good» and the Laghetto di Piona as «sufficient» in 2025; the guide to water quality lists the 29 points, area by area.

Triangolo Lariano: the inland area

In the inland area between the two branches, where Canzo and Erba are, the site describes three routes: the Lago del Segrino loop, of 45-60 minutes and about 5 km, the ascent of the Corni di Canzo, of about 5 hours, and the Lago di Pusiano loop, half a day on the lakeside on foot or by bike.

We have not checked on official sources how to get there and around without a car in this area. Before choosing it, check the Trenord and bus timetables for the specific town.

How to choose: four questions

How are you arriving? From the Malpensa Express you get off at Milano Cadorna in 37 minutes or at Milano Centrale in 51, and from there you continue to Como or Lecco; for the full guide see Getting to Lake Como.

Do you have a car? The ferry carries vehicles only between Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia. Parking and restricted traffic zones vary from town to town: before booking, read the municipality’s site.

How many days do you have? With crossings of 10-15 minutes, a base in Bellagio reaches Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia without moving your luggage. To add Como and Lecco you need longer boats: Como-Bellagio 40-50 minutes on the fast service, Lecco-Bellagio about 90.

When are you going? This is the question that changes the most, because hours and openings are not the same all year.

How the lake changes from November

Navigazione Laghi publishes a summer timetable (1 July to 4 October), an autumn one (5 October to 1 November) and timetables for the cold season. The values in this guide are the autumn ones: for a trip in spring or summer the timetable will be different.

Place	What changes	Source
Villa Carlotta	after 8 November it opens only on listed days	the villa’s site
Gardens of Villa Melzi	closing on 1 November	the gardens’ site
Villa Monastero	house museum closed on Tuesdays and from November on Wednesdays too	the villa’s site
Castel Baradello	guided tours only until 31 October 2026	Parco Spina Verde, Comune di Como
Museo Moto Guzzi	from 1 October open Thursday to Sunday	Comune di Mandello
Civic museums of Como and Lecco	closed on Mondays (those with published hours)	Comune di Como and SiMUL

What to check before booking

• the last boat or ferry departure for getting back, especially from Lecco;
• the distance from the pier or the station, which you should ask the property: we have no data on individual hotels;
• parking and restricted traffic, on the municipality’s site;
• the closing days of the place you want to see, for example Monday for museums;
• the season of the boat timetable, because it changes between summer and autumn.

Frequently asked questions

Can you stay in Bellagio without a car?

Yes: Bellagio is reached by boat or ferry. From Como the fast service takes about 40-50 minutes, from Lecco the boat takes about an hour and a half, from Varenna and Menaggio the ferry takes 15 minutes.

Where to stay to see Villa Carlotta and the Balbianello without a car?

In the Tremezzina: Villa Carlotta is about 400-450 metres from the Tremezzo pier (about 900 from the Cadenabbia one, according to the timetable), and the Balbianello is reached from Lenno on foot in about 25 minutes or by water taxi.

Which bases have a station?

Como (with two stations), Lecco, Mandello del Lario, Varenna, Bellano and Colico are served by the railway. Bellagio, the Tremezzina and Menaggio are reached by boats, ferries and buses.

Better one base or two?

For Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia, a base in Bellagio is enough: the other three are reached with crossings of 10-15 minutes, or 30 with the intermediate stop. For Como and Lecco together the journeys are longer.

Is the lake closed in winter?

No, but the hours change. Many villas open only on listed days, the boats follow the cold-season timetable and the civic museums of Como and Lecco stay closed on Mondays. It is best to check each place.

Is the information up to date?

The data were collected from official sources between 29 September and 5 October 2026. Hours, prices and services change, which is why the date appears at the top of the page. If you find a different figure, write to info@visitlario.com.

From here

Once you have chosen the area, the town pages and the map show what is around, and the itineraries offer ready-made routes. For the journey, the guide Getting to Lake Como; if it rains, Lake Como museums.