Planning a city break to Milan but want to fit in a day trip to Lake Como? Great idea! Below, I’ll show you the best ways to get to Lake Como from Milan for a relaxing day at one of Italy’s most beautiful destinations.
Lake Como, Italy’s third-largest and arguably most beautiful lake, is only a short trip away from Milan. And with so many budget airlines flying to Milan for unbeatable prices, taking a trip there is more tempting than ever.
Milan makes for a lovely city break – stunning architecture, more shopping opportunities than one has time for and, of course, one of the best food in the world.
But taking one day to visit Lake Como is definitely something to consider when you’re in Milan. It’s affordable, only about an hour away from Milan by train, and will give you some of the most incredible views in the whole of Europe.
So, how do you get from Milan to Lake Como? Let’s take a look.
In this travel guide
Before we get into how exactly to get to Lake Como from Milan, it’s important to note that Lake Como is a large lake. Some of the touristy towns are easier to reach than others, so it’s worth deciding where you want to go before planning your trip (especially if you only have one day).
The so-called “Golden Triangle” (the towns of Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio) are arguably the best places to visit on a day trip to Lake Como as they’re pretty easy to reach from the city and give you the best of what Lake Como has got to offer: turquoise waters, beautiful scenery, stunning villas and picturesque villages.
My recommendation is to take the train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esina Station, which will get you to Varenna in just over an hour. From there, you can take the boat to Bellagio and Menaggio (more in-depth info on this below!).
Some blogs recommend going to the city of Como first and taking a bus from there, but it takes a lot longer and it’s more hassle than simply getting a train to Varenna-Esina Station. Como is a lovely place to visit, but if you don’t have much time, it’s better to go straight to Varenna.
Also, if you’re wondering how to travel from Milan Airport to Lake Como, it’s best to make your way into the city first and travel from there.
With that out of the way, here are the best ways to get to Lake Como from Milan:
Taking the train from Milan is probably the easiest and fastest (yet still pretty affordable) way to get to Lake Como. Since there are no trains from Milan to Bellagio, it’s best to take a train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esina Station.
This 80-km journey takes just over an hour and costs around €6 – €7 each way. Half of the journey will be next to Lake Como, so you can enjoy some stunning scenery from the train.
It’s possible to buy tickets at the station, but you can also book them using Trainline (I got them a little cheaper using the app, plus, I didn’t have to hassle with ticket machines).
From Varenna-Esina Station, you can walk to Lake Como and the town of Varenna in a few minutes. Varenna itself is a stunning little town, so definitely take some time to wander around and enjoy the views.
If you want to continue your trip to visit the rest of the “Golden Triangle” of Lake Como (Bellagio and/or Menaggio), you can take a ferry ride from Varenna.
Tickets for the boat can be bought at the docks and cost around €4 – €5 for a single trip. The boat from Varenna to Bellagio takes around 15 minutes, it’s around the same to travel from any of the three towns to one another.
If you’re renting a car for your trip through Italy, you may want to drive to Lake Como from Milan. Driving there is pretty straightforward and, like the train ride, gives you some beautiful scenery to enjoy along the way.
From Milan to Bellagio takes around an hour and a half (71 kilometers) and it’s similar if you want to go to Varenna (76 kilometers). Menaggio is a little further (83 kilometers), so it’s better to drive to Bellagio or Varenna and take a ferry boat from there if you want to explore the other towns. Keep in mind that there aren’t many options for parking in these towns.
As mentioned before, the ferries between the three towns in Lake Como’s “Golden Triangle” are very frequent and cost a few euros each way. It is even possible to take your car on the ferry too (however, this costs a little more!).
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While it is possible to take a bus to Lake Como from Milan, it’s by far the slowest way to get there (more than two hours, plus you may have to change buses halfway through your journey).
Yes, it’s a little cheaper, but since the train tickets aren’t that expensive, I highly recommend taking the train instead.
If DIYing your day trip to Lake Como isn’t quite your thing, you can also book a day trip tour to Lake Como. This way, you don’t have to worry about public transport or planning your own itinerary.
This specific tour from Milan to Lake Como takes a full day (around 11 hours) and includes:
Once you arrive at one of the towns near Lake Como, the best way to make your way around is by ferry. The “Golden Triangle” (Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio) can easily be visited by boat. The boats are quite frequent and tickets are just a few euros each way.
If you can make time in your Milan itinerary to visit Lake Como, it’s absolutely worth visiting. While Milan has a lot of great things to offer, I personally preferred my day trip to Lake Como.
The stunning scenery, the picturesque towns and the colourful houses are engraved in my mind and I’m so glad I took some time to visit it.
Lake Como, Italy’s third-largest and arguably most beautiful lake, is only a short trip away from Milan. And with so many budget airlines flying to Milan for unbeatable prices, taking a trip there is more tempting than ever.
Milan makes for a lovely city break – stunning architecture, more shopping opportunities than one has time for and, of course, one of the best food in the world.
But taking one day to visit Lake Como is definitely something to consider when you’re in Milan. It’s affordable, only about an hour away from Milan by train, and will give you some of the most incredible views in the whole of Europe.
So, how do you get from Milan to Lake Como? Let’s take a look.
In this travel guide
How to get to Lake Como from Milan
Before we get into how exactly to get to Lake Como from Milan, it’s important to note that Lake Como is a large lake. Some of the touristy towns are easier to reach than others, so it’s worth deciding where you want to go before planning your trip (especially if you only have one day).
The so-called “Golden Triangle” (the towns of Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio) are arguably the best places to visit on a day trip to Lake Como as they’re pretty easy to reach from the city and give you the best of what Lake Como has got to offer: turquoise waters, beautiful scenery, stunning villas and picturesque villages.
My recommendation is to take the train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esina Station, which will get you to Varenna in just over an hour. From there, you can take the boat to Bellagio and Menaggio (more in-depth info on this below!).
Some blogs recommend going to the city of Como first and taking a bus from there, but it takes a lot longer and it’s more hassle than simply getting a train to Varenna-Esina Station. Como is a lovely place to visit, but if you don’t have much time, it’s better to go straight to Varenna.
Also, if you’re wondering how to travel from Milan Airport to Lake Como, it’s best to make your way into the city first and travel from there.
With that out of the way, here are the best ways to get to Lake Como from Milan:
Milan to Lake Como by Train
Taking the train from Milan is probably the easiest and fastest (yet still pretty affordable) way to get to Lake Como. Since there are no trains from Milan to Bellagio, it’s best to take a train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esina Station.
This 80-km journey takes just over an hour and costs around €6 – €7 each way. Half of the journey will be next to Lake Como, so you can enjoy some stunning scenery from the train.
It’s possible to buy tickets at the station, but you can also book them using Trainline (I got them a little cheaper using the app, plus, I didn’t have to hassle with ticket machines).
From Varenna-Esina Station, you can walk to Lake Como and the town of Varenna in a few minutes. Varenna itself is a stunning little town, so definitely take some time to wander around and enjoy the views.
If you want to continue your trip to visit the rest of the “Golden Triangle” of Lake Como (Bellagio and/or Menaggio), you can take a ferry ride from Varenna.
Tickets for the boat can be bought at the docks and cost around €4 – €5 for a single trip. The boat from Varenna to Bellagio takes around 15 minutes, it’s around the same to travel from any of the three towns to one another.
Milan to Lake Como by Car
If you’re renting a car for your trip through Italy, you may want to drive to Lake Como from Milan. Driving there is pretty straightforward and, like the train ride, gives you some beautiful scenery to enjoy along the way.
From Milan to Bellagio takes around an hour and a half (71 kilometers) and it’s similar if you want to go to Varenna (76 kilometers). Menaggio is a little further (83 kilometers), so it’s better to drive to Bellagio or Varenna and take a ferry boat from there if you want to explore the other towns. Keep in mind that there aren’t many options for parking in these towns.
As mentioned before, the ferries between the three towns in Lake Como’s “Golden Triangle” are very frequent and cost a few euros each way. It is even possible to take your car on the ferry too (however, this costs a little more!).
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You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy. (We promise not to spam!)
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Milan to Lake Como by Bus
While it is possible to take a bus to Lake Como from Milan, it’s by far the slowest way to get there (more than two hours, plus you may have to change buses halfway through your journey).
Yes, it’s a little cheaper, but since the train tickets aren’t that expensive, I highly recommend taking the train instead.
Day Trip Tours to Lake Como
If DIYing your day trip to Lake Como isn’t quite your thing, you can also book a day trip tour to Lake Como. This way, you don’t have to worry about public transport or planning your own itinerary.
This specific tour from Milan to Lake Como takes a full day (around 11 hours) and includes:
- Pick up from Duomo Square or Milano Centrale in the city
- Visit to Como (with guided tour)
- Visit to Villa Olma (with guided tour)
- Bellagio (with free time to explore) (check out the best things to do in Bellagio)
- Varenna (with free time to explore) (check out the best things to do in Varenna)
- Private lake cruise on Lake Como.
How to Get Around Lake Como
Once you arrive at one of the towns near Lake Como, the best way to make your way around is by ferry. The “Golden Triangle” (Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio) can easily be visited by boat. The boats are quite frequent and tickets are just a few euros each way.
Is Lake Como Worth Visiting?
If you can make time in your Milan itinerary to visit Lake Como, it’s absolutely worth visiting. While Milan has a lot of great things to offer, I personally preferred my day trip to Lake Como.
The stunning scenery, the picturesque towns and the colourful houses are engraved in my mind and I’m so glad I took some time to visit it.