This post was most recently updated on December 8th, 2019
So you’re visiting Milan, but want to flee the busy city streets, at least for a day.
The mountains and fresh air are calling your name, and you just can’t resist.
And we don’t blame you!
If you leave Italy without taking a day trip to Lake Como from Milan, you’ll surely regret it.
A Day Trip to Lake Como from Milan
While organized day trips are available to take you to Lake Como and back to Milan in a day, taking a self-guided day trip will be much more rewarding! And it’s easy to do, too.
On a day trip to Lake Como from Milan, you’ll have time to explore a few of Lake Como’s villages. We recommend visiting Como, Bellagio, and Varenna. Each town is special and beautiful in its own way, and with only one day, they’re close enough to each other to visit all three.
The Route
Here’s the route you should take between Milan, Como, Bellagio, and Varenna:
Milano Centrale train station → Como San Giovanni station → Ferry to Bellagio → Ferry to Varenna → Varenna-Esino train station → Milano Centrale train station
Keep in mind, if this route seems too complicated, you can always book this guided Lake Como Day Trip from Milan, which has amazing reviews!
Purchasing Tickets
Train tickets
You’ll need to purchase two sets of train tickets for your day trip to Lake Como from Milan.
- Firstly, Milano Centrale train station → Como San Giovanni station.
- Secondly, Varenna-Esino train station → Milano Centrale train station.
You should purchase your tickets online from TrenItalia. You can simply keep your tickets on your smartphone; no need to print them out. We recommend purchasing your tickets a few days ahead of your trip, just in case.
If possible, take one of the earliest trains into Como, and one of the last trains back to Milan. If you do that, you can easily spend three or more hours in each town!
For both train tickets, we paid a total of €11.50 per person.
However, if navigating the trains by yourself seems like too much stress, you can simply book this guided Lake Como Day Trip from Milan, which has amazing reviews!
OTHER ITALY POSTS:
- A Quick Guide to Lake Como: Como, Bellagio & Varenna
- Tuscany in One Day: Siena, Pisa, and San Gimignano
- One Day in Milan, Italy: How to Spend 24 Hours in Milan
- Where to Eat in Rome, Italy
- Two Days in Venice: A Perfect Itinerary
- Is a Gondola Ride in Venice Worth it?
- Hiking in Cinque Terre: A Day Trip from Florence
- Riding Vespas through Tuscany: A Must Do!
- Florence Cooking Class
Ferry tickets
You’ll also need to purchase two sets of ferry tickets.
- Firstly, a ferry from Como to Bellagio.
- Secondly, a ferry from Bellagio to Varenna.
You cannot purchase ferry tickets online. However, check the ferry time tables before you arrive, so you have a plan. Once you arrive in Como, head for the water and buy your ticket to Bellagio. As soon as you step off the ferry in Bellagio, purchase your ticket to Varenna.
For both ferry tickets, we paid about €13 per person.
However, if navigating the ferries by yourself seems too complicated, you can simply book this guided Lake Como Day Trip from Milan, which has amazing reviews!
Now, let’s talk about Como, Bellagio, and Varenna…
Como
Como is the largest of the three towns you’ll visit during your day trip.
Here, you should spend a few hours roaming the quaint streets, browsing the many shops, and possibly taking a dip in the lake. Also consider riding the 7-minute funicular up to the peaceful town of Brunate, for incredible views over all of Lake Como, and the chance to see another adorable town.
For lunch, we highly recommend La Cucina di Elsa. There, we sat outside and enjoyed incredible seafood dishes, such as paccheri with octopus, pistachio, and pesto, along with refreshing white wine!
Bellagio
Tall mountains, cypress trees, grand villas, and adorable cafés make up the lakeside town of Bellagio; and it goes without saying, but Bellagio is absolutely stunning.
While in Bellagio, roam the streets and pay attention to the details: the pretty pink flowers, cobblestone alleyways, beautiful lanterns, bright shutters, and quaint little balconies. Visit a wine shop to taste and learn about some tasty local wines. And also consider renting a kayak or canoe to explore the lake on your own!
Lastly, don’t forget to savor some fruity gelato next to the lake, before catching the ferry to Varenna!
Varenna
Varenna absolutely stole our hearts. While Bellagio seems to be everyone’s favorite town on Lake Como, we have to disagree! When your ferry approaches Varenna, you’ll know why we feel this way; in that moment, you’ll believe that you’ve never seen anything so pretty in your life.
In Varenna, grab dinner along the lake somewhere and just enjoy the views. After, walk up and down the steep cobblestone alleyways and simply explore.
Before you leave, make sure to watch the sun dip behind the mountains as the sky turns pink. There’s no better way to wrap up your day trip to Lake Como — especially with a glass of wine in hand!
A Day Trip to Lake Como from Milan
Go for it, guys! Why not take a self-guided day trip to Lake Como?
We absolutely loved Lake Como, and we know you will, too.
Obviously, more time on Lake Como is always ideal. But if you only have one day, it’s surely better than nothing. Like we said before, if you leave Italy without seeing the tranquil shores of Lake Como, you’ll probably regret it for the rest of your life.
OTHER ITALY POSTS:
- A Quick Guide to Lake Como: Como, Bellagio & Varenna
- Tuscany in One Day: Siena, Pisa, and San Gimignano
- One Day in Milan, Italy: How to Spend 24 Hours in Milan
- Where to Eat in Rome, Italy
- Two Days in Venice: A Perfect Itinerary
- Is a Gondola Ride in Venice Worth it?
- Hiking in Cinque Terre: A Day Trip from Florence
- Riding Vespas through Tuscany: A Must Do!
- Florence Cooking Class
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Have you been to Lake Como before? Which town is your favorite? Did you stay over night, or take a day trip from Milan?
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This post was originally published on August 16, 2016 but was updated on December 8, 2019.
So awesome!
Thanks, lady! :)
This post is so comprehensive and love the pics. Thank you for sharing it!
We are glad you found this post helpful! Thanks for stopping by.
This sounds fantastic! I’ll be in Italy in August and I’d love to stay in Lake Como but just don’t have enough time or budget. This sounds like a wonderful option so we don’t miss out entirely. Thank you very much for sharing :)
We didn’t have enough time to stay more than a day either, but figured we couldn’t miss out! Enjoy! :)
Really helpful post! I wasn’t sure whether to stay the night in Como or not, but looks like a day trip works great.
Of course, it’s ideal to stay the night because Como is so amazing! But if you have limited time like we did, you won’t regret doing a day trip! :)
Wow! sounds like an awesome day trip…we will be in Milan in April, I am definitely adding this to our itinerary .Hopefully, it’ll go as smoothly for us. I will be printing this article out and referencing back to it. Thank you bunches!!
It is pretty awesome, and it’s well worth all of the trouble of planning and navigating the public transportation! This post details everything we can think of to make sure your trip goes smoothly, so we hope it does too! ;)
Hi thank you for the article!
We are planning on doing a day trip, what would be the total cost for a day trip for transportation like?
Thank you!
Hi Zaynah, the totals are listed above in the post.
Warning – if you do this day trip during peak season, you can expect massive queues and crowds everywhere. I went to Como on Easter Sunday, and ended up queueing for over an hour to buy my ferry ticket. Once I got to Bellagio, I joined the throngs of tourists trudging round the town, and ended up getting a slice of pizza from a takeaway shop for my lunch because I couldn’t find a restaurant that didn’t have a minimum 20 minute wait for a table. Go off-peak, or be prepared for a hellish experience that doesn’t show what is actually a very beautiful part of the world in its best light.
Hmmm, we’re wondering if that’s because it was Easter… We did this day trip during peak season (in late June), and we had no long queues, no issues with crowds, and no problems finding great restaurants to eat at.
This is a lovely guide, thank you for sharing.
My husband and I are planning to visit Lake Como in November and I just discovered that a lot of the accommodation closes during this period. I was wondering, do you think it’s worth visiting at that time of year or is it better to save it for when the weather is warmer?
We haven’t visited Como in November. However, our assumption would be that, providing you can find accommodation, you will have an incredible time. Lake Como is absolutely beautiful, and personally, we’d jump at the chance to visit in the off season to enjoy less crowds!
Hi! Thanks for this post. We are currently on a trip to Venice and Milan and have been using your blog posts for ideas! We are going to Como tomorrow, hopefully it goes as seemlessly as Venice went!
That’s awesome! We’re so happy to hear our blog posts have been helping you along on your Italy trip. If you get us a chance, let us know how Como went.
I found your site by Googling searches for day trips to Como. I didn’t quite know about Bellagio and Varenna. I mean, wow! I was about to book an organized day trip tour to Como, but after reading your blog – your self-guided tour is easily understood. I’ll use your guide when I visit Milan in September 2017. Thank you!
That’s awesome! Thanks for letting us know that you found our post helpful. We wish you safe travels and a great time on Lake Como!
Hi there, my mum and i are going to Milan in August and this seems like a great way to visit Como and the surrounding villages in a day so thank you! Do you feel you see enough on the ferry as we were thinking of doing a boat tour but if the ferry covers it then this is great.
I’m not sure about a boat tour. Does that allow you to actually get off the boat and check out the towns? The ferry option, in my opinion, was perfect and if I had to do a day tour again, I wouldn’t do it any differently. I would say it’s not feasible to try to see more than Como, Bellagio, and Varenna in a day because you won’t have enough time to enjoy each place.
Great advice~! I am so exciting to follow this plan.
Can you tell me what would be the time-table able for your ferry time? I would like to follow similar timing too as I have no idea how long should I spend to each cities
It will depend on the train tickets you purchase, and what times are available on your dates. So here’s what we can tell you. We recommend getting on one of the earliest trains to Como, hopefully arriving by 10 or 11 am. Then we would recommend spending two or three hours in each town, and taking one of the last trains back to Milan.
this is an amazing and detailed way to for a day trip to lake como. thank you for sharing the information. i wanted to know that do we need to prebook the kayak in bellagio or is it possible to rent one on the spot and what are the approximate rates for the kayak.
Hi Preet. We are glad you found our post useful. Please book your Bellagio kayaking tour by clicking here. If you have any other questions, please let us know.
I see a lot of people that say you should just take the train from Milan directly to Varenna instead of Como. Thoughts?
Hi Jennifer,
If you can find that route available on your travel date, and if you’re not interested in visiting Como, then I don’t see why not!
But Como itself is definitely worth visiting it sounds. Some have said Como might be a bit too busy? We are going the 2nd week of Septmber.
You’re right, Como is a lot bigger and busier than Varenna and Bellagio. However, we thought it was beautiful and very much enjoyed it. It just depends on what you’re looking for on your day trip. Good luck!
Hi Maddy and Mauricio,
Me and my boyfriend are going do Lake Como in late June and we’re going to do the same thing that you did! We are going to catch one of the first trains in Milan to Como and be back in Milan in one of the last ones from Varenna.
So we wanted to know how many hours we should spend in each place and if it’s better to catch de ferry or the speed service?
Thank you!
Hi Carolina!
Sounds like a great plan. If you can spend about three hours in each town, that would be perfect. When it comes to transportation, choose whatever available ferries fit into your schedule, while also getting you to the next place as quickly as possible. If that means taking the speed service, then do that.
– Maddy
My best friend and I followed this to a T during our visit to Lake Como last month. This guide was perfect! Elsa’s was one of the best meals we had while in Italy. Being recent grads, it helped to know all the expenses we could expect beforehand as well. Thanks so much for writing this, it was SUPER helpful!
Yay! Thank you for stopping by and letting us know that this guide helped you and your friend! We’re also happy to hear that you loved Elsa’s. We can’t wait to go there some day. :)
Hi Maddy and Mauricio,
Thank you for the great advice.
Am i correct in saying that that it takes 2 hours to get from Como to Bellagio by Ferry? If that is the case, is there a quicker way?
Thanks,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
When you’re searching for your ferry times on this website https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/eng/c_orari.asp make sure that you check the box that says “include fast service” before clicking “search.” You should find ferry trips that are 42 minutes instead of 2 hours.
Good luck!
Maddy
Thanks a lot for the quick response!
Do you need to book tickets to Como/ Varenna prior to travel or can you book them when arriving at the station in Milan?
Thanks once again,
Daniel
You can do either one. I prefer to do it online before and have the tickets on my phone, just in case.
-Maddy
Hi! This was such a good guide…we plan to visit como in a day or two (currently in Milan) for a day. Do you think this (como, bellagio, varenna) is possible in a day with a three year old?
Hi Ayesha! Well, we won’t pretend we know what it’s like to travel with a three year old… But we can’t see why it wouldn’t be possible! But if you think it’s too much hassle to go to all three places, you could cut out Bellagio and go straight to Varenna. (However, we highly recommend sticking to this guide if possible. You would regret missing Bellagio.)
Hi Maddy & Mauricio,
First of all ,thank you for such a wonderful article. I am interested in following your guide but i only have 9 hours to do COMO , bellgaio and Varenna trip.
I am travelling with 6 year old and we are strictly vegans. Any suggestion to veg restaurant will be bonus.
Could you suggest how many hours we should spend in these 3 villages.
Also what’s the difference between speed cruise (40 mins) and slow ferry ( two hours). Is there any significance ?
WIll be travelling to Italy end of this month.
Hi Maddy and Mauricio,
I love your guide to the lake como day trip. I was wondering how far is the ferry station from the como train station and how you got from one to the other. Also, what are the queues like for getting tickets on the day. Thanks
Love your guide, its exactly what we are looking for. Im looking at the time tables for the ferry, did it take you about 2 hours to get from Como to Bellagio?
Thanks
Thanks! No, we took the fast ferry, which is about 40 minutes. There are other comments in this thread regarding this matter. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Maddy
What are your thoughts doing the three places the other way round eg Milan to Varenna, Varenna to Bellagio by ferry. Bellagio to Como by ferry. Como to Milan by train. Do you see any disadvantages this way round?
Hi Elizabeth,
No, I don’t see any disadvantages to this. As long as you can find the train and ferry timetables to match your desired schedule, go for it!
I just came back from Italy and I did that exactly. I went to Varenna first then Bellagio to Como. Great view either way!
What about 1 day to como in winter i am planning in December before New year u think still possible?
We visited during summer, so we can’t be sure, however it’s our understanding that many places shut down for the winter months. Check the ferry and train schedules to see if it’s possible, then see if the places you want to visit (restaurants, etc.) are open in winter.
Maddy and Mauricio,
Read your post and immediately was interested in following your guide to Lake Como. Then, I read the posts and made up my mind to do it. I’m traveling this coming July. I’m traveling with a special needs kids who only eats hamburgers and fries. Did you happen to see any burger joints? Hate to carry his food around, but obviously do if I have to. Thank you so much.
Hi Erick! You will have a great time! As for burger places, we’re not sure. Best of luck!
Wouldn’t it be too cold to roam Lake Como on Feb 2018? I’m thinking that the wind will be too cold to enjoy the lake? Thanks
Thank you so much for sharing this! This post is brilliant and I will follow the exact itinerary :)
Just one question: what’s the ferry port name from Como? When I perform the search on that website you linked , from “Como” to “Bellagio” it finds no routes.
From Bellagio to Varenna I got to see the time table, but nothing comes up from Como.
Thank you so much for your help!
Love your comprehensive day trip! I think I will be following your itinerary later this month for my day trip from Milan. I’m curious, what day of the week did you visit? I have read that a lot of shops close rather early (or are closed completely) on sundays, and that many shops don’t open until midday on Mondays. Did you find this to be true? My two options for a day trip are a Sunday and Monday, so I want to choose the best day for shops and restaurants to be open. Thanks!
Hello,
Thank you for this detailed idea of Lake Como. I am planning on visiting Lake Como in January. Will the same trip be applicable then? or is this ideal only for the summers?
Thanks you. This was supremely helpful.