A free guide from Mayar & Ali, straight from the road
24 hours in Lake Como, mapped out for you
Celebrities summer here and Roman emperors did too. We spent one day on Lake Como as cheaply as possible: the train, the ferry, the villas, and exactly what each one cost.
Written with Ali & Mayar | Varenna to Bellagio
Before you go
Four things to lock in first:
Lake Como is one hour from Milan, but distances on the lake are bigger than they look. Sort these four things and the day runs smoothly.
Getting there
Take the train from Milan: about an hour. Two stations serve the lake, Como San Giovanni and Varenna-Esino. For one day get off at Varenna-Esino, because most of what people come to see is around Varenna, not in Como city. Most of these trains have no reserved seats, so arrive early or expect to sit on the floor, as we did.
Check train times →Ferry or private boat
The public ferry is about €5 per person each way and the timetable changes with the season. Online tickets do not skip the queue: ours took about an hour to buy and board. With a bigger budget, a private wooden boat lets you stop wherever you like, and with a licence you can drive one yourself.
See private boats →Skip the line
Villa Cipressi is about €13 and Villa Balbiano is €20 to €30. Book skip-the-line tickets ahead, because queues in Italy are not normal. Use code MAYARTRAVELS5 on GetYourGuide for 5% off.
Villa Cipressi tickets →A place to sleep
Staying on the lake is pricey, from about €150 a night and up from there, which is why we did it as a day trip from Milan. If you want to stay, book early.
Browse stays →The 24-hour loop
| When | Focus | Don’t miss |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Varenna | Lovers’ Walk, Villa Cipressi, the colourful fishermen’s houses |
| Afternoon | Bellagio | Ferry across the lake, the stepped lanes, a lakeside picnic |
| Evening | Villa Balbiano | Ferry to Menaggio, the film-location villa |
Varenna: the village Italians pick
Varenna-Esino station & the village
The station itself is pretty and the village starts right outside it: colourful houses everywhere, souvenir shops, trees we had never seen before. Fewer than 1,000 people live here, and the villa colours somehow all work together. The pastel houses were not built for celebrities. They were the homes of fishermen and lake families.
Passeggiata degli Innamorati
The famous lakeside path, where it feels like you are walking on the water itself. The flowers and plants look almost too perfect to be real, and it costs nothing.
Villa Cipressi
One of the villas you can actually go inside, and the one everyone photographs, because its door opens straight onto the lake. Do not leave Varenna without it. On a tight budget you can skip the entry and simply walk the village: the houses and the local life are half the charm.
Train from Milan ≈ 1 hour
Villa Cipressi ≈ €13
No reserved seats on the train
We were at the station early, then missed our train chasing coffee and sugar from a vending machine, and sat on the floor for the ride. The views made up for it, but be on the platform early.
Bellagio: the pearl of the lake
Ferry from Varenna to Bellagio
Buy the round-trip ticket in one go, then check the timetable, because times change by season. Queues at the ticket office and the pier are long (ours took about an hour in total), so go early. If the budget allows, hire a private wooden boat instead and stop wherever you like. The best thing about Lake Como is seeing the villas, pastel houses and mountains from the water.
Bellagio
Bellagio is called the pearl of Lake Como because it sits in the middle of the lake. There are not many monuments to tick off: the point is wandering. The town is built on a slope, so you climb lanes, stairs and cobbled streets past colourful houses, hotels and cafes. Leave the heels at home. The shop windows are beautifully displayed and the town is known for silk, so it is worth a browse.
A lakeside pizza and pasta picnic
We grabbed pizza slices while walking, then found a shop with fresh pasta on display. We took lasagna down to the waterfront and ate our own little Italian picnic looking out at the lake.
A villa straight out of the movies
Ferry to Menaggio
From Bellagio we took the ferry again to Menaggio, the third most famous village on Lake Como, mainly for the villa nearby.
Villa Balbiano
Our last stop, a villa that has appeared in many international films. Entry is €20 to €30, and it is worth buying skip-the-line tickets early.
Is Lake Como worth it?
Yes. It is not overrated, and it may be the best place we saw in all of Italy. From the people to the cars to the houses, everything feels luxurious. This plan covers most of the important spots in a day, and we would love to come back for a longer stay.
Eat your way around the lake
The Lake Como checklist
This is not a food-first day, but these were the best bites. Screenshot it and tick them off. The full day is in the video below.
Ready to book
Lock in the trip
Flights
Compare fares to Milan, the easiest gateway to the lake.
Search Skyscanner →Hotels
Lake-view rooms in Varenna and Bellagio.
Browse stays →eSIM
Land connected for maps, ferries and tickets.
Get Airalo →Tours & tickets
Private boats and villa skip-the-line tickets.
See GetYourGuide →Guide by Ali & Mayar. Some links on this page are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.