What to do in Lake Como

Lake Como is one of those destinations that just about everyone is aware of and it has an incredible reputation- and therefore, you have high expectations when you visit. And honestly, because of the hype I was prepared to be let down. But I’m thrilled to say Lake Como exceeded my expectations. And after hours of planning the perfect trip, we’ve created an overview of what to do in Lake Como.

Originally, we had planned to stay in Bellagio. But because of the pandemic, our first trip was canceled and we had to replan our trip. Honestly, I’m SO glad we DIDN’T stay in Bellagio. We did visit Bellagio and yes, it is very cute. But it also feels like a complete tourist trap now. We ended up booking an Airbnb in Como city and I 100% would book in Como city again. Honestly, if we were traveling with our kids again, I would probably book our exact same Airbnb again.

Itinerary

If we had one more day and we visited in the summer, I would have rented a boat for us to swim off of and just enjoy lake life on Lake Como. I grew up on a lake, so I love simply spending time on the water.

• Day 1 – Milan to Como travel day. We arrived around 1:30 PM and casually checked into our airbnb then sauntered off for a late afternoon lunch/dinner! Then we let the boys play in the water/sand area for a while before heading back to our apartment for some cheese and prosecco! We started exploring Como city, but saved most of the exploring for later! Everything is within walking distance in Como.
• Day 2 – My family hired the private boat driver recommended by our airbnb host to take us around Lake Como! He drove a stunning Venetian style water taxi and took us wherever we pleased. He started by telling us fun facts about the homes we saw, but quickly learned that my kids weren’t so interested in the details and were more excited about going fast… The adults enjoyed the tips, but seeing the lake was the true highlight! We visited Bellagio and spent some time exploring, eating and shopping! Then we headed back to Como to get ready for the rehearsal dinner!
• Day 3- Most of the day exploring Como city. We ate delicious food, drank incredible wine, shopped and just enjoyed exploring the city! The city is stunning, full of character and very walkable! It’s small, but not too small! You really only need 1 day to explore the full city though, so plan your other days around visiting the other villages. Then we headed over to Laglio for the wedding. It was truly the most incredible wedding destination I have ever seen! And the food was unparalleled!
• Day 4- We took the Ferry Taxi and visited other cities on Lake Como! They have SO many options! If you can, I recommend visiting Bellagio, Veranna, Menaggio, and Cernobbio. But simply being on the water and seeing the different villages is a treat!
• Day 5- Como to Verona travel day. Our train left at 11:17 AM, so we really just had breakfast and headed to the train station. The train station is a short drive away. You COULD walk it {it’s technically like 8 minutes and my parents did walk it the first time}, but it’s not easy with suitcases and I do not recommend it. About halfway through the trek there is a huge stairway you can’t get around and cobblestones are not friendly with suitcases.

Airport/Train Stations

• Milan Airport (MXP) 40 minutes car ride, 1.5 hour train ride
• Como San Giovanni Train Station

Choosing Where to Stay

We genuinely LOVED Como city. I had very low expectations for it, since almost every blog I read told us to say in one of the cute, smaller cities on Lake Como. But honestly- Como city was filled with so many amazing waterfront restaurants, incredible shopping, a market, so many ferry boats and private boat options, it’s a SUPER walkable town, it’s really pretty, the views are amazing, there are still SO many locals, and Como has playgrounds and grass for kids. Even without kids, I highly recommend Como as a home base. It exceeded my expectations and then some! I truly fell in love with this little city.

Driving around the lake can be tricky and we are a big walking family. So while we did look at renting a villa, we ultimately ruled it out because we didn’t want to drive. Parking in any city around Lake Como can be tricky, so to us it was just the easy button to stay in one of the cities that has restaurants, markets, shops and multiple ferry options.

Hotel

• HomeAway
• Airbnb :: I honestly hesitated to share this place because we loved the terrace so much. It’s a 3 bedroom, but the main selling point to us was the HUGE terrace! Yes, the decor and apartment itself is old. But with kids, that made it feel more inviting. We enjoyed prosecco, cheese and dessert literally every night on our terrace! My parents and brother even joined us some nights. And the sunsets over the lake views were incredible! The owner of the apartment couldn’t meet us for checkin, so his friend checked us in. He gave tons of local recommendations and connected us with our private boat driver! My parents rented this apartment and loved it as well! Theirs was modern, updated and had a stunning view!
• My brother & sister-in law stayed here and enjoyed it! They said the service was amazing.

Restaurants

• Breakfast
• Lunch/Dinner 
  • Cervo :: The food was unbelievable and the staff were amazing! We ended up here twice because we loved the casual atmosphere, the view, the food, the wine list and the staff.
  • La Colombetta :: Deilicious, traditional Italian meals based on family recipes that have been handed down for generations.
  • Figli dei Fiori :: I heard a few people describe the environment as ‘Italian restaurant meets flower shop.’ The food is extraordinary and the atmosphere is nice. You may need reservations depending on the time of the year.
  • Riva Café :: Their pizza is divine! We bought a few and ate them on our terrace and even to go it was good. I can only imagine how incredible it would be if we had it straight out of the oven!
  • Trattoria del Glicine, Cernobbio :: A Michelin restaurant with seasonally-based, traditional Italian dishes in a classic Lake Como venue. You will love the lake views from a wisteria-covered terrace. You likely need reservations.
  • Una Finestra Sul Lago :: The view and the service are really nice! It’s the perfect place to enjoy a bottle of prosecco and enjoy the view!
• Dessert
  • Eat all the gelato!

Transportation

• We walked Como city
• Ferry Boats to other cities
• Private boat tour

RecommendationsGeneral Suggestions

• Hire a private tour boat {bonus points if it’s a venetian style wood boat} to see more of the lake & stop at your ‘must see’ cities
• Take the public ferry to visit some other cities
• Eat & enjoy the stunning views

Cities Worth Visiting

• Bellagio :: It’s a cute, colorful tourist town with little shops and restaurants. Visit the Promenade, walk up and down the steep hills to find fun shops and restaurants. Eat at Ristonrante Bilacus, Alle Darsene di Loppia and La Goletta.
• Cernobbio :: A cute, small walkable town. A couple people recommended we eat at Harry’s Bar, but they didn’t have availability when we showed up. It looked really cute and had stunning views.
• Como :: Como is easily accessible by car or train. It is a very walkable, flat city. Enjoy tons of shopping (from tourist to luxury), lots of restaurants, and regular ferry shuttles in and out of port. Visit Como Cathedral and Tempio Voltiano (the home of the inventor of the battery).
• Menagio :: This is where Star Wars and Bond were filmed. It’s very small and made up of mostly two villas. We just saw it from the boat, but it was pretty.
• Veranna :: This is a colorful, very picturesque town with some waterfront restaurants! We didn’t get to eat in any of them, but they looked amazing.

With Kids

• Como city has quite a few places for young kids to run around. When visiting other cities, I had noted all of the large Villas because they all have large grounds kids can run around on. We also rented our airbnb because we knew the boys could run around on our terrace while we enjoyed wine and aperitivos without fear of them getting bored or going somewhere they weren’t supposed to.

Did I miss anything?
What would you add to the list or what would you like to know more about?

Find more of my Italy tips here!