Getting around · Lake Como · Italy
Getting around Lake Como
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Popo le Chien, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Ferries are the main way to move between lake villages, supplemented by buses along the western shore and trains on the eastern shore. The central lake around Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio is compact, while the full length of the Como arm is a long trip by boat. Not for a first visit.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Ferry
- Airports
- MXP, LIN, BGY
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
- Travel pass
- Navigazione Laghi day tickets
Ways to get around
Ferry
Navigazione Laghi runs slow ferries, car ferries on the central lake and faster hydrofoils. Central-lake hops take about 10–15 minutes; Como to Bellagio takes about 45 minutes by hydrofoil or around two hours by slow boat.
Check the seasonal timetable; services are much less frequent in winter and the last boats leave earlier than many visitors expect.
Train
The Milan–Lecco–Tirano line runs along the eastern shore, stopping at Lecco, Varenna-Esino, Bellano and Colico. Como has two stations: Como San Giovanni on the line to Milan Centrale and Switzerland, and Como Nord Lago on the line to Milano Cadorna.
For Varenna, take the regional train from Milano Centrale; the journey takes about an hour.
Bus
Buses run along the western shore road from Como to Menaggio and Colico, and from Menaggio towards Lugano and Porlezza. They are slow but reach villages the ferries skip.
Buy tickets before boarding at tobacconists or bars, and expect queues for the Como–Menaggio route on summer weekends.
Car
The lakeside roads are narrow, winding and congested in summer, and parking in Bellagio, Varenna and Tremezzo is scarce and costly. A car helps for mountain villages and agriturismi but not for the central lake.
Car ferries cross between Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia if you need to switch shores with a vehicle.
Walking
Villages are compact but steep. The Greenway on the western shore and the Sentiero del Viandante on the eastern shore are signposted walking routes linking villages above the lake.
Boat
Private water taxis and hire boats with drivers operate from most villages, useful for Villa del Balbianello, Isola Comacina or a sunset tour.
Tickets and passes
Navigazione Laghi day tickets
Day tickets for the central lake or wider zones allow unlimited ferry travel within that area for a day and are cheaper than buying several singles.
From the airport
Milan Malpensa is about 50 km from Como; road transfers take about an hour, while train routes need at least one change. Milan Linate and Bergamo Orio al Serio connect best via Milan's stations: regional trains from Milano Centrale reach Como San Giovanni in under an hour and Varenna-Esino in about an hour.
Do you need a car?
Not for a first visit. Ferries, trains and buses cover the central lake and Como, and driving the narrow shore roads in summer is slow. Hire a car only for mountain villages, agriturismi or onward Alpine touring.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Milan | About 40–60 minutes by train from Como | Train from Como San Giovanni or Como Nord Lago |
| Lugano | About 30 minutes by train from Como | Train from Como San Giovanni, or bus from Menaggio |
| Bergamo | About 40 minutes by train from Lecco | Train from Lecco to Bergamo, then funicular to the upper town |
| Tirano and the Bernina line | About 1.5 hours by train from Varenna | Regional train from Varenna-Esino to Tirano, then the Bernina line |
| Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands | About 1.5 hours by car from Como | Car, or train via Milan to Stresa |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Lake Como?
Not for a first visit. Ferries, trains and buses cover the central lake and Como, and driving the narrow shore roads in summer is slow. Hire a car only for mountain villages, agriturismi or onward Alpine touring.
+How do you get from the airport to Lake Como?
Milan Malpensa is about 50 km from Como; road transfers take about an hour, while train routes need at least one change. Milan Linate and Bergamo Orio al Serio connect best via Milan's stations: regional trains from Milano Centrale reach Como San Giovanni in under an hour and Varenna-Esino in about an hour.
+What is the best way to get around Lake Como?
Ferry: Navigazione Laghi runs slow ferries, car ferries on the central lake and faster hydrofoils. Central-lake hops take about 10–15 minutes; Como to Bellagio takes about 45 minutes by hydrofoil or around two hours by slow boat.