Travel tips · Lake Como · Italy
Lake Como travel tips: what to know before you go
The etiquette, money and practical details that make the first day easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Luca Casartelli, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Lake Como has been a retreat for wealthy Milanese families since the Renaissance, and its villas, gardens and grand hotels reflect that history. Como city built its prosperity on silk weaving, which still continues. Village life follows the ferry timetable and the seasons, with much of the central lake winding down in winter.
Key facts
- Language
- Italian
- Currency
- EUR
- Plugs
- Type C, F and L sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink, and many villages have public drinking fountains.
- Emergency
- 112 (European emergency number)
Things to know
- Greet shopkeepers with 'Buongiorno' or 'Buonasera' when you enter and say 'Grazie, arrivederci' when you leave.
- Cover shoulders and knees in churches, including the Duomo and village churches.
- Do not wander into private gardens or onto private jetties; many lakeside properties are homes.
- Keep noise down on late ferries and in residential lanes, where sound carries across the water.
- Coffee is drunk standing at the bar after meals; cappuccino is a morning drink for most locals.
- Book Villa del Balbianello ahead: Guided tours of the villa interior have limited places and sell out on summer weekends; book through FAI in advance.
- Stay in Como, Lecco or Menaggio rather than Bellagio for lower room prices, and use ferries and trains for day trips.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected in Italy, and a cover charge is often already on the bill. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated but optional.
Language
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buongiorno | Good morning / hello |
| Grazie | Thank you |
| Il conto, per favore | The bill, please |
| Un biglietto per Bellagio | A ticket to Bellagio |
| Pesce di lago | Lake fish |
What to wear
Smart-casual is the norm in the villages; bring flat shoes with grip for cobbled, stepped lanes and a light layer for evening ferries.
Practical details
- Plugs and voltage
- Type C, F and L sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Drinking water
- Tap water is safe to drink, and many villages have public drinking fountains.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Phone and internet
- Mobile coverage is good in the villages but patchy on some mountain trails; EU roaming applies to European SIMs.
- Time zone
- Europe/Rome
Lake Como is generally calm for visitors. Watch your belongings on crowded ferries and piers, take care on the narrow lakeside roads without pavements, and swim only at designated lidos because the lake gets deep and cold very quickly.
Entry requirements
Visa and passport rules depend on your nationality and change often. Check Italy's official government guidance and your own government's travel advice before booking.
Plan the trip
Questions travellers ask
+Do you tip in Lake Como?
Tipping is not expected in Italy, and a cover charge is often already on the bill. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated but optional.
+Can you drink the tap water in Lake Como?
Tap water is safe to drink, and many villages have public drinking fountains.
+What plugs are used in Lake Como?
Type C, F and L sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
+What language is spoken in Lake Como?
Italian.