Where to stay · Lake Como · Italy
Where to stay in Lake Como
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Chris j wood, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Bellagio. Stepped lanes, silk shops and lake views on both arms from the central promontory. Best alternatives — families: Menaggio; budget: Menaggio.
Key facts
- First visit
- Bellagio
- Families
- Menaggio
- Budget
- Menaggio
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Bellagio | Stepped lanes, silk shops and lake views on both arms from the central promontory |
| Families | Menaggio | A lakeside piazza, a lido and hiking trails on the western shore |
| Couples | Bellagio | Stepped lanes, silk shops and lake views on both arms from the central promontory |
| Budget | Menaggio | A lakeside piazza, a lido and hiking trails on the western shore |
| Luxury | Bellagio | Stepped lanes, silk shops and lake views on both arms from the central promontory |
| Solo travellers | Como | A walled old town, the cathedral and the funicular at the southern tip |
| Shopping | Como | A walled old town, the cathedral and the funicular at the southern tip |
| Quiet stays | Varenna | Pastel houses, a lakeside walkway and a railway station on the eastern shore |
Lake Como neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples and luxury
Bellagio
Bellagio sits at the tip of the peninsula between the Como and Lecco arms, so it has views in three directions and the most ferry connections on the lake. Its old centre is a grid of stepped lanes such as Salita Serbelloni climbing from the lakefront arcades, and Villa Melzi's gardens are a 10-minute walk south. It is the most famous and most expensive base, and day-trippers fill it from late morning.
- Good
- Ferries to Varenna, Menaggio and Tremezzo leave from the centre; Views of both lake arms; Wide choice of restaurants
- Watch out
- Busy with day-trippers in summer; Hotel prices are among the highest on the lake; No railway station
- Nearby
- Villa Melzi, Punta Spartivento, Villa Serbelloni park
$$$ · Best for couples, first-timers and quiet stays
Varenna
Varenna is a small fishing village of coloured houses stacked above a tiny harbour, with the Passeggiata degli Innamorati walkway along the water, Villa Monastero's gardens and Castello di Vezio on the hill above. Its station, Varenna-Esino, is on the Milan–Lecco–Tirano line, which makes it the easiest central-lake base without a car. Evenings are calm once the last ferries leave.
- Good
- Direct trains to Milan Centrale; Short ferry hops to Bellagio and Menaggio; Quiet evenings
- Watch out
- Small, with limited hotel stock; Steep lanes and steps; Gets crowded around the ferry pier at midday
- Nearby
- Villa Monastero, Castello di Vezio, Fiumelatte
$$ · Best for families, budget and first-timers
Menaggio
Menaggio is a working town rather than a postcard village, with a broad lakeside promenade, Piazza Garibaldi lined with cafés and a public lido. It is on the central ferry triangle and the bus road to Lugano, and trails start above the town towards the Sentiero del Viandante and Rifugio Menaggio. Hotels and apartments are generally better value than in Bellagio.
- Good
- Good value for the central lake; Bus links to Lugano and Como; Flat promenade suits strollers
- Watch out
- Less picturesque than Bellagio or Varenna; Main road runs along the waterfront
- Nearby
- Villa Carlotta, Lido di Menaggio, Rifugio Menaggio
$$$ · Best for couples, luxury, quiet stays and culture
Tremezzina (Tremezzo and Lenno)
The municipality of Tremezzina strings together Tremezzo, Lenno, Ossuccio and Mezzegra along the western shore opposite Bellagio. Villa Carlotta sits in Tremezzo, Villa del Balbianello on the Lavedo point at Lenno, and the Greenway del Lago di Como walking path links them. Several of the lake's grand hotels are here, along with quieter family-run places in the villages.
- Good
- Two of the lake's top villas on the doorstep; Afternoon sun on the western shore; Greenway walking from the hotel
- Watch out
- Busy, narrow lakeside road (SS340 Regina); Limited evening life
- Nearby
- Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbianello, Isola Comacina, Sacro Monte di Ossuccio
$$ · Best for first-timers, budget, shopping and solo travellers
Como
Como is a small city with a car-free walled centre around the Duomo and Piazza San Fedele, a lakeside promenade to Villa Olmo and the Brunate funicular. It has two railway stations with fast links to Milan, so it suits travellers who want restaurants, shops and an easy arrival. The central-lake villages are about two hours away by slow ferry or roughly 45 minutes by hydrofoil.
- Good
- Best transport links on the lake; More restaurants and shops open all year; Wider range of hotel prices
- Watch out
- Far from the central-lake villages; Feels like a city rather than a lake village
- Nearby
- Como Cathedral, Brunate funicular, Villa Olmo, Tempio Voltiano
$$$$ · Best for luxury, couples and quiet stays
Cernobbio
Cernobbio is a few kilometres north of Como, known for the Villa d'Este hotel and Villa Erba, which hosts exhibitions and events. Its small lakefront piazza has a ferry pier and cafés, and buses run to Como in about 15 minutes. It is a smart, residential base for travellers who want to be close to Como without staying in the city.
- Good
- Close to Como and the motorway; Calm, upmarket feel; Ferries and buses up the western shore
- Watch out
- Expensive; Little to do in the evening
- Nearby
- Villa d'Este, Villa Erba, Como
$$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and culture
Lecco
Lecco sits beneath the jagged Resegone at the southern end of the eastern arm, where the lake becomes the Adda river. It is the setting of Alessandro Manzoni's novel The Betrothed, with a museum in the Manzoni family villa, and it is a base for climbers and hikers. Frequent trains run to Milan and up the shore to Varenna, and hotels are generally cheaper than on the central lake.
- Good
- Lower prices; Direct trains to Milan and Varenna; Mountain trails close by
- Watch out
- Fewer classic villa sights; Busy town traffic
- Nearby
- Villa Manzoni, Resegone, Varenna
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Bellagio | $$$$ | Villa Melzi, Punta Spartivento, Villa Serbelloni park |
| Varenna | $$$ | Villa Monastero, Castello di Vezio, Fiumelatte |
| Menaggio | $$ | Villa Carlotta, Lido di Menaggio, Rifugio Menaggio |
| Tremezzina (Tremezzo and Lenno) | $$$ | Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbianello, Isola Comacina, Sacro Monte di Ossuccio |
| Como | $$ | Como Cathedral, Brunate funicular, Villa Olmo, Tempio Voltiano |
| Cernobbio | $$$$ | Villa d'Este, Villa Erba, Como |
| Lecco | $$ | Villa Manzoni, Resegone, Varenna |
Getting to your hotel
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.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Lake Como for first-time visitors?
Bellagio. Bellagio sits at the tip of the peninsula between the Como and Lecco arms, so it has views in three directions and the most ferry connections on the lake.
+Where should families stay in Lake Como?
Menaggio: Good value for the central lake.
+Which area of Lake Como is best for a budget stay?
Menaggio ($$): A lakeside piazza, a lido and hiking trails on the western shore.