I live in Milan, so Lake Como has become my go-to day trip whenever I need out of the city for a bit. Here's how I actually plan it now, plus three itineraries I've done myself.
I've done this day trip more times than I can count over the past year. It helps that Lake Como is so close to Milan, there's really no excuse not to go. One thing I'll say upfront: showing up without a plan doesn't really work anymore. The lake gets busy, especially on weekends and through summer. Figuring out ferries and train connections on the spot can eat into half your day if you're not ready for it.
None of that changes how incredible the landscape and the villas still are, though. Below is how I actually plan a Lake Como day trip from Milan these days, plus three itineraries built around the towns and villas I keep coming back to.
How to get from Milan to Lake Como
The easiest way to get to Lake Como from Milan is by train. Varenna station on Lake Como is the most convenient stop for reaching the rest of the lake by ferry, which is why every itinerary below begins there.
Direct regional trains run from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino station in Lake Como roughly every hour, and the ride takes just over 1 hour. Timetables are updated seasonally, so check exact departure times on Trenitalia website close to your travel date rather than relying on a fixed schedule. Keep in mind that these regional trains don't have assigned seating, so on a very crowded day you may have to stand.
There's also a direct train to Como San Giovanni. I wouldn't build a day trip around it, though. Como itself is lovely, but it sits further from Bellagio, Menaggio, and the villas that make this trip worth it.
How to Get Around
Once you're on the lake, ferries are how you get around. Navigazione Laghi runs the boats, and there are two main types:
- ordinary ferries that stop at every pier
- faster SR (Servizio Rapido) hydrofoils that skip stops and cost extra
For a day trip covering two or three towns, the easiest option is to buy online a one-day pass, which covers unlimited stops around Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio, and Tremezzo/Lenno. It doesn't cover the fast SR boats. To buy this pass, you have to use their regular fare search tool, plug in Varenna as departure, your destination town as arrival, and see what day pass options come up. They sell a very limited quantity of day passes, so you might find them sold out occasionally.
Another option is to use NaviTap. You can tap a contactless bank card or your phone directly on the validator when you board and again when you get off. No ticket line required. It only works on ordinary ferries, not the SR boats, and you have to remember to tap out, or the system defaults to charging you for a full-network day pass.
If you're going in July or August, get to the pier early. Ticket queues at the busiest stops can run up to two hours in peak season, and boats fill up fast.
Lake Como Day Trip from Milan: 3 Itineraries
1. Varenna, Villa Monastero, Villa Balbianello
Varenna is the most convenient town to reach by train, which is why I'd start every one of these itineraries here. From Varenna's train station, it's a short 5-minute walk down to the lakeside. Follow the path to the Passeggiata degli Innamorati, the Lovers' Walk, which leads right into the historic center. The lakefront piazza is lined with restaurants, bars, gelaterie, and small artisan shops.
A ten-minute walk up from there takes you to Villa Monastero. It started out as a Cistercian convent at the end of the 12th century and eventually became a private villa. It's home to the Enrico Fermi International School of Physics, which has hosted more than thirty Nobel laureates since 1953. The botanical garden is the best part, stretching for miles along the lakeshore.
After Villa Monastero, make your way to Villa Balbianello, which is located in Lenno. Ferries run from Varenna's pier to Lenno a few times a day, with the crossing taking around 45 minutes to an hour. From the Lenno ferry terminal, you have two options to reach the Villa:
- a 30-minute walk, first along the lakefront, then uphill through olive groves
- a local taxi boat that runs from the dock at Lido di Lenno, right by the ferry terminal, straight to the villa's own private landing. It's a quick hop, though queues can build up in high season. My favourite strategy is to do one leg by boat and the other on foot.
Villa Balbianello sits on the tip of a wooded peninsula called Dosso di Lavedo, and is, in my opinion, the most beautiful place in Lake Como. Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini built the place in 1787, on the site of an old Franciscan monastery, and it's since shown up in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Casino Royale.
To get back to Varenna, take the public ferry or your taxi boat, whichever way you came. Trains back to Milan run into the evening, so check the return schedule before you head to the station.
2. Varenna, Villa Monastero, Bellagio, Villa Melzi
Visit Varenna and Villa Monastero first.
Then, from Varenna, take the ferry across to Bellagio. It's a short 15-minute crossing, and boats run roughly every hour throughout the day. Bellagio is bigger and more polished than its neighbors, with bars spilling onto the lakefront and boutiques lining the cobblestone streets.
To reach Villa Melzi, walk along the lake toward Loppia, a small district just south of the main village. It's about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the ferry pier. There are two entrances, one just before you reach the gardens and another right at Loppia.
Francesco Melzi d'Eril, Duke of Lodi and a close political ally of Napoleon, had the villa built between around 1810. The gardens around it were Lake Como's first English-style park.
Inside, look for:
- the sculpture of Dante and Beatrice by Giovanni Battista Comolli
- two ancient Egyptian statues from the 13th and 14th century BC near the water lily pond
- a small Moorish-style kiosk by the lake, added in the early 1900s
- the family chapel, where Melzi is buried
The gardens are open daily, 10 am to 7 pm, and you don't need to book ahead, just buy your ticket at the gate.
When you're done, walk back into central Bellagio along the lake, then take the ferry back to Varenna. Your day can end with an aperitivo by the water before catching the train home to Milan.
3. Varenna, Villa Monastero, Menaggio, Villa Carlotta
From Varenna, take the ferry across to Menaggio. It's about a 15-minute crossing, similar to the other central lake routes, and boats run roughly every hour.
Menaggio sits directly across the lake from Varenna and usually feels calmer than Bellagio. Climb up into the old town on the hill behind the harbor, and you'll find the remains of a medieval castle dating back to around the 10th century.
The way to reach Villa Carlotta from Menaggio is by ferry, a short hop on the same Centro Lago network you've been using all day. It drops you right by the Tremezzo/Villa Carlotta pier, just a few minutes' walk from the entrance.
Villa Carlotta's story spans two very different centuries. Marquis Giorgio Clerici had it built starting in 1690, surrounded by a formal Italian garden with statues and staircases. It wasn't until the early 1800s, under a later owner that the villa got its Neoclassical art collection, including works by Canova and Hayez, and half the garden was turned into a romantic English-style park. Later still, Duke Georg II of Sachsen-Meiningen, an avid botanist, expanded the grounds further after receiving the estate as a wedding gift for his wife Carlotta, the villa's namesake.
The gardens today cover about 17 acres and hold more than 500 plant species, including over 150 varieties of azaleas and rhododendrons that bloom in spring. Inside, look for Canova's Cupid and Psyche and Hayez's The Last Kiss of Romeo and Juliet, both part of the Sommariva collection.
When you're done, take the ferry back to Varenna.
