Lake Como known as Lario, is the third largest Italian lake. Located at the foot of the Alps. Lake Como offers some of the most picturesque and romantic sceneries in the world. What is special about Lake Como are the historic villas and lush gardens. So, let’s talk about how to plan a trip to Lake Como.
Flights
There are two ways I usually book flights for my trips. First, I use Skyscanner.com to look for the cheapest flights that I can find for trips around Europe. The second way is booking my flights through Ryanair. I know that some people don’t like to travel with Ryanair. But for Lake Como, we booked our flights with Ryanair to Milano Bergamo.
Hotels
My friends and I stayed in Como, as we wanted to explore the different towns. But what we did do, was make the most of our trip by exploring Milan for a few hours. So, it is a good idea to visit Milan first, before you head over to Como. Alternatively, you can stay in Milan and take day trips to lake Como. If you wanted updated information on all your travels from Milan to Lake Como click here.
We went to Como for 2 nights. Booking an early flight with late departure helps maximise your days. We booked our hotels via booking.com, as I decided to join my friend last minute we had to stay in two separate hotels. I stayed in a 3 stars hotel, breakfast included, called Hotel Engadina in Como. I need to rave about this place for a second. The Hotel is old, but the room was very clean with working utilities and good amenities. The hotel staff were very accommodating and amazing. I genuinely enjoyed my stay.
The hotel was a minute away from Hotel Park where my friend stayed. Her room was also very clean, with a beautiful bathroom and great amnesties. I definitely recommend booking either of these hotels for your stay in Como. You will not regret (I hope). Of course, if you are looking for something fancier, these two options may not be favourable to you.
Travel from Como to Other Towns.
In order to get to other towns like the famous Bellagaio, we used the Ferry. The preferable way to travel around Como is usually by bus or Ferry. However, it is important that you know before your trip to Lake Como that; boat tours do not run until late, the bus rides are not frequent and make sure to book transportation like boat tours in advance.
5 things I wish I knew before travelling to Lake Como.
1. Book Boat tours or taxis in advance
I have already touched on this point, but I wanted to emphasize it again. Make sure to book your boat tours in advance before you get to lake Como. This will save you a lot of hustle and expense because lake Como gets very busy in peak season.
Top Tip: You don’t have to spend £200+ on a boat tour, unless you looking for the luxurious ride. There are several cheaper boat rides available, so find the right one for you.
2. Start your days early
If you are a not morning person, you might not like this hear this. But, if you staying in Como or coming from Milan. My biggest tip is to visit the different towns in the morning. The first reason for this is because the journey from Como to Bellagio for us took 2 hours, and we got to the port at 9am. The lines for the ferry are usually very long and it can take time to get to the different towns. So start your day early to get the most of your time there.
Secondly, if you want to get amazing pictures, going early is your best bet for this. It’s not always easy of course, but I like to take pictures without people in my shots them. So, going early is ideal for this.
3. Go for several days
This point is really down to preference and efficiency. But, I would suggest going to Lake Como for several days if you want to explore the towns properly. It is possible to see everything in one day, (I believe so, didn’t try it myself).
But, you have to factor in things like transportation, long cues, the hot sunny weather, and lots of walking. So spreading out your visit can help you to explore lake Como a bit better. We didn’t get to visit other towns as we were there for 2 nights, but I am sure they would have been wonderful to see.
4. Most restaurants serve good food.
I’m sure that when it comes to food, the locals will know more than me. But I found that the restaurants we chose impromptu, actually turned out to serve delicious meals. We didn’t need to book anything restaurants in advance (unless of course you are looking to go a particular place).
5. Overall Expense
Lake Como is a fairly expensive destination to travel too. However, like most places, booking your things in advance can help to cut cost down. I decided to go a week before, so that did not help my case.
I would say that, locally, most things aren’t too expensive- like food for example. On our last day we had delicious lobster and pasta meal with dessert which came up to €40 euros. Honestly, I don’t know many places that sell lobster that cheap.
O’L Final Thoughts.
I loved every moment of my trip to lake Como. A lot of things make travelling memorable. For me, it was visiting this beautiful place with one of my long terms friends and getting see so many picturesque towns and villa’s. I will certainly be visiting Lake Como again. I hope that you trip to Lake Como is everything and more.
