Lago di Como
Lago di Como is located in the north of Lombardy, near the border with Switzerland. Lake Como is shaped like an upside-down "Y," and the beautiful villages are lined up like pearls along the lake. Como is the largest city, situated at the bottom to the west, while Lecco, which is also a larger city, is located at the bottom to the east.
Bus and Train
The nearest airports are located in Bergamo and Milan. In both of these cities, there are high-speed trains, Frecciarossa, connecting to other parts of Italy. It is possible to reach both Como and Lecco by train and bus from Bergamo and Milan. Trains also run along the east bank of Lake Como, so towns like Varenna can be reached by train. The safest source for train schedules and purchasing tickets is as always in Italy: www.trenitalia.com. We do not have experience traveling by bus or train in this area, but we have observed that trains can be quite crowded.
Car
We like to travel without having to rent a car, but in this area, we have always chosen to have a car available. Many small and beautiful villages are difficult to access without a car. Taxi services around places like Bellagio can be problematic, and bus services are rare. The lake is larger than we had imagined, and the distances from, for example, Bellagio to Varenna are long. Even though one can see one town from the other, right on the other side of the lake, it takes a good hour to drive between the towns by car.
Ferries
There is a good network of ferries on the lake, and during the summer season, this must be a preferred way to travel around the area. Many probably think the same, so expect some queues before ferry departures. You can find a wealth of useful information about transportation around Como here:
Our experience
We live in Norway, near Oslo, so our flight was from Sandefjord Airport Torp to Bergamo with Ryanair. The flight itself only takes about 2 1/2 hours. We rented a car at Bergamo Airport and drove to Lake Como. The drive there takes no more than 1 hour and we chose to drive along the old country roads. A weekend in Como is definitely achievable. The roads are great to drive along, but as you approach the lake, the roads become narrow and winding, especially between Lecco and Bellagio, and Como and Bellagio. Smaller roads along the banks of Lake Como and up in the hills can also be quite narrow, so pay attention. And the smaller car, the better. However, the surroundings are fantastic for road trips. During a drive here, we also noticed that the further up in the mountains you drive, the more Tyrolean style the houses adopt. Lower down by the lake, the houses have more of an Italian flair.
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