Day trip to Como from Milan
 

Hi,
I'll be thankful if you can advice me about a day trip to the lake Como.

I'll be staying some days in Milan this July. I want to spend one day around the lake.
I've been in Como city before, so this time I will to skip it. My main target is Bellagio and I'm thinking about doing some walk in the morning, having late lunch somewhere and spend the afternoon --until public transportation connections to Milan allows me-- in Bellagio.
I'll be travelling by public transportation, not by car.

According to a Lonely Planet guidebook, one way to do this could be Milan-Como by train, then Como-Bellagio by bus. But I've seen a comment somewhere about going by train to Varenna and ferry-crossing to Bellagio. Do you know which option is better?

And, do you know about a good / scenic / etc walk s-w around the lake of about 2 or 3 hours?

Am I missing something essential in this trip, that I could do instead the walk? For example, spend some time in a beach, weather permitting? (I've read that most of the lake beaches are not public and need to buy an entry.)

Thanks in advance!

There's another option: Milan - Como by train and then by a boat/ferry to Bellagio:
http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/eng/c_orari.asp

As for walking, I'm not sure there's a public path around the lake.

If you are prepared to skip Bellagio which I find commercialised, you could catch the train to Como & then No 10 bus or ferry to Argegno. From there a funicular ride up to Pigra, a walk up to Alpe Di Colonno, a pizza back in Pigra then back to Milan. Only complication is the lunch break for the funicular!
Weather permitting you will get great views of the lake & actually see some real locals enjoying themselves

To piggyback this thread, I am going to be flying out of MXP in mid-August. Having never spent any time at Como, we're going to MXP (staying at the airport Sheraton) a day early and am planning to do a day trip up to Como the day before we fly out. We will have a car.

So, for those familiar with the area, how would you spend the day exploring?

Thanks in advance for your experience and advice.

Or for something on the other side of the lake, take the train to Lecco and walk around up the lake as far as you want.

Milan to Bellagio
 

Through Varenna is the best way. You've already been to Como, so you know that's not a town to visit. Taking a train there, then a bus or ferry to Bellagio is the long and hard way to do it.

I assume you'll be at the Milano Centrale train station. From there, purchase a ticket to Varenna-Esino. It's a one hour and three minute ride, and costs E6.5. Walk a block or so downhill to the lakefront where there is a ferry stop. There are frequent ferries that connect to almost every town on the lake. From Varenna it's one 5 minute ferry ride to Bellagio.

One hour train to Varenna, 5 minute ferry ride to Bellagio is the fast, easy, scenic, cheapest way.

Using the Trenitalia website for this is tricky because it is a regional train. Here's a sample train itinerary:

https://www.lefrecce.it/B2CWeb/searc...D=RPy4satTneOg

When you do a search make sure you click "tutti il treni" because searching normally just brings up the national trains. Also, you have to put in Varenna-Esino, not just Varenna. Also, since it's a regional train it only shows the train schedule to five days in advance. You can't search now for a train in August. Finally, since it's a regional train you don't need reservations. There is no discount, and no need to pre-purchase. You can buy the ticket when you get to Milano Centrale if you want, or buy it online within five days of using it.

Bellagio is beautiful, but commercial. Varenna is small, but more untouched, and worth a stroll.

Walk in Bellagio
 

There are no public beaches in Bellagio, but there is a public beach in Varenna. For a hike, the most popular one is the hike to Castle Vezio. It's a pretty serious hike, but anyone in good health can do it. Once up there, if you are really hearty, you can continue the trail onto the next town, then the next, as long as you want, but I don't recommend that unless you are a serious runner, and don't mind spending a few tough hours up there, then descending and taking a bus back to where you started. But Varenna to Castle Vezio is a great scenic, non-technical, doable hike, and you'd get back with plenty of time to then swim at the beach. http://onedayinitaly.com/index.php/b...o-castle-vezio

The Pigra cable car at Argegno has very particular opening hours ... check them in advance!

There is no path around the lake!!

I would recommend taking a boat to Lenno and visiting the Villa Balbianello - intimate and fantastic. The Villa Carlotta at Tremezzo has lovely gardens but seems to be very large for its furniture, ditto the Villa Melzi at Bellagio. Bellagio is highly overrated IMHO, with nothing but souvenir shops and high prices once you get away from the quayside.

Or simply visit Como's old town and the Duomo and take a boat up to Torno and enjoy a meal at the Bar Italia and watch the world go by. Torno is approx 30 mins up the lake and the lake trip takes in the Villa d'Este and plenty of attractive lakeside villas.

Sorry for the delay in replying.
Thank you for all your suggestions.

@RussellJ This option looks very nice. But, I'm not sure about skipping Bellagio. I imagine how commercial can be, but I think it's worth a first visit. At least, once. But I see as a good option go to Pigra, funicular schedule permitting.

@Perche Thank you for all the details. They are helping me to plan my timetable better. I need to decide if I go east to Varenna or west to Argegno-Pigra or Lenno (@Alsacienne It is worth considering a visit to a villa; the guidebook talks about that). As you note, maybe Varenna is a better choice as it combines the possibility of both a hike and a beach.

Is the beach in Varenna worth a stop, or is it really only for locals who just want a quick swim?

Beach in Varenna
 

The beach in Varenna is small, but it is right off the Main Street. You get thirsty walk two minutes, have a gelato or a Prosecco and go back to the beach. It is a small town, and this really is for the locals, not because that's the way it's made, but because Varenna is a small, typical town without many tourists. You'll be visiting a true lake town, five minutes by boat from Bellagio.

Other than Varenna for a swim, some of the hotels offer piers and such, but that's not going to be available on your itinerary. The only large public beach on the lake is in Colico. That's all the way at the tip of the Y, and it will rule out Bellagio for you because its a long haul up the lake. It's a big beach, with custard stands, etc, but as such, it's lacking in charm. I would just be happy to have the experience of going on a semi-strenuous hike, grabbing a gelato, then jumping into the lake to cool off. It's doable in a day.

I agree with you, you need to do Bellagio. It's touristy, but beautiful, and is what the lake is known for. As in any tourist town, be careful where you eat. On the outskirts but walkable, are some great places, with spectacular views of the lake, but in the tourist center, buyer beware.

If you are going to eat in Varenna, Cavatappi (corkscrew) is thought to be one of the best restaurants in the region. You'll need reservations for sure, weeks to months in advance, but worth it. But I doubt you'll be able to have dinner on the Lake on a day trip and make it back to Milan, since the good restaurants open late.

By the way, there's a bar along the waterfront in Bellagio that was the inspiration for the Wynn Bellagio hotel in Vegas. But according to the bartender/owner, Wynn has never been there. He did invite the owner to the opening of the Bellagio in Vegas, but the owner declined the trip. Easy to find, and a nice little bit of Bellagio history.

Any idea on what to expect for water temps next week if we go to the beach? Another question having never been: my impression is that the whole area is very high end and classy. Will we look stupid swimming at the beach?

Lago di Como
 

The area is not all high end and classy. Not at all. Maybe a hotel here and there in Bellagio, or in Menaggio, but once outside of those few hotels, go swimming in your running shorts, wear a T-shirt and flip flops (not that Italians dress that way on vacation), and no one will care.

No dress code. Feel free. It's not snooty at all, outside of a few super high-end hotels. No worries at all. As for water temperatures, not sure what to say. Probably warmer than going into the water at a beach in LA. The water is not cold. Jump in, swim around, feel fine in a minute or two, especially if it's hot outside on that day. It's not a cold lake in the summer.

Returned from my short trip to Milano area.
What a pity I miss the latest post from Perche.

Whatever the case may be, I summarize what I did in case it could be useful for someone, adding links when possible. In essence, I did what Perche suggested.

I took a train from Milano Central Station to Varenna (pdf timetable). It's around 1 hour.

From the station I follow the signs to Castle Vezio. The route it's different from the one starting in the city center, that Perche describes with detail at http://onedayinitaly.com/index.php/b...o-castle-vezio. I followed partially the "Sentiero del Viandante" (Wanderer's Trail).
In my way down, I followed Perche's route.

After that, I went to the Lido de Varenna (private beach; map). I was looking for a public beach, but the closer I found was a not very attractive 'spiaggia per cani' (beach for dogs), 500 meters north from the Lido. As it was hot, I decided to pay for the Lido. For me, a good election, with showers, changing rooms, umbrellas and deck chairs. Next to a restaurant-bar.

Water temperature was cold for my taste (18 degrees Celsius, first week of July), but it was nice for the most part of swimmers.

I had a late lunch at Albergo del Sole, recommended by the Rough Guide guidebook. Good, cheap pizza.

Then I took a ferry to Bellagio. Very frequent in July, not need to plan in advance.
Bellagio is nice, but really touristy. I did some window-shopping, eat gelato and after a while I took the regular bus to Como.

As I visited Como in the past, I didn't go to the city center. Spent some time at Villa Olmo park and did a long walk around the lakefront.
Then, I took a train back to Milan.
If you stay in Como until late (later than 8.00 PM) and need to take a train to Milan, check the timetable, because regional, inexpensive trains are less frequent after that hour and maybe you need to wait ages or pay more for a faster IC train (5,25 € vs 13,00 €)

I reserve the western shore (Menaggio, Tremezzo, Pigra...) for a future trip!

Thank you for all your comments (and sorry for my English)!

I would train to Varenna. Ferry to Bellagio, then take the Trombetta to Loppia and have lunch outside at Darsene alla Loppia. You can walk back to Bellagio through Villa Melzi. A good day.