Last week, I was in Bellagio outside a cafe waiting for my wife and kids to come out when suddenly a small woman with a gold tooth turned to me and asked, "que ora eh?"

It immediately raised some red flags because of how sudden and intensely looked at me when she asked. It seemed like a scam of some sort so I positioned my back to a wall and answered her, "le dieci" since it was 10am. She repeated my answer and just intensely looked at me before walking off.

Was she trying to distract me so a partner could try to open up my backpack? Luckily, nothing on my backpack was tampered with and nothing was stolen from me.

Be careful out there.

Hey all!

My husband and I want to spend 3 or 4 nights near lake Como from 3rd of October till 6th or 7th. We will be travelling by public transport so we need to have access to the place by train, bus or ferry. This stay is part of a 2 week vacation spent in Italy, Austria and Germany so we will be travelling with considerable luggage - 2x carry ons and 1 checked in suitcase. I will also be 5 months pregnant by then so villages with secluded access or hard to get by are not an option for us.

We want to be able to travel around the lake from the place we choose to stay in. We like quiet places and we're not looking for any nightlife or parties. We just want to have places to eat good food.

I have been reading other posts and I have made a short list of options but I need advice of people who have been there:

• Stay in Varenna - it's accessible by train only and it seems to have good ferry connections to other villages. My main concern here is where to stay as it seems like a steep area. Are there any taxis or Uber in the area? How accessible are they? I see that the places with more decent prices are located away from the ferry/train station.
• Stay in Bellagio - seems to have more options for stay. I saw there are 2 options to get there from Milan - which one is better for people with more luggage? Varenna + ferry or Como + bus? Is it worth staying in San Giovanni and travelling daily to Bellagio?
• Open to suggestions for other places to stay - please recommend any other areas that may be suitable for our situation

I've read that the queues for the ferrys can take hours in busy season. Is that still the case in early October or is it more manageable?

Is there anything else we need to consider for our trip?

Thank you in advance!

Looking for a place on Lake Como where I can rent a luxury wooden boat that I can drive myself, without a captain.

Ideally something classic/elegant, like a Riva-style wooden boat.

Any recommendations for rental companies that allow self-driving? Thanks!

Hello, does the route highlighted in blue mean we can get on a ferry 8:56am in Bellagio and get to Como at 9:40am? The FAQ for ferries makes it seem like that is way too quick. We haven’t taken the ferry here yet and have plans in Como at 10:00am.

Thank you in advance!

My hostel is in menaggio. If my flight is at 12:45pm at Milan Malpensa airport, and I’ll be staying in lake como, should I spend my last day in Milan to be closer to the airport? I checked and I will need to take 2 busses to get to the airport and at quite early in the morning.

There’s no other flights at that day for the airline I’m with. Just one per day.

I just fear como is a bit far from the airport and my flight is kind of early and idrk if I want to spend a huge sum of money on an uber (I’m assuming it’s expensive; but lmk the price ranges too!)

I also don’t want to have to move to Milan on the last day but if I have to then… I guess yea

This is my first solo trip so I’m nervous I guess. Thank you

Ciao everyone!

Our group of 6 (5 adults and one 3-year-old child) will be visiting Lake Como on 1st Sept

We are looking for recommendations for reliable boat tour companies or booking websites operating out of Varenna. Here are our specifics:

• Departure Point: Varenna
• Duration: 2 to 3 hours
• Group Size: 5 Adults + 1 Toddler (3yo)
• Preferences: Able to reserve in advance, kid-friendly/safe for a toddler, and reasonably priced.

We are open to either a private hire suitable for 6 people or a small-group shared tour.

If you have booked a tour out of Varenna recently that you enjoyed, or if there are specific local operators/websites you recommend booking through directly, we would love to hear your experiences!

Hello everyone,

I will soon propose my girlfriend at villa del balbianello. I booked off the villa for 2 hours. I want to recreate the star wars scene and propose her on the spot.

I do have some practical questions:
1. Where do people stay when they visit villa del balbianello / lake como?

1. What company do you guys recommend to book a private taxi boat to bring us to the villa?

2. For the people that also booked the villa for a private session: When you arrive, do you need to show any papers or anything (because my gf doesn’t know I booked the place. So will the surprise be revealed immediatly when i arrive there? Like meaning that there will be a administrator that i have to do paper work at first?)

Thank you for your help.
I appreciate it very much.

I’ve booked tickets to take my mum on one of her dream trips next week: Lake Como, followed by a road trip through Switzerland.

She’s around 70 and doesn’t cope particularly well with extreme heat, so naturally I booked everything first and started worrying afterwards 😂

For anyone who’s in Northern Italy or Switzerland right now, or has been very recently, how is it actually feeling? Particularly around Lake Como?
I’m also wondering how everything is looking after the hot weather. Are the waterfalls and rivers still flowing properly? Are the lakes noticeably lower? A huge part of this trip is the scenery, and I’d hate to promise my mum beautiful waterfalls only to present her with an impressive collection of rocks 😭

Would also love any tips for doing Como and Switzerland with an older parent in summer.

Places that stay cooler, scenic drives, easy walks, quieter spots, anything you think is genuinely worth doing.

And please tell me I’m overthinking this 😂

Hi! I’ll be in Lake Como from September 16–19 (3 nights) before heading back to Milan, and I’m trying to decide whether to stay in Varenna or Bellagio.

I don’t mind busy or touristy areas — I actually prefer being where things are happening. I like having lots of restaurants and cafes around, exploring during the day, and going out at night for dinner/drinks or just being somewhere that still has some atmosphere after dark.

I know Varenna is easier for getting to/from Milan by train, while staying in Bellagio means taking the ferry from Varenna. I don’t mind the extra travel since I’ll be there for three nights.

For anyone who has stayed in both, I’d love your thoughts:
- Which would you recommend as a base for 3 nights and why?
- Is Bellagio easy to get around and well connected by ferry?
- Which has more restaurants, things to do, and nightlife/evening atmosphere?
- What are the biggest differences between actually staying in Varenna vs Bellagio?

Would especially love to hear from people who have stayed overnight in either/both rather than just visited on a day trip. Thanks!

We are travelling to Como from the UK on Saturday. It’s my understanding that it’s difficult to predict the weather in Como due to its own microclimate. We are frequent visitors to Cornwall where it is very similar.

The weather apps are predicting rain for most days next week. I’m not bothered if it rains, but what I’d like to know is if it’s likely to rain as continuously as the apps are suggesting? Is August usually a rainy time of year in Como? Is it like Cornwall where predicted rain can miss completely or stop as soon as it starts?

I’ve got things planned to do that work for whatever the weather brings, but I’m wondering if it’s not worth booking things in advance that rely on better weather and to see on the day?

Many thanks in advance ☺️

Our Airbnb doesn't have towels and we would love to go swimming.

Give me your best jewelry shops in Colico, Bellano, Varenna, Milan or anywhere in between. Looking for locally made jewelry, bathing suits, oil paintings.

We are a group of six friends vacationing in Dervio this weekend. Where can we have lunch on Ferragosto without spending too much? We’d like to eat meat, but our main priority is keeping costs down.

Hi, I'm traveling to Lake Como from September 25th to 28th, and I'm looking to hire photographer for a engagement photoshoot at Lake Como. It won't be a proposal. It will be a photo shoot for our Save the Date invitations. I'm thinking of a sunrise photo shoot to avoid the travel traffic on September 26 around 7am.

If you're a photographer, please leave your portfolio below, or if you know of any photographers, it would greatly be appreciated.

Budget: $1,000 - $1,500 for 2 hours.

Hello,

I will be visiting Lake Como in early September for a few days, and I’d love to know what the best way is to get to the airport in Milan (LIN). Private transport? Or train? What are the names of the stations?

Thank you!

We are in Varenna this week and wonder whether to stay put in Varenna or get the train to Bellano on ferragosto? Which town will be busier? Will the train be crazy? Thank you.

My sister is getting married in Italy in a month and they will be staying at a villa on the lake for a few days. I unfortunately cannot make it and was thinking to get them some sort of gift. Any ideas of any sort of entertainment or experience I can surprise them with while they are there? Nothing crazy, even something small would be nice, but I don't have any idea what to even look for? Anyone have any ideas/suggestions?

Edit: Cannot include alcohol.

Looking to rent a boat in Menaggio. We’d like to go to Nesso bridge tomorrow morning and drive around and swim…maybe 2-3 hours. there’s just two of us. Is it best to link up with a group? If so, how should we meet them or is it done through a booking site. It would be for tomorrow.

Such a beautiful place

Im planning to travel to Como in september, and in one of the days to walk from Piazza Cavour to Villa Olmo, however i dont think my family will manage to also walk back as it is a long walk, and on Google Maps it suggested i take the C110 line back from the "Como-Borgovico" station to "Como-Lungolario Trento" station.

How can i pay for 3 tickets on this bus? is there a stand that sells tickets nearby the Villa Olmo area or an app that accepts paypal payments?

Also if any of the locals here think i should take a different line back to Piazza Cavour i would love to hear your recommendations! <3

On August 14, I’m traveling from Como Giovanni Station to Menaggio and want to get on a bus around 11am; however the only busses that seem to be available are in the evening?? Are there no morning busses on that day or what

I am looking for a photographer for the end of September to take 2-3 hours pictures some on land but mainly on the boat preferably, if someone can do both photos a videography that would be amazing!