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By car

A car is useful for getting up into the hills; along the shore the roads are narrow, except for the expressway on the eastern side.

Argegno from above, the road switchbacking down to the harbour.CV · CC BY 3.0

On Lake Como a car is mainly useful for getting up into the hills: the Lariano Triangle, the Val d'Intelvi, the Valsassina, the mountain huts and the upland villages.

The lakeside roads differ from one shore to the other. To the east the SS36, an expressway from Milan to Lecco, carries on to Colico through many tunnels; the old shore road, now the SP72, runs through the villages. To the west the SS340, the Regina, runs from Como to Menaggio, and its continuation follows the shore to the northern end of the lake. The Regina has one lane in each direction, tunnels and blind bends, and on some stretches two coaches cannot pass without stopping. In the Lariano Triangle the Lariana provincial road, also narrow, links Como and Lecco by way of Bellagio. By car, the lake can be crossed only on the ferry between Varenna, Bellagio, Cadenabbia and Menaggio. Como, Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio have limited-traffic zones. For the villages on the water, boat, train and bus are nearly always enough.

How it works

  1. Milan to ComoFrom Milan to Como you take the A8 and then the A9 motorway, both toll roads. At the border at Chiasso the motorway continues into Switzerland as the A2, towards Lugano and the Gotthard.
  2. SS36From Milan to Lecco the road is an expressway, then it follows the eastern shore to Colico. From Lecco it takes about 35 minutes to Varenna and about 50 to Colico; from Milan you reach Colico sooner than Menaggio.
  3. SS340, the ReginaIt runs from Como to Menaggio, about 50 minutes without traffic, and from there by way of Porlezza to the Swiss border, towards Lugano. The SS340dir carries on from Menaggio along the shore, through Dongo, Gravedona and Domaso, to the SS36 at the northern end of the lake.
  4. SP583, the LarianaIt runs from Como through Torno and Nesso to Bellagio, and from Bellagio through Oliveto Lario and Valmadrera to Lecco. To get from Como to Lecco you do not go by the lake: the inland route takes about 45 minutes.
  5. The car ferryThe ferry between Varenna, Bellagio, Cadenabbia and Menaggio is the lake's only vehicle crossing and runs all year. The ticket is per vehicle, with or without the driver's fare included, and the fare depends on the car's length; other passengers pay for their own tickets. You pay at the pier ticket office.
  6. Speed limits and lightsIn Italy, unless signs say otherwise, the limits are 130 km/h on motorways, 110 on expressways, 90 on other roads outside built-up areas and 50 in built-up areas. Outside built-up areas you drive with your lights on, by day too.

Good for

  • Getting up into the hills: the Val d'Intelvi from Argegno, the Ghisallo and Sormano in the Lariano Triangle, the Valsassina from Lecco
  • Travelling with small children and luggage
  • The upper lake and areas where public transport runs infrequently
  • Carrying on from Colico to the Valtellina on the SS38, or to Chiavenna and the Splügen Pass on the SS36
  • Crossing from one shore to the other on the ferry between Varenna, Bellagio, Cadenabbia and Menaggio, instead of driving round the lake
  • Arriving in Como by motorway and leaving the car at one of the two park-and-ride car parks, Tavernola or Lazzago, to carry on by boat or bus

Watch out for

  • Como closes its walled city to cars at all times. Varenna has a permanent limited-traffic zone, Bellagio has three and Menaggio has one too. Cameras read your plate and the fine arrives by post: if your hotel is inside a zone, the hotel registers your plate.
  • Works and landslides sometimes close stretches of the Regina and the Lariana: before setting off, check the notices from Anas, the provinces and the municipalities.
  • Every winter, from mid-November into the spring, state roads and many provincial roads require winter tyres or snow chains on board. The dates are shown on the road signs.
  • If you arrive from Switzerland, or drive through Lugano on the motorway, you need the Swiss motorway vignette, as a sticker or in electronic form.
  • You cannot drive to Villa del Balbianello: you leave the car at Lenno and walk one kilometre, about twenty-five minutes, or take the taxi boat from the Lido di Lenno.

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