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By bicycle

Road climbs in the Lariano Triangle and cycle paths on the upper lake; on the Regina you ride in traffic.

The paved forecourt of the Ghisallo sanctuary, a destination for cyclists.Zairon · CC BY-SA 4.0

On Lake Como, cyclists take on the road climbs of the Lariano Triangle and ride the cycle paths of the upper lake and the nearby valleys.

From Bellagio the road climbs to the Ghisallo pass, at 754 metres, a traditional climb of the Giro di Lombardia. From Sormano the Muro di Sormano climbs for about 1.7 kilometres, gaining nearly three hundred metres, on a lane closed to motor traffic. At the northern end you ride on the flat along the shore between Dongo and Sorico and through the Pian di Spagna reserve. From Colico the Sentiero Valtellina follows the Adda for 114 kilometres to Bormio. From Menaggio a cycle route crosses the Val Menaggio to Porlezza, partly on the line of the old railway to Lake Lugano. On the Regina, the narrow main road of the western shore, you ride in traffic instead. To get from one area to another, a bike can travel on the boats, the car ferry and the trains, each with its own rules.

How it works

  1. On the boatsIn the boat timetable every sailing carries a symbol: recommended for bicycles, boarding limited and subject to traffic, or no bicycles carried. The fare for the bike is given at the ticket office.
  2. On the car ferryOn the ferry between Cadenabbia, Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna a bike travels on a vehicle ticket: for the bike alone, or with the rider included.
  3. By trainOn the Trenord trains marked in the timetable a bike travels free, if the journey starts and ends in Lombardy. Folded, or packed in its bag within 80 × 120 × 45 centimetres, it boards any train free.
  4. Funicular and cable carThe Como–Brunate funicular and the Argegno–Pigra cable car take bikes on a ticket of their own.
  5. HireBikes, e-bikes included, can be hired in several lake towns, Como and Colico among them. Along the Sentiero Valtellina a hire service has stations from Colico to Bormio: a bike taken at one can be returned at another.

Good for

  • Road-bike climbs in the Lariano Triangle: the Ghisallo from Bellagio and the Muro di Sormano
  • Riding on the flat: the Pian di Spagna loop, 23 kilometres from Colico, and, with children, the lakeside paths from Dongo to Gravedona and from Domaso to Sorico
  • The Sentiero Valtellina, largely on a dedicated path along the Adda, with the train back from the stations on the Sondrio and Tirano line
  • Combining bike and train on the eastern shore, where nearly every village has a station
  • Crossing from one shore to the other with the bike on the ferry between Cadenabbia, Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna

Watch out for

  • The Regina road between Como and Menaggio is narrow, full of tunnels and blind bends, and you ride in traffic. With children, the upper lake's cycle paths are better suited.
  • Outside built-up areas cyclists must ride in single file. At night, and in tunnels by day as well, the bike's lights must be on. In tunnels, and at night outside built-up areas, riders must also wear a high-visibility reflective vest or harness.
  • Bikes never board the fast services. On the ordinary boats boarding depends on the vessel and the traffic of the moment, and if a vessel is replaced by another the conditions can change.
  • On the train you load and unload the bike yourself. On trains without a bicycle carriage, at most five bikes go in each carriage, one per passenger. When the train is very crowded, staff may limit bikes even on the services the timetable marks.
  • ASF buses take only folding bikes, folded: one per passenger and two per bus at most. Anyone planning to come back by bus needs a folding bike.
  • The Greenway between Colonno and Griante is a walking route and not advisable by bike: it has uphill stretches, narrow cobbled lanes and steps.

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