Three daysThree days without a car
Three days by train, ferry and on foot, with no parking to hunt for.
Public transport
Practical guide
Can I visit Lake Como without a car?
Train, ferry, bus and on foot: getting around the lake without a car.
The short answer
Yes, and across most of the lake it is the better choice. Train to Varenna or Como, ferry to cross, bus along the western shore, on foot for the rest. You only need a car for the mountains and the inland valleys.
In short
- Varenna has a railway station: it is the car-free gateway to the centre of the lake.
- The ferry links Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia with frequent sailings.
- The C110 bus runs the whole western shore from Como to Colico.
- The eastern shore has a station in nearly every village.
- Always check the last evening departure: that is the real trap.
Lario's public transport has its limits, but for many journeys it is faster than the car: from Varenna to Bellagio the ferry takes a quarter of an hour, while by car, round the Lecco branch, it takes more than an hour.
Getting there
From Milano Centrale a train reaches Varenna-Esino-Perledo in a little over an hour, and Lecco in forty minutes. From Milano Cadorna you arrive at Como Nord Lago, two hundred metres from the waterfront. From Malpensa the Malpensa Express runs to Saronno, where you change for Como Nord Lago.
From all of these you continue by ferry or bus without ever needing a car.
Getting around
The Bellagio–Varenna–Menaggio triangle runs on an unlimited-travel ticket (libera circolazione) and behaves like a city line. For the western shore, the C110 bus stops in every village between Como and Colico. On the eastern shore, the railway does the same job more frequently.
The lake's two great walking routes — the Greenway and the Sentiero del Viandante — are designed to be walked in stages and are served by transport along their whole length: you walk exactly as far as you want.
Where public transport does not reach
The interior of the Lariano Triangle, the Val d'Intelvi beyond Pigra, the refuges and the upland trailheads are barely served or not served at all. For those you need a car, a taxi, or a long walk uphill.
Services on the upper lake beyond Menaggio are also much less frequent: doable, but it needs planning.
Frequently asked
How do I reach Bellagio without a car?
Train to Varenna, then the ferry (15 minutes), or the C130 bus from Como. There is no railway station at Bellagio.
How does the ferry day pass work?
It is valid all day on the ordinary sailings of one stretch or of the whole lake. Check which area it covers: some passes are valid only in the central basin.
Can I take a bicycle?
Yes, with different rules on each. On the Trenord trains marked in the timetable a bike travels free, if the journey stays within Lombardy; on the boats it may board depending on the vessel and the traffic, but never on the fast services; on the car ferry it travels on a vehicle ticket; on ASF buses only if it folds.
Itineraries
- Three days
One dayLake Como in 24 hours
A day between Varenna and Bellagio, by train and ferry.
Public transport
Three daysThree days with hardly a ticket
Two walking routes, Romanesque churches and paths: three days in which you almost never need an entry ticket.
Public transport
One dayComo in a day, on foot
The walled town, the waterfront of Volta and Terragni, and Brunate at sunset: all on foot, plus seven minutes of funicular.
Public transport
Destinations
Centro LagoVarenna
Ochre houses on the water, two botanical gardens on the shore and Vezio castle above the village.
Centro LagoMenaggio
In the middle of the lake, between the ferry, the Regina road and the bus to Lugano.
Lecco BranchLierna
The pale pebble beach of Riva Bianca and a station on the Milan–Lecco–Sondrio–Tirano line.
Lecco BranchBellano
A walkway suspended inside a gorge carved out by the Pioverna.
