Forty minutes by train, then ferries between villa towns. Every way to do
Lake Como in a day from Milan, from the do-it-yourself train to guided small-group trips,
compared honestly.
Independent guideNot affiliated with Trenord or Navigazione Laghi; we compare so you pick the right day
40 minFastest train to Como
€5.20Regional train fare
64 minTrain to Varenna
15-20 minFerry Varenna to Bellagio
NoHigh-speed trains to Como
10-11 hA typical guided day
Day Trips & Tours
Choose your Lake Como day trip from Milan
Booked through Viator: instant confirmation, mobile voucher and free
cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Ratings are Viator & Tripadvisor figures at our last update.
Two countries10.5 hours
Lake Como & Lugano Day Trip with Boat Ride
★ 4.8/5(1,007 reviews on Viator & Tripadvisor)
Instant confirmationMobile ticketFree cancellation to 24h
The most ground for the least money: an air-conditioned coach from Milano Centrale along the lake, a ferry to Bellagio for about two hours of free time, then over the border to Lugano in Switzerland. Bring your passport; shops in Lugano close on Sundays.
Instant confirmationMobile ticketFree cancellation to 24h
The classic three-town day without the logistics: first-class train from Milan to Como, a cruise up the lake past the famous villas, free time in Bellagio, then the short hop to Varenna and the train home. A local guide handles every ticket and queue for a group of 14 at most.
View full details
First-class train, ferry and cruise tickets included
Instant confirmationMobile ticketFree cancellation to 24h
Train, not bus: a first-class express train to Varenna, ferries to Bellagio and Bellano, and a finale most day trips skip, the walkway through the Orrido di Bellano gorge. Groups stay at 15 or fewer, with headsets and a 7:30 AM start.
Viator prices are “from” prices per person in US dollars and move with season and date. Train and ferry fares are the operators’ own 2026 prices in euros.
The Day
A Lake Como day from Milan, step by step
1Train out of Milan
Regional trains leave Milano Centrale for Como San Giovanni and Varenna; Trenord runs from Cadorna to Como Lago, right on the water.
40-65 min
2Como lakefront
The cathedral, the long promenade and the funicular to Brunate. Most lake boats and short boat tours leave from here.
1-2 hours
3Cruise up the lake
The boat zig-zags between shores past Villa d’Este, Villa Carlotta and the Balbianello promontory. Sit up top, on the side facing the villas.
45 min-2 h
4Bellagio
Stepped lanes of silk shops and gelato, lunch with a lake view, and the gardens of Villa Melzi a short walk from the pier.
2-3 hours
5Varenna & the train home
A 15-minute ferry across to Varenna’s colored houses and lakeside walkway, then the train from Varenna-Esino back to Milano Centrale.
~1 h 5 min
The train north hugs the eastern shoreVilla-spotting from the ferry deckBellagio’s stepped lanesVarenna, the last stop of the day
Trains & Ferries
Plan your Lake Como trip from Milan
Stations, ferries, tickets and what to bring: the practical details, one tab each.
Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni: about 40 minutes, from €5.20, roughly hourly from 6:43 AM to 9:43 PM. The station sits above town, a 15-minute downhill walk from the lake.
Milano Cadorna to Como Lago: Trenord, about 1 hour, from €5.40, every hour. Como Lago is on the lakefront, 5 minutes from the piers and the Brunate funicular.
Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino: about 64 minutes, from €7.40, roughly hourly from 6:20 AM to 9:20 PM. The gateway to the mid-lake towns.
No high-speed trains serve Como; the EuroCity trains to Switzerland are the quickest (about 36 minutes) but cost more. Full comparison in the train guide.
Como to Bellagio: about 2 hours on the slow boat (€12) or 45 to 60 minutes on the fast hydrofoil (€17).
Bellagio to Varenna: 15 to 20 minutes, €5.50 one way; boats to Menaggio run the same short triangle.
A mid-lake day ticket for Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia costs about €17.50 and pays off from three hops.
Fast-boat tickets are sold only at the ticket offices, not on board; regular boats also take contactless cards at the gangway.
Regional train tickets have fixed prices and no seat reservations: buy on the Trenord app or at machines on the day. Validate paper tickets before boarding.
Leave Milan by 8 or 9 AM; the last good trains back are around 8 to 9 PM, and evening service thins out.
In July and August, reach the Bellagio and Como ferry piers 30 to 40 minutes before popular departures.
Italian rail strikes happen a few times a year; check the news the day before. The guided day trips rebook around them for you.
Passport or EU ID card for any tour that crosses into Lugano, Switzerland.
Comfortable shoes: Bellagio and Varenna are all steep stepped lanes and pebbled paths.
Water, a hat and sunscreen in summer; a light layer for the ferry deck in spring and autumn.
A charged phone for mobile tickets, plus a card for contactless ferry boarding.
On and around the lake
€7.20Como-Brunate funicular7 minutes up from the Como lakefront · the best view of the southern lake, return fare
€15Villa del Balbianello gardensThe film-set loggia near Lenno · booking required, usually closed Mon & Wed
GardensVilla Melzi, BellagioLakeside park a short walk from the Bellagio ferry pier · spring to autumn
VillaVilla Carlotta, TremezzoArt collection and terraced gardens · one ferry stop from Bellagio
GorgeOrrido di BellanoWalkways over a roaring waterfall · one stop north of Varenna
WalkCastello di VezioMedieval tower on the hill above Varenna · about 20 minutes up on foot
Where the Day Starts
Milano Centrale: where most Lake Como days begin
One station, most departures
Piazza Duca d’Aosta 1, 20124 Milan
Trains to Como San Giovanni and Varenna leave from Milano Centrale, and so do
most tours: the Lake Como & Lugano coach boards at the bus stop by the Excelsior
Hotel Gallia on Piazza Duca d’Aosta, and the small-group train trips meet in or
around the station and end back here. Your voucher confirms the exact spot.
Metro lines M2 and M3 stop at Centrale FS
Trains to Como Lago leave from Milano Cadorna (M1, M2) instead
Arrive 15 minutes early: group departures do not wait
4.9★★★★★★★★★★1,585 reviews Como, Bellagio & Varenna small group · Viator & Tripadvisor rating
★★★★★★★★★★
He told us where to sit on the ferry, what is worth seeing, and how to secure a seat on the 1-hour train back. In the hot summer day with the crowds in Lake Como, I don’t think it is possible to do it without him.
★★★★★★★★★★
About 12 in the group, travel by train much more pleasant than bus. Nice balance of travel and free time, didn’t feel hurried (or bored). The gorge is unexpectedly spectacular.
★★★★★★★★★★
Easy, stress free way to visit Como without the trains. Nice charter bus with a/c. Bellagio was beautiful and shopping was a fun experience there. Better to not do the tour on a Sunday when Lugano is kind of shut down.
★★★★★★★★★★
She told us exactly where to go when boarding the boat so we had a shaded area on the top level. We had free time in Bellagio to walk around, shop and get lunch, and in Varenna she took us to a church dating back to 1100 and a small beach where we could dip our toes.
★★★★★★★★★★
You get to see so many incredibly beautiful places and not feel rushed or pressured. Bellagio had some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life. Bellano was this quiet small town with a spectacular gorge you walk through that was a refreshing way to end the day.
★★★★★★★★★★
First train cancelled, don’t worry, we’ll take another train. Second train also cancelled, don’t worry, Elma has everything under control. Third train, yes, we’re headed to Como. Thank you Elma for having great perseverance.
Quotes from verified Viator bookings on the listings above; ratings are Viator & Tripadvisor figures at our last update.
Going on Your Own?
Took the train? Add an hour on the water
If you do Como by train, the one thing worth booking is a small boat.
Public ferries are great transport; a one-hour boat tour gets you close to the villas.
1-Hour Small-Group Boat Tour from Como with Prosecco
★ 4.9/5(177 reviews) · 1 hour
Took the train on your own? This is the easy add-on: a small open boat (11 guests at most) leaves from the Como lakefront, five minutes from Como Lago station, and loops past Villa d'Este, Cernobbio and the Torno shore with a captain's commentary and a glass of prosecco.
Meets on Lungo Lario Trieste, ComoFree cancellation to 24h
Lake Como is close enough to Milan that people treat it like a suburb,
and big enough that a careless day becomes six hours on boats. The whole trick is
choosing which part of the lake you are visiting, then the right train for it. Here is
the lake, the routes and the money, in plain terms.
What you are actually visiting
Lake Como is an upside-down Y, 46 km long, with the town of Como at the bottom of the
south-western arm and Lecco at the bottom of the other. The famous scenery is in the
middle, where the three arms meet: Bellagio on its promontory, Varenna on
the eastern shore and Menaggio on the western, all linked by short ferry hops.
Between Como and that mid-lake triangle lie the villa shores: Villa d’Este at
Cernobbio, Villa Carlotta at Tremezzo, and the Villa del Balbianello loggia on its
wooded point near Lenno. Como town itself is a proper city with a cathedral, silk
history and a funicular; the villages are the postcard.
Como town sits at the southern tip: trains from Milan arrive here in 40 minutes to an hour.
Which train, for which lake
Going to Como town? Take the regional train from Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni
(about 40 minutes, €5.20) and walk 15 minutes downhill, or the Trenord train from
Milano Cadorna to Como Lago (about an hour, €5.40), which stops on the lakefront.
Going to Bellagio and Varenna? Skip Como entirely and take the train from Milano Centrale
to Varenna-Esino (about 64 minutes, €7.40), then the 15-minute ferry to Bellagio.
That one decision saves two hours: the slow boat from Como to Bellagio takes about two
hours, the hydrofoil 45 to 60 minutes. There is no high-speed train to either, and no
train at all to Bellagio. Details for every route are in the
train guide.
The money, honestly
Doing it yourself is cheap. Milan to Varenna and back is €14.80 by train, and a
mid-lake day ferry ticket about €17.50, so the classic Bellagio and Varenna day
costs roughly €30 to €35 in fares. The guided day
trips cost $92 to $139 per person. What the difference buys is real but specific:
pre-booked ferry boarding in place of 30- to 40-minute summer queues, a guide who
handles strikes and cancelled trains, and someone who knows which lane has the good
lunch. What it does not buy is a different lake; several tours use the same public
ferries you would. If you are confident with Italian trains and travel outside July and
August, go on your own. If it is your only day and it is high summer, the small-group
trips earn their price, and reviewers say so.
The mistake people make: trying to do Como town, Bellagio,
Varenna and Lugano in one day. Pick the south (Como plus a boat) or the middle
(Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio). Two days lets you do both.
The villa gardens peak in April and May; most close from November to March.
When to come
The lake is lovely all year, but the day trip works best from April to October,
when ferries run full timetables and the villas are open. April and May bring wisteria
and azaleas; June and September balance warmth with space; July and August are hot and
busy, with the longest queues at the Bellagio pier. In winter, Como town with the
funicular to Brunate makes a better day than the villages, many of which close up
until spring.
Tour or train: a quick verdict
First visit, one day, summer: book the small-group day trip to
Como, Bellagio and Varenna. Want Switzerland too: the Lugano coach trip is the
cheapest way to tick off two countries, though Lugano is quiet on Sundays. Confident on
your own: train to Varenna, ferry to Bellagio, and back, or train to Como Lago and a
one-hour boat tour. And if you are wondering whether Uber is an
option, it is, but at €150 or more each way it rarely makes sense; see the
taxi and Uber guide.
Milano Centrale: trains to Como and Varenna, and most tour meeting points, start here.
By train is easiest and cheapest. From Milano Centrale, regional trains reach Como San Giovanni in about 40 minutes for €5.20; from Milano Cadorna, Trenord trains run to Como Lago, right on the lakefront, in about an hour for €5.40. For the mid-lake towns, take the train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino (about 64 minutes, from €7.40) and a short ferry to Bellagio. If you would rather not plan it, the guided day trips run by train or coach from about $92.
How long is the train from Milan to Como?
About 36 to 40 minutes on the fastest trains from Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni, and about an hour on the Trenord line from Milano Cadorna to Como Lago or the S11 from Porta Garibaldi. Varenna, for the middle of the lake, is about 64 minutes from Milano Centrale. Full details are in our train guide.
Is there a high-speed train from Milan to Como?
No. Frecciarossa and Italo high-speed trains do not serve Como; the town is only 47 km from Milan. The quickest options are the EuroCity trains to Switzerland that stop at Como San Giovanni (about 36 minutes) and the regional RE80 (about 40 minutes). A regional ticket costs €5.20 and needs no seat reservation.
Is Lake Como worth a day trip from Milan?
Yes, as long as you pick one part of the lake. Como town plus a boat ride is an easy, relaxed day; the mid-lake triangle of Bellagio and Varenna is the postcard day but involves trains, ferries and queues. Trying to see everything is what makes reviewers call their stops rushed. See our one-day itinerary.
Can I take an Uber from Milan to Lake Como?
Yes, but only licensed taxis and private-hire cars: in Italy Uber offers Uber Taxi, Comfort, Van and Black, with no budget UberX-style option. Uber’s own route data puts Milan to Como at around €146 by taxi and €252 by Black for about 57 km. Rides back from the lake are harder to find, so book the return. More in our taxi and Uber guide.
How much is a taxi from Milan to Lake Como?
Budget roughly €130 to €170 to Como town, about an hour by road, and more to Bellagio or Varenna, where private drivers quote from about €140 to €200. For comparison, the train is €5.20 and a guided day trip starts around $92 per person.
Do I need to book a train from Milan to Lake Como in advance?
No. Regional trains have fixed fares and no seat reservations, so buy on the Trenord app or at a station machine on the day. Paper tickets must be validated before boarding. What does need booking ahead in summer is a small-group day trip: the 14- and 15-guest departures sell out first.
What is the best month to visit Lake Como?
May, June and September. The gardens are at their best in April and May, the water is warm and the ferries run full timetables from spring to autumn, while July and August bring heat and the longest ferry queues. From November to March many villas close and boats run less often.
Is it better to stay in Como or Bellagio?
Como if you want easy trains (40 minutes to Milan), more hotels and a real town; Bellagio if you want the mid-lake views and quiet evenings, knowing it has no train station and every trip starts with a ferry. Varenna is the compromise: mid-lake scenery with a railway station. Compare them in our where-to-stay guide.
Is 2 days in Lake Como enough?
Two days is the sweet spot for a first visit: one day for the mid-lake triangle of Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio with a villa garden, one for Como town, the Brunate funicular and a boat tour. One day from Milan also works if you choose one area and accept that you will see the highlights, not the whole lake.
Can Lake Como be a day trip from Florence?
Technically yes, but it is a long day: about 1 hour 55 minutes on a Frecciarossa to Milano Centrale, then 40 to 65 minutes on to Como or Varenna, so six hours or more of travel in total. Spending a night in Milan or on the lake makes it far more enjoyable.
Is Como town worth visiting?
Yes. Como has a handsome cathedral, a long lakefront promenade, silk-town history and the 7-minute funicular up to Brunate for the best view of the southern lake (€7.20 return). It is also where most boats start, including the one-hour small-group boat tours.
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departure on the day trips below. Small-group dates in summer sell out first.
Two countries10.5 hours
