If you are planning to visit Lake Como in Italy and are looking for information about how to get to Lake Como from Milan, this blog has everything you need to know.
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Find out how long it takes from Milan to Lake Como on public transport and which route is the best one to take.
Furthermore, what is the best day trip from Milan to Lake Como for a stress-free visit? Find the answers here.
And for a detailed list of what to do in Lake Como’s Belaggio, read our other blog here.
Table of Contents
How do you get to Lake Como from Milan on public transport?
Getting to Lake Como from Milan is relatively straightforward to do while using public transport – in this case, the best option is to travel from Milan to Lake Como by train. There are a few good reasons why you should travel to Italy by train.
Take the train from Milan Centrale (the main train station) to either the town of Como, the small village of Varenna or the town of Lecco.
How to get from Milan to Lake Como – Train to Varenna
Personally, I think the best way to get to Lake Como from Milan by train is to take the train from Milan Centrale to Varenna Esino.
The train will essentially take you into the heart of Lake Como and from Varenna, you can easily visit the three towns: Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna with frequent boat rides connecting these towns.
This is the most scenic part of Lake Como and a perfect place to see Lake Como, especially if you are travelling from Milan to Lake Como just for the day.
This so-called “Golden Triangle” has everything that Lake Como is famous for; stunning villas, gardens, gorgeous flowers everywhere, picturesque alleyways and views of the deep-blue lake and mountains.
How much is train from Milan to Lake Como Varenna?
The train from Milan Centrale (the main station) to Varenna Esino is about 64 minutes and it costs €6.80 or €10 in 1st class.
You can easily book your ticket online here on Trainline, a website to book discounted train tickets in Italy and around the world.
You can get to Milan Centrale station by Metro or tram and once you get to Varenna Esino, simply walk down 10 minutes towards the ferry/boat to catch the next boat to Belaggio.
One-way ticket Varenna-Bellagio: €4.60. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office near the dock.
Boat service at Lake Como:
Bellagio – Varenna: 15 min
Bellagio – Menaggio: 15 min
How to get from Milan to Lake Como – Train to Como
If you are staying at Lake Como for a few days, you might also consider staying in the town of Como. View the range of hotels in Como here.
In this case, take the train from Milano Centrale station to Como San Giovanni Station.
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How long is the train from Milan to Como town?
The ticket price is €4.80, and the direct train takes only 40 minutes. You can also book the ICE train, which costs €15, and a few trains take longer.
You can purchase your ticket here with Trainline.
From the town of Como, it’s easy to explore the lake on a slow boat or fast boat (hydrofoil) that travels across Lake Como and connects the towns of Belaggio, Varenna, Menaggio and many more.
The cost of the round-trip ticket from Como is €20.80. Schedules for all boats can be found here.
Regular service boat from Como
- Como – Argegno: 1h 05 min / 1h 15 min
- Como – Bellagio: 1h 30 min / 2h
Fast service from Como
- Como – Argegno: 20/25 min
- Como – Tremezzo: 40/45 min
- Como – Bellagio: 45 min / 1h
- Como – Varenna: 1h 15
The town of Como also offers a range of accommodations for every budget so that it can be a great base.
My recommendations for a good mid-range hotel are New Fontana Rooms (an excellent location near ferries and great restaurants) and Vitrum-Como Luxury Suites for a very comfortable place to stay to enjoy Lake Como.
There are also plenty of interesting facts about Lake Como: Did you know that Lake Como is one of the deepest lakes?
The best way to get to Lake Como from Milan on a tour?
If you just want to visit Lake Como and have someone else guide you and do all the driving and organising, why not take a day trip from Milan?
The top-rated day trips from Milan are:
- Lake Como, Bellagio, and Varenna Day Tour from €85 pp
- Lake Como, Bellagio, and Lugano Bus Day Trip from €114 pp
- Lake Como Cruise with Visits to Como & Bellagio from €85.50 pp
Can you drive from Milan to Lake Como?
Yes absolutely you can. Get a rental car at Milan Airport and drive to the town of Como or Varenna. I takes 1 hour to drive to the town of Como and about 1,5 hours to reach the town of Varenna.
So there you go! Everything you need to know about getting to Lake Como from Milan. We hope you have an incredible time!
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Travel Tips for Italy
Don’t miss our detailed post about visiting the town of Bellagio in Lake Como, one of our favourite places at the lake.
And we loved Lake Como so much that it was featured in our 15 Best Places to Visit in Italy.
We absolutely love this country, and we wrote a bunch of detailed posts to help you travel around Italy. If you plan to travel more in Italy, then check out our comprehensive travel guides.
Our 3 days in Rome Perfect Itinerary has everything you need for the best stay. Take your choice of the Top Rated Vatican Tours.
We’ve even got a dedicated food post about the 10 Amazing Dishes in Rome You Need to Try.
Our Complete Guide to Florence in 2 Days Itinerary has covered all bases and we’ll let you in on our secret of where to eat the best pizza in Florence.
Don’t miss our EUROPE CITY GUIDES
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