Lake Como (Varenna & Bellagio)

Lago di Como · Varenna · Bellagio

An hour by train, 15 minutes by boat: pastel villages under the Alps

Hours

Trains roughly hourly; check seasonal boat timetables with Navigazione Laghi

Tickets

Train Milano Centrale–Varenna from €7.40 one way (Trenord); Varenna–Bellagio boat fare on site

Address

From Varenna-Esino station it's 10 minutes' walk down to the village and pier; cross to Bellagio by boat

Step off at Varenna station, walk down the hill, and the whole thing opens up at once: yellow and pink houses stacked on the slope above deep blue water. Follow the lakeside walkway to the pier and a boat has you in Bellagio across the water in about 15 minutes. Bellagio is all stepped lanes of shops and gelato counters, with the lake splitting into its three arms off the point. Hopping between villages by boat is the whole point of the day.