General Info on Lake Como

We know quite a few people who have gone to Lake Como (including outselves of course :) ) and here are some general things to think about before booking:

• Bellagio is the main town in Lake Como. Frankly, we don’t recommend staying here. It is very touristy, the food is not that good and everything is more expensive. There are definitely some adorable hotels and you won’t need a car! But if you have the ability to stay in another smaller town you may enjoy it a bit more.

• Before picking a hotel, look at Airbnb’s as well. There are some magnificent villas right on the lake. This is especially true if you are more than 2 people going. We loved having our own space right on the lake (check out the picture to the right!)

• Most of your time in Lake Como will be lazy days relaxing by the lake and reading so pack a few books.

 Day 1: Rent a Boat

This is one of the most fun days we had during our entire trip in Italy!

Make sure to book ahead of time a boat (usually 6 people is the maximum per boat). We rented our boat from Nautica Lierna and we would recommend them! The service was top notch and the boat was great exactly what we needed. The amazing thing in Italy is you don’t need a boating permit. They will teach you when you get there and you are on your own.

We recommend a few things:

1. Keep the boat for the entire day! You’ll have a few choices in terms of hours, and the whole day was so worth it.

2. Pack a picnic with snacks and lot’s of drinks to make your own spritz.

3. Bring a little speaker for music

When you rent the boat, they will give you a map of the different towns you can park your boat and visit and then you can plan your day as you so desire. Here are some pictures of our day on the boat!

 Days 2 & 3: Visit Small Towns

The main towns you should visit while in Lake Como are:

• Varenna

• Menaggio

• Bellagio

• Bellano

They are all cute lake towns worth exploring for a few hours and having lunch or a coffee. Here are some of our pictures of the towns. No huge recommendations, we did not eat somewhere that was beyond spectacular that you MUST go to :-) however, visiting the towns is definitely worth it!