Over ten years ago, I visited Milan on one of my crazy day trips. I mostly remember going up to the rooftop of the Duomo, which was incredible although slippery, walking through the beautiful Galleria next door, and then setting off in search of food around Navigli, but instead being bamboozled by the tram system and settling for mediocre food on a touristy street instead. Not my finest moment, but it WAS one of my earlier travel experiences.
When I think about it, I don’t really know why I chose to visit Milan. Nothing that it’s famous for is of interest to me – fashion? Shopping? Expensive brands? Consumerism and materialism? Nope, nope, nope and nope.
Twelve years on, it was finally time to return to Milan, though this time I wasn’t about to give it any more justice. In my quest to find a way back from Moldova that didn’t involve flying through London Stansted, I looked up their other routes and found incredibly cheap flights to Milan. It’s easy enough to get back to Edinburgh from there, so this was looking like the top choice.
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I then decided if I fly on the Thursday, I could potentially spend a couple of days there into the weekend, and an idea was bubbling away: it’s in very close proximity with somewhere I’ve been very keen to explore – the Italian Lakes!
It’s easy enough to see Lake Como on a day trip from Milan, but I decided to treat myself to a hotel on the shoreline (not as expensive as you’d think!), meaning I’d get almost two full days there.
First, though, I needed to get to Milan, which meant a flight the day before and a night in Milan itself. To be honest, I was just excited to get some decent photos of the Duomo! Because really, it’s one of the most stunning pieces of architecture I’ve ever seen.
Beyond that, I wasn’t planning to see anything in Milan.
This was the “easy” part of my trip, so I barely did any real planning or research. For once I was almost completely winging it, beyond the basic logistics. I will say that this turned out to be a huge risk (you need to plan around the boats!) but thankfully it all worked out very well right up until I tried to get back to Milan.
Day one: Milan to Como, Bellagio & accommodation
The best way to start a trip to Lake Como is by getting the train from Milan Cadorna to Como Lago, which is right at the bottom of the lake.
I highly recommend also taking a train up or down the right hand side of the lake, as the views are great, but my focus on day one was getting from Milan to my hotel in Caddenabbia the most scenic way possible. That meant, of course, taking a boat, which leaves from Como town.
TIP: If you want to skip Milan altogether, you could get a train from Malpensa airport to Como via Saronno.
I decided to leave super early, and after a quick wander past the Duomo and Galleria for some daytime photos, I was on a train before 9.30am.
Arriving in Como before 10.30am, I had plenty of time to explore and grab lunch before getting on a boat.
Charming Como
I had zero expectations of Como. I planned to rock up, have a cup of tea over some breakfast, wander along the waterfront, and hop on a ferry.
What I discovered was a delightful lakeside town with a beautiful cathedral, lovely narrow streets, and a fabulous atmosphere. And of course, a great café with outdoor seating where I could have frankly stayed all day. (It was Just Art Café, if you’re interested.)
But alas, beautiful lake views needed to be explored. I know, it’s a tough life. I took a walk along to the towering war memorial on the lakefront, taking it all in.
Due to the recent flooding, there was quite a lot of debris and water damage. In fact, the main road along the front was still badly flooded!
I had been trying to decide whether to indulge in a proper meal for lunch, as I didn’t know what would await me later, and the last thing I wanted to do was spend 100€ on dinner in Bellagio. But one place kept calling back to me; a sandwich shop back in the old town that I’d spotted on Google Maps.
I don’t care where else you go in Como. You HAVE to go to Il Vicolino del Paninaio for a sandwich!
This was one of my best decisions all day. The owner was SO friendly, along with all the staff. They played classic rock & roll. And the sandwiches! OMG. I had the Vicolino Special, and you guys, they were not wrong. It is special.
Afterwards, I headed straight down to figure out the boat.
Taking the boat from Como to Bellagio
…So one thing I didn’t count on was the ferry running extremely irregularly! Being that this is the most popular way to travel around the lake, I was shocked to find that services only ran every few hours. The next wasn’t leaving for another hour and a half, so it’s a good thing I checked as the queue for tickets took almost an hour.
Worse, I was banking on taking the speedier one-hour Hydrofoil boat to Bellagio – but the next one wasn’t running until 6.30pm!! So not only would I not be getting a boat until after 3pm, it would be the slow ferry, meaning I then wouldn’t get to Bellagio until almost 5.30pm. From there, I had no idea if I could get to my hotel after that time or not, and I was trying not to panic. The person at the ticket office was really unhelpful and said I’d have to figure it out when I got to Bellagio. (I’ve also realised just NOW that she charged me for two people!! So super unhelpful on all counts, and I didn’t pick up on it because I hadn’t researched the ferry times or prices.)
At this rate, I’d basically have no time in Bellagio, I might have to fork out a small fortune for a water taxi, and after all of that I didn’t know if I’d be too late for the dinner plans I had. Well, you’ll never guess what, guys… it ALL worked out okay! Better than okay, in fact.
(Apart from being inadvertently ripped off!)
So firstly, the ferry. The boat is fantastic, and I somehow nabbed a window seat. I was slightly disappointed that I’d missed out on an outdoor seat, but to be honest? Two and a half hours sitting in the sun might not be the best idea. I even ended up teaming up with a family and sharing the table, which meant we could take it in turns to go outside and enjoy the views even more.
As more and more and more people piled onto the boat (in October, remember), with every seat long taken and at least a hundred more people standing, I was even more horrified that they don’t run more regularly. Maybe their summer service does, but I can’t even imagine the crowds.
And then, the maddest thing happened. I spotted a couple outside, and one of them was wearing an Orkney Brewery t shirt.
I sidled over. “Either you’ve BEEN to Orkney, or you’re from Orkney…”
“Aye – we’re Orcadian!”
NO EFFING WAY. Here we were in the middle of a lake in the north of Italy, having come from a small island at the top of Scotland! Needless to say, we had a great chat. After the chance meeting of sharing a train compartment to Moldova with regular visitors to Queensferry, what are the chances of finding Orcadians on the same trip?!
The ferry lazily zig zags back and forth across the lake, and I started to realise why it takes over two hours to get to Bellagio. We stopped at soooo many pretty towns, it was hard not to make a “next time” list just from the brief glimpses.
This is a great boat trip, and I ended up being really glad that I’d unintentionally got the slow ferry!
This is very much about the journey as much as the destination, which is what made it such a great day.
Read more: Highlights Of Venice – On & Off The Beaten Path
Beautiful Bellagio
Bellagio is undoubtedly one of the must-see towns on Lake Como, which is why I was slightly annoyed that I would now barely have any time there; even worse, hardly any daylight.
This meant one thing though: incredible lighting from an approaching sunset.
After a quick wander along the waterfront, I headed up into the main streets, grabbed an ice cream and sat down to take in the view before I even started taking photos. Naturally, the entire fifteen minutes I was sat there, someone was having a full-on photoshoot in everybody’s way. I took a couple of pics, then continued my walk, planning to walk in a rough loop and take some more photos when I got back to this spot. When I came back, she was still there.
Anyway, I got some lovely photos. Some of my favourites from the trip. Several with her in.
And then I realised… that was kind of it.
I’d been worried about not having enough time in Bellagio, but an hour’s wandering was actually all I needed. It’s somewhere Ash wants to visit anyway, so this was a nice taster.
Taking the Bellagio-Menaggio-Cadenabbia car ferry
I had found a timetable that said I could get from Bellagio to Caddenabbia in the evening, much to my relief, but on my brief wander around Bellagio, I had stumbled across another ferry terminal.
Turns out, a regular service runs between Bellagio, Caddenabbia and Menaggio, which is a basic car ferry unlike the tourist boats. This was actually great as it was cheap and quick, and after all my worries, I was at my hotel less than 20 minutes after leaving Bellagio, and much earlier than planned.
Staying in Cadenabbia
Cadenabbia probably wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice for staying on Lake Como. But I’ll tell you what – my hotel was great for a night and only cost £60, including breakfast. The owners were really friendly and they had a 16-year-old grandma dog who walked around with her tail on permanent wag mode.
Oh, and this was the view from my room!
(Unfortunately it had clouded over in the morning and you couldn’t even tell those mountains were there!)
In the evening, I walked up an extremely steep but short hill to a pizzeria I’d spotted on the map with good reviews, Pizzeria La Torre San Martino.
Welcome to one of my favourite evenings of travel ever!
I walked in and was immediately welcomed and taken to a table. From there, I could watch everything. Next to me, a group of ladies were engaging in much merriment, and locals kept coming in, spotting them, and coming over to chat the night away. On their way past, they all stopped to say hello to me. I reckon I was the only foreigner in there. It was DELIGHTFUL.
And the pizza? The best I’ve ever had. I had gorgonzola and apple. Holy heck, it was good.
My wine even came in a tiny jug! Like a carafe, but smaller?
Anyway, I made the best decision staying in Cadenabbia, I think. I would never have found that pizza place, and it was nice to be somewhere with nothing else really going on, yet in perfect proximity of some of the lake’s best destinations.
If I could repeat one day of my travels, this would be it.
A morning in Como, lunch at the best goddamn sandwich place ever, a fantastic couple of hours on a boat, sunset in Bellagio, a room with a view, and a very local Italian experience with great food at a rustic pizzeria. I don’t know if it’ll ever get better than that, to be honest!
Read more: A (Very!) Brief Day In Charming Cologne, Germany
Day two: Varenna & Lecco, the eastern side of the lake
Day two started off just as excellently.
I woke up to clouds shrouding the mountains, but you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I went downstairs for breakfast before heading out.
If I’d had more time/energy/better weather, I would have walked up to nearby Chiesa di San Martino, which looks like it has amazing views over Lake Como! Instead, I had equally incredible views planned from the other side of the water.
I was heading over to Varenna, but there was one problem: at this time of year, the boats from Cadenabbia weren’t running. I’d have to go back to Bellagio and get one from there – but when I asked at the ticket desk, they told me I could get a direct ferry from Tremezzo instead.
It meant I had to walk ten minutes down the shore of the lake, which was a stunning walk, even in the dull weather, and I was thankful for the excuse.
From there, I hopped straight on a boat to Varenna. Success!
It look a little longer to get there than I expected though; it stopped in Bellagio anyway, and then went back across to Menaggio, just up the road from where I’d got on, before finally heading over to Varenna. The upside is that I’ve immediately added Menaggio to my “next time” list, as it looked very pretty. Clearly lots of people agree, as the boat filled up with people who had been staying there.
Anyway, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Lake Como, it’s that the boats LOVE to zig zag across the lake. It took almost an hour to get to Varenna!
I was absolutely enamoured with Varenna from the moment I stepped off the boat. It is gorgeous.
Where in Bellagio I felt a little out of place, and Como is like a proper town, there’s something about Varenna that sets it apart. It’s unpretentious, bustling, and absolutely beautiful.
I took a wander all the way along the shorefront and up some alleyways to the main square, where there’s a pretty church and a few shops and cafés.
I had one thing on my list for Varenna though, and it involved hiking above it.
Castello di Vezio, Varenna
It was only relatively recently that I found out that these famous pictures of ghostly figures above a lake were, in fact, from Lake Como. As soon as I decided to add Como onto this trip, I knew I had to make the journey to Varenna.
It took less than half an hour to get up there, but it is a tough walk; the path is relentlessly steep the entire way. Admittedly I have let myself get really unfit, but my calves were screaming. Two girls behind me gave up. Several Google reviews say it’s the hardest hike they’ve ever done, but then people say that about Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. This was tougher than Arthur’s Seat, but come on, guys.
Anyway, what I’m saying is don’t underestimate it.
It’s about 5€ to get in to the castle grounds, and it’s well worth it. I wasn’t even planning to see much of the actual castle (not that there’s much to see), but there’s some interesting history here and the tower is great for even better views!
They also have a resident owl, which I found a bit odd because it was rescued and really nervous. So yes, let’s put him on display in front of lots of people. He’s an absolute beauty, though.
The highlight, as well as the views, is the plaster cast ghost statues. I didn’t realise, but they are made every year from ACTUAL VISITORS who volunteer themselves to be cast. When winter comes, they are naturally destroyed in the inclement weather, and then they create new ones in the spring. How cool is that?!?
A stressful afternoon of chaotic public transport
By the time I got back down to Varenna proper, it was getting packed. The gorgeous walkways were teeming with tourists, and regular boats were turning up and dropping off endless groups.
After watching someone trying to feed and pet a swan, and having witnessed a few too many Instagram photoshoots (including two girls filming each other six times – each – walking down a path), I decided to leave Varenna early to escape the crowds.
I decided I had time to check out one more town on Lake Como: Lecco. This is where it all went wrong, because I aimed for the next train towards Milan.
So when the screen says there’s a train to Milan at 14:35 from platform 2, and a train pulls in to platform 2 at 14:32 saying “Milano Centrale” and everyone goes to get on it with suitcases, I assume this is my train. It’s when the train goes in the wrong direction that I realise my grave mistake – it was not going to Milan.
From there it was a series of chaotic moments for the rest of the trip:
– getting off at the next stop with a bunch of other people who had done the same as me, to wait for a delayed train back down to Lecco. The train we had wanted was actually still at this station so I ran like hell to try and get it but it pulled away just as I got to the other platform.
– the next train took much longer with more stops, and with the delay meant I’d be getting to Lecco AN HOUR later than planned, leaving me with no time for food. I was in ITALY and would be missing out on a meal!!!
– I walked down to the waterfront to find half of it under construction. Started to think maybe Lecco wasn’t even worth it after all that!!
– managed to grab a takeaway focaccia. With… a hot dog and fries topping. No, I’m not kidding! I asked the owner incredulously if that’s what I think it is. When he told me, I literally laughed and went “is it any good?!” and he looked all offended and said “well, it is to me!” 😂 Anyway, I figured I would never beat the meal from the previous night so I might as well go for a crime against Italian food.
– walked back up to the station and could not find the ticket office despite following signs. After going round in circles, eventually found it in a different part of the station. Phew. Went to the platform after re-reading the screen 20 times.
– got on the right train to Milan! With hundreds of other people! At one point I was so squashed that I pulled a muscle in my arm. Stayed in that position for 50 minutes. The train was only meant to take 40.
– the train got more and more delayed. I originally had over 20 mins to get my ticket for the airport train & find my platform, and I was panicking enough about that.
– eventually pulled into Milano Centrale 8 minutes before the airport train I needed. Cue absolute blind panic as I ran to the nearest machine and found that it only sells Trenitalia tickets. I needed Trenord.
– could not find a ticket office or any other machines (or signs for either) ANYWHERE. In a major station. Had to ask someone at an info desk, and the ticket office was ON A DIFFERENT FLOOR, with no signs to indicate this. Poor guy had a constant queue of stressed looking people because it’s the most ridiculous train station in the world.
– had a full on panic attack in the middle of the station. I got downstairs to find several ticket offices, one for each train operator. Finally got my ticket but had missed my train by this point, so I waited for the platform announcement for the next one.
– platform 1 announced minutes before departure (this part I should have figured out myself seeing as the airport train always goes from there, but we’ve established I was stressed AF). Go through to platforms, numbers start at 3. Platform 1 is IN A DIFFERENT PART OF THE STATION. FOR F*CK’S SAKE.
– mad dash to the train, sit down, breathe a sigh of relief!
– train doesn’t leave. It’s over five minutes late and it’s now beginning to be tight for making my flight.
– train has a broken screen, no announcements, and some stations we stop at have no signs. At one station near the airport, everyone else gets off and I go and yell “THIS ISN’T THE AIRPORT!!!” and they all run back onto the train.
– finally get to Terminal 2 after sitting at Terminal 1 for ages. It’s a 5 minute walk just to get out of the station, at which point I realise we’re not even in the terminal. It’s *another* 5 minute walk to get there!! Across an entire car park. I am RUNNING; cars will have to stop.
– belt into the airport. There are ZERO signs for departures. I literally have to ask someone. WTF. There’s a first for everything.
– they then check my boarding pass to make sure I’m going through the correct security (?!?!). The security queue is then full of dead ends and everyone’s getting lost. What is even going on any more!?!?
– get through security with no wait thankfully (apart from the maze), practically run through duty free. There are no departure boards in the departure lounge. WHAT IS THIS AIRPORT?!?!?
– finally find a departure board on the side of a Pret.
– go to use the loo. There are 3 cubicles and a chaotic queue of all genders. Men getting a taste of what it’s like to queue for a toilet.
– get to the gate. There is no seating whatsoever. Everyone is simply stood around waiting. The most bizarre airport experience I have EVER had!
Anyway, the IMPORTANT thing is I made the flight!
And you know what, sometimes travel just works out like this and it can be stressful, chaotic and genuinely not fun, especially when you’re completely on your own. And sometimes it’s good to share the parts that aren’t all sunshine and rainbows!
(Like the time I flew to the wrong airport and ended up 85km from my hotel.)
It’s safe to say that Milano Centrale is the worst train station I’ve ever been to, and Malpensa (terminal 2) is one of the worst airports I’ve ever been to.
Also: who would have thought Italy would be so much more stressful than eastern Europe?!
I just find it quite funny that I had one of my favourite days of travel ever, immediately followed by one of my most stressful. And I’ve loved Italian public transport in the past, so it didn’t even cross my mind that it would be so awful this time.
This was another mad addition to a trip, which is something I have a habit of doing, but it worked out so well. With a 25€ flight from Moldova to Milan, followed by a 22€ flight home, it seemed rude not to take advantage! Especially when the alternative was flying to Stansted.
I think if we go back (and I’d like to – with Ash!), we might fly into Bergamo instead, which is apparently a lovely little town, mostly made famous by being a Ryanair airport for Milan that’s nowhere near Milan, and is well connected to Lake Como.
Either way, this was a nice taster of an absolutely stunning area of Europe, and one that I’ve wanted to check out for so long. Despite things going wrong – and it’s rare for a trip to be completely perfect anyway – it lived up to all expectations. And in actual fact, I think this was such a perfect itinerary in theory that, with a little more research and planning, I’d do it all again.
Read more about this nuts trip:
⭐ Bucharest, Where Eastern & Western European Cultures Meet
⭐ Chisinau & The Least Visited Country In Europe: Moldova
⭐ A Bonkers Day Out In Transnistria, The Country That Doesn’t Exist
And more about Italy & surrounding places:
⭐ Highlights Of Venice – On & Off The Beaten Path
⭐ #tbt: Hitting Two Of Europe’s “Big Cities”: Barcelona & Rome
⭐ A Day Trip Guide: San Marino From Bologna
⭐ Slovenia: Loving Ljubljana & Visiting Lake Bled In March
⭐ Monaco On A Budget: A Cheap Day Out From Nice
Discover more from An Orcadian Abroad
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What an adventure in Italy! I’ve done a day trip to Lake Como and its surroundings from Milan (I based myself in Milan for several nights), and it’s all gorgeous, especially in good weather! I agree with you that the boats to and from towns in the Como region are infrequent, and it’s imperative to time it all as best as possible. Getting to the airport sounds so stressful, but thankfully, you made the flight! I also did a day trip to Bergamo while in Milan, and I can vouch it’s lovely. I hope you can return to that part of the country to check it out! Thanks for sharing, Clazz!
It’s crazy how infrequent they were for such a busy tourist hot spot! (On that note, it was also a shock going to that from Moldova!) Yeah I couldn’t believe how stressed I let myself get on that journey back, but I think it was just *everything* going wrong and it got a bit much haha. Definitely somewhere I’d like to return to anyway! So much to see in that part of Italy.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Hahahaha I feel like those first two wows are about Lake Como in general, and the third is about my awful journey. 😂
What an adventure! Your vivid details bring Milan and Lake Como to life, from the stunning Duomo to the charm of Bellagio and Varenna. I appreciate the realness of sharing both the highlights and challenges—it’s so relatable. Thanks for the tips.
Haha thanks, there were certainly some challenges on this one, but also plenty of highlights!
That’s what makes it a real adventure! The ups and downs just add to the memories. Glad you got to experience both the beauty and the challenges—makes for a great story! 😊
I was relaxed with you and then I was stressed with you. Too bad it wasn’t in the opposite order to not arrive home frazzled. Great post, Maggie
Hahahaha I’m glad other people have gone through the same emotions. 😂 To be honest I think the other way around would have been worse as I wouldn’t have been able to relax if it was all that bad from the start! But after a week away, it wasn’t the best ending haha. Luckily it was Saturday so I had Sunday to recover before going back to work. That’s quite unusual for me!
We stayed a few nights in Varenna with a room that overlooked the lake. It was absolutely stunning and Lake Como was my favorite part of our trip to Italy. We actually had an unplanned half day in Milan (had to go there due to train strikes – long story) and I found it just ok, but maybe I’d have liked it more if I’d known more about it? I’m not really into fashion or high end shopping…
Oh that sounds divine! I think Varenna would be a top choice for me. I feel exactly the same as you about Milan. Just not my scene at all. I love the Duomo though, that’s a massive redeeming feature.
Oh my gosh, I’m stressed just reading about your trip home. But then I just scroll back up to all the Lake Como photos and I’m nice and relaxed again because it’s just so beautiful!
Hahahaha I know, it was not a fun ending!! That’s why I put together the photo post – it’s much more relaxing. 😂
Another great adventure. Amazing photos that make me want to visit 😍. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thanks Mélodie! An adventure in too many different ways, hahaha.
Kind of funny (probably not at the time) that you kind of came full circle. The post starts with you talking about being bamboozled by the tram system which certainly happens when you’re new to travel but then the post ends with similar mishaps! Certainly a stressful end to the trip but looks like you had a wonderful time exploring the lakes! It’s so odd you found fellow Orcadians on your boat!
Also, you’re going to upset the fruit-hating pizza people with your love of the gorgonzola and apple pizza 😉
HA, that’s very true! And the funny thing is, on my last trip to Italy I absolutely loved all the public transport. Trains were brilliant. And the train up to Como was great, but that was really it for this trip.
Yeah, apple was a weird choice! I was surprised to see it in Italy actually. There’s an amazing Italian restaurant in Edinburgh that does gorgonzola and pear pasta, which is my go-to dish when I go there, so I think that’s what made me go for it.