With a small budget but some holiday days left to use up this summer, we wanted to go somewhere new but not too far away for a lovely short summer holiday. Living in Munich, we have the great luxury of having some amazing places very close by including but not limited to the wonderful country of Italy. After some research and a little soul searching we finally settled on a short summer trip to the absolutely beautiful Lake Como and it turned out to be just what we needed. The combination of mountains, water, and charming little towns gave the whole experience a lovely calm feeling — even with the busy tourist spots. It’s one of those places that instantly makes you slow down and appreciate where you are. Here’s an overview of what we found to be a great short trip to Lake Como with some tips and tricks if you’re planning a trip there spread out along the way.

• Accommodation
• Getting Around
• Exploring the Lake
• Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio
• Hiking up Monte Legnone
• Food and Wine

Accommodation

As with any trip, having your accommodation booked and sorted makes everything else a lot more relaxing. If you’re visiting during summer, make sure to book accommodation early — things fill up fast. Even camp sites get fully booked quickly. We decided on this trip pretty last minute (about two days to a day before hand) but were lucky to find a great little apartment through Air BnB located on the mountain side near Dongo. The hosts were lovely and the view was phenomenal! It was great value for money and we really enjoyed our stay there. However, if you’re planning on staying for more than a couple of days or if you don’t have a car on site, you probably want to look into accommodation closer to the lake or in one of the larger towns. 

Getting around

The easiest and best way to get around the area is definitely by car. There are buses, but not many, and taxis or Ubers can be quite expensive. Parking, however, can be a bit of a nightmare in places like Menaggio and Cadenabbia — the blue parking spaces are usually only for an hour or two (for which you also have to pay) and the car parks near the water fill up fast. We found that using Google Maps to look for parking slightly up the mountain was a great help — the spots there were free, easy to reach, and only a short walk (5–10 minutes) from the main areas. This also brings the added bonus of exploring the area a little bit more and seeing some of the charming villages around the lake.

Exploring the lake

We bought an all-day boat ticket for €15 per person, which was perfect for exploring different towns along the lake. We parked in Cadenabbia – which was the closest larger port from where we were staying. From there, we took the ferry to Bellagio and later to Varenna. The boats were quite regular. Depending on the time of day, it was also quite spacious as well. The information sights where you can also buy the tickets, offer maps with the boat times noted on them. Be sure to pick up and keep one of these schedules, as the boats don’t always stop at every town and also don’t all run particularly late.

Also, definitely plan some time to swim in the lake — bring your swimwear, sun cream and a towel when you’re sightseeing by boat so you can take a refreshing dip during the day. Of course, there are also many different beach areas around the lake that are great to explore as well. We went to one near Dongo that was adjacent to a camp site which was ideal for getting some drinks to go on while we relaxed on the beach.

Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio

Bellagio was absolutely beautiful and probably my favourite stop on our little tour — full of unique little shops and charming alleys to wander through. A lot of the shops are very artistic and certainly worth having a look around. It’s not a particularly large town but it has a really nice feel to it and lots of little and different areas to explore. Varenna had a lovely small stony city beach just to the left of the ferry stop where we relaxed for a while before exploring the town. It was a great place for a swim and a sun bathe and wasn’t overcrowded at all. The town itself we didn’t find too special but it was still quaint with some good places to eat. Both Bellagio and Varenna are worth visiting, though Bellagio certainly had a little more charm about it, in my opinion. The popular town of Menaggio has a lovely town square and a relaxed vibe, but it’s quite small, so it doesn’t need too much time on your itinerary.

Museums and villas in the area are surely worth seeing, but remember to book your tickets in advance online, as we missed out on one we wanted to visit with all the tickets already being sold out, unfortunately. 

Hiking up Monte Legnone  

One of the highlights of our trip was a 5.5-hour hike up Monte Legnone. The views were absolutely fantastic — a rewarding climb with a bit of easy scrambling near the top, but still suitable for beginners. No helmet or special equipment needed. There were also quite a few mountain goats on the mountain, especially at the summit, so don’t be surprised if your salty sweat attracts them. They certainly enjoy having company up there. There was ample parking at the bottom of the hike and the people in the little bar/hut at the bottom were also very friendly. The drive up to the parking location was, as with most drives around Lake Como, very windy and very scenic. I would definitely recommend this hike to any travellers looking for an outdoor activity on their Lake Como trip – if you’re a total beginner, maybe plan in a little more time but it’s still certainly doable! 

Food and wine

As with most trips to Italy, the food was just amazing. Eating local is definitely a must — we tried some great local wines, often recommended by the wait staff, and they were all lovely. For stocking up on simple meals or breakfast, the Conad City supermarkets are perfect — they have great local products, meats, and biscuits, plus delicious regional wines and limoncello to take home. If you’re camping or staying in a self catering apartment, I would definitely recommend using the option of cooking your own Italian meals sometimes. The Conad City supermarkets have a lot of local produce on offer and there’s just something so sweet about cooking your own Italian pasta with whatever makes you happy with a view of the beautiful Lake Como.

Lake Como doesn’t have to be an expensive trip. With three full days (arriving Thursday evening and leaving Sunday morning), we felt like we saw so much without rushing. The locals are kind and welcoming, though service in the touristy areas can be a little less friendly at times. Most people speak decent English, but it’s always nice to learn a few Italian basics — it goes a long way. Overall, this little trip left us with some really special memories and a strong wish to come back one day, maybe for a longer stay right by the lake.

If you’re interested in some Top 10’s, travel and packing tips or more information on different destinations, then check out some of my other Meg’s Places articles and stay tuned for more! In case your questions aren’t answered here, or you have any comments or personal experiences you’d like to share, don’t be afraid to get in touch, comment and let me know. 

You can also follow me @megsplaces on Instagram and Facebook to follow my travels and get regular updates, pictures, story polls and video clips!