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View to Lake Como & Sobborgi, Como, Province of Como, Region of Lombardy, Italy. Photo by Zairon on

Milan to Lake Como: Best Ways to Get There

Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin that is located in Lombardy, eighty-three kilometres from the metropolitan city of Milan. The lake covers an area of 146 kilometres which makes it the third-largest lake in Italy after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. It is 400 metres deep making it the fifth deepest lake in Europe, the bottom of the lake is more than 200 metres below sea level.

The lake has been a popular retreat for aristocrats and wealthy people in the past. In recent days, Lake Como is a tourist destination for several visitors across the world. Travelling from Milan to Lake Como is one of the best experiences for any tourist.

Lake Como鈥檚 landscapes, wildlife and spas are some of the attractive things that interest tourists to this area. Several activities like sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing as some of the sports to be enjoyed while at Lake Como. Perch Bysshe Shelley wrote about Lake Como stating, 鈥淭his lake exceeds anything I ever beheld in beauty, except the arbutus islands of Killarney. It is long and narrow, and has the appearance of a mighty river winding among the mountains and the forests.鈥�

But how can you get to Lake Como from Milan? Here are the best ways to get there:

1. From Milan to Lake Como by Tour

If you are on limited time and only have one day to get to Lake Como and discover the beautiful area, you have to travel to Lake Como by tour/trip from Milan. Someone has to take care of the whole tour鈥檚 logistics and transportation as you enjoy the day relaxing and watching the exciting view. The tour from Milan to Lake Como is nine hours and starts at the Milan Visitors Centre in the heart of the city.

This is where you will find a driver and an English-speaking guide in an air-conditioned vehicle. The tour includes a winter and summer option for tourists. The vehicle starts from Milan and drives for one hour to the historical centre of the town of Como. Here, you will go on a walking tour of the centre to see the Cathedral of Como and other gothic buildings.

The winter season tour is set for November to March. There are several things to do during the winter season tour from Milan to Lake Como which you get through Funicolare Como-Brunate and visit other nearby villages where you can enjoy the view of the lake. On the tour, you embark on a two-hour scenic boat tour of the lake.

This is followed by a stop at one of Lake Como鈥檚 most famous towns, Bellagio. At Bellagio, you get the opportunity to grab lunch, take plenty of photos and move to Cadenabbia, the last town on the tour. After enjoying the whole tour to Lake Como, you embark back on a return journey to Milan.

2. Take a Train from Milan to Lake Como

Train from Milan. Photo by Florian P茅pellin on

Trains have been one of the most efficient ways of getting to Lake Como from Milan. The trains leave Milan and get to towns around the Lake Como area. There are close to one hundred trains a day that connects Milan with Lake Como.

Tourists wishing to get to Lake Como from Milan have to take a direct train from Milan to the Como Lago Station. After alighting at Como Lago Station, there are several options for getting to Lake Como and enjoying your vacation. The travel time by train can take anywhere from thirty minutes to close to two hours to reach Lake Como.

This depends on where you are planning on getting off while on your tour to Lake Como from Milano. Trenitalia Trenord trains to Lake Como depart from either the Milano Centrale or the Milano Cadorna stations. You should check out the online schedule to figure out which station you should go to and where to get off.

However, if you plan to get off at Bellagio, a town of Lake Como, there are no train stations in the town. The tour is cut short at the Varenna-Esina station and catch a ferry to Bellagio. Through the ferry, you get a chance for getting great views of the lake and the serene environments around Lake Como. The journey to Lake Como from Milano is usually impressive because of the places, stations and great views you get to enjoy while on the journey.

Booking of trains can be made via their official websites. However, you can also get to the service stations and get your ticket for the trip for as little as less than ten euros.

3. Milan to Lake Como via Bus

A bus near the Milano Centrale Station, Milan, Italy. Photo by Unknown author on

Another good way to get to Lake Como from Milan is by bus. Several buses leave Milan for Lake Como from Milan鈥檚 Centrale bus station and end at Como鈥檚 S. Giovanni bus station. After arriving at Como鈥檚 bus station, you can get to the Lake via ferry service.

There are long-distance bus services including the FlixBus bus company which makes daily trips to Lake Como. These trips from Milan are not on a fixed time as some can take as little as ninety minutes to get to Lake Como. The time can be extended if the traffic conditions are not favourable.

The importance of using buses to Lake Como from Milan is that they are direct and comfortable, they offer air-conditioning, hot drinks on board and free Wi-Fi. After alighting at the bus station in Como, you have two options for getting to Lake Como.

The available options are either by a ferry or a slow boat to Lake Como where you can enjoy your vacation. The direct ferry from Como departs every four hours during daylight and takes only forty-four minutes to reach your destination. If a tourist is not in a rush, the slow boat is the best option as it takes over two hours to cover the scenic water route.

It makes stops for 10-16 minutes along the way which varies throughout the day. However, the journey by ferry does not operate throughout the year. During the winter, the ferry services stop in November and resume service when Easter nears. It costs a ticket of 5 to 7 Euros to get to Lake Como from Milan which you can either book or get to the station directly and get your ticket.

4. Get to Lake Como from Milan by Car

The distance from Milan to Lake Como is about 83 kilometres which seem to be long but it comes with a lot of fun. If you take a tour without any stops, it will take around 60 to 70 minutes to drive on the A9/E35 highways. However, using these highways, means you have to grab a ticket at a toll booth as you enter the highway. You have to wait for the calculation to be made then pay using cash in Euros or have a credit card to pay.

Heading to Lake Como by car might take longer than the train but this offers a unique chance to enjoy some stopovers at some picturesque areas along the route. Some of these picturesque areas include Spina Verde Park which is a protected forest with views over Lake Como and the Baradello Castle ruins.

When you arrive at Lake Como, you have to keep in mind that a large part of the town is under the Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL). This means that cars are restricted from driving in many areas unless you are a resident. Finding parking spots is so hard to get but hotels can offer parking spaces for their visitors. You can easily move from one place to another after arriving at Lake Como as you are allowed to navigate on the ferry.

5. Milan to Lake Como via Aeroplane

Another quick way to get to Lake Como from Milan is by air. Catch your flight from Milan Malpensa at a very cheap rate during the peak of tourism in Lake Como. However, there is no direct aeroplane to Lake Como as there are no airports in the region.

You have to link up to Saronno Airport and continue with your journey to Lake Como. At Saronno, you have to catch a train which will link you to Lake Como for your vacation. Tickets from Saronno to Lake Como can be booked with the Milan Malpensa Express bus or train.