Italy · city guide
Como town: the city gateway to the lake
A funicular up to the view, a striped marble Duomo, and the cheapest way onto the lake.
I based myself up in quiet Varenna, but Como town is where the whole lake trip starts, and it's worth slowing down for on the way in or out. It's the proper little city at the southern tip, the rail gateway from Milan, and the cheapest place to sleep if you'd rather have a town around you than a tiny village. I came down here for the funicular up to Brunate and the lakefront walk before catching the ferry up to Varenna. Here's exactly how I'd spend a day.
- The urban, cheapest base and the rail gateway from Milan
- ~40 min by train from Milano to Como San Giovanni
- Funicular up to Brunate, then ferries up the lake
Best things to do
Ride the funicular up to Brunate
A steep little railway climbs out of town to the village of Brunate, with the whole southern lake spread out below you. Go up for the panorama, then walk a little higher to the lighthouse if your legs are up for it.
See the striped marble Duomo
Como's cathedral is right in the centre, all pale and dark marble bands with a great green dome. Step inside out of the heat; it's free and quietly grand.
Walk the lakefront to Piazza Cavour
Stroll the promenade along the water to the open square on the lake, where the ferries and the cafe tables are. The easy, free way to feel the town before a boat.
Wander Villa Olmo's gardens
A grand neoclassical villa a short walk along the shore, with lakeside gardens that are free to wander. A calm green break from the city streets.
Where to stay
Getting there & around
The easy way in is the train from Milan: it's about 40 minutes to Como San Giovanni on the line from Milano Centrale, and the station is a short downhill walk to the lake. Once you're here the town is small and walkable, the funicular handles the climb up to Brunate, and the ferries from Piazza Cavour are how you reach the rest of the lake, an hour or so up to Bellagio and Varenna. You don't need a car; parking is tight and expensive and the lake itself is the road here. Buy a ferry day pass and village-hop at your own pace.
Eat & drink
- A cafe on Piazza Cavour — Grab a coffee or an aperitivo at a table on the lakefront square and watch the ferries come and go. My easy first stop in town.
- A trattoria in the old town — Step a couple of streets back from the water for proper Lake Como cooking at honest prices, away from the busiest tourist tables.
Day trips
On the map
Book this trip
A few of these earn me a small cut at no extra cost to you — only ever things I'd actually book.
Frequently asked
Should I base in Como town or up in a village like Varenna?
It depends what you want. Como town is the cheapest base, it's a real little city, and it's the easy rail gateway from Milan. But I chose Varenna up the lake for slow days right on the water; Como town is busier and more urban, so I'd use it for arriving, a day, and the funicular rather than the whole trip.
How do I get from Como town up to Bellagio and Varenna?
By ferry from Piazza Cavour. The boats run up the lake and take around an hour to the mid-lake villages, so buy a day pass and hop between them at your own pace. Varenna is also a quick train up the eastern shore if you'd rather.