Travel in Lombardy without a car:
One day trip to Bellagio - Como
on Lake Como

One day trip to Como and Bellagio on Lake Como

From Milano you don't need a car to take this day trip to the wonders of a magic garden on Lake Como, Bellagio: to spend a day in Bellagio Como lake, you just hop on a train of the "LeNord" private train company, and in less than one hour you are in a magic place of lakes, gardens and palaces. This is specially recommended in autumn and spring, when often you can leave the fog and cold of Milano to reach sun-shining lakefront views in the mild climate of the Bellagio Como lake. Of special interest is a visit during the azalea blooming season, when the gardens assume a wonderful set of different colors from the endless number of azaleas and rhododendrons present in the garden

The "LeNord" trains depart right in the center of Milano, at the Cadorna station, the ones you are interested in, the "diretti" (direct) to Como stop also at the Bovisa-Politecnico station in Milano, and in the small town of Saronno before reaching Como Lago, a nice town on Lake Como.

The recommended trains you can use for this trip depart from Cadorna to Como at 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00 AM. Check the LeNord site for up-to-date scheduling information or if you want to leave at different times.

Once in Como you can visit the city before walking a few steps from the train station to the ferry landing station, and in a few minutes board the boat to Bellagio (the boat leaves from Como at 9:20, 10:00, 10:30 12:00 AM and 2:10 PM).

Since schedule changes with the season, double check the boat schedule on the site www.navigazionelaghi.it. There are two kind of boat services, from Como to Bellagio: one with a slow, traditional boat, and the other one with a fast hydrofoil.

I recommend that you spend your time on the slow boat, and admire the environment and the small villages at every stop of the boat. During the low season of winter (November 11 to April 4, 2009) only the fast hydrofoil is in service. The ferry boats between Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia run all year around, with different reduced schedules in winter.

Description of the itinerary

See the description of the itinerary.

Return to Milano

For your trip back you can do the same itinerary backwards leaving Bellagio with the boat towards Como at 3:50, 4:13, 4:42, 5:05 and 6:15 PM, arriving in Como at 5:40, 6:20, 6:40, 7:05 and 8:20 PM.

The train leaves Como at 7:46, 8:16 and 9:16 PM, and arriving in Milano at the Cadorna station after one hour.

Alternative return itinerary - 1

In alternative, from Bellagio you can take the ferry boat to Varenna, on the other side of Lake Como, where you can hop on a Trenitalia train to Milano. The ferry runs every 20 minutes, the train every two hours.

Alternative return itinerary - 2

In alternative, in summertime, from Bellagio you can take the boat to Lecco, on the other side of Lake Como, where you can hop on a Trenitalia train to Milano.

The description of this trip (in reverse order) is in the page on Lecco-Bellagio.

Check the site www.navigazionelaghi.it, clicking the "Ramo di Lecco" selection for the schedule of the boats from Bellagio to Lecco.

One day trips from Milan without a car:
Milan on foot
Milan - Chiaravalle Abbey
Bergamo Alta
Bologna
Isola Comacina on Lake Como
Lecco and Bellagio by boat
Como and Bellagio by boat,
Isole Borromee on Lake Maggiore
Arona, Angera on Lake Maggiore
Arona, Rocca di Angera on Lake Maggiore
Villa Taranto on Lake Maggiore
Mottarone on Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore, Arona to Stresa by boat
Stresa - Locarno, a day boat trip
The Garda Lake - a day boat trip
Pavia, the city
Pavia, the Certosa
Portofino in winter

Bergamo:
- Piazza Vecchia
- Le mura Venete
- Basilica
- Capp. Colleoni
Bergamo one day
Bergamo & Como

Brescia
- in one day

Cremona

Lake Como:
One day trip
Bellagio
Bellagio - Como
Lecco - Bellagio
Bellagio - Colico
Villa Carlotta
Menaggio
Varenna
Isola Comacina
Villa Balbianello

Garda Lake:
- a day boat trip
Salo
Desenzano
Gardone Riviera
Gargnano
Limone s/ Garda
Magasa
Sirmione
Sirmione Baths
Tignale
Tosc. Maderno
Tremosine
A quick tour

Lake Iseo:

Lake Maggiore:
St.Caterina Sasso
Angera
Angera Dolls
Angera Rocca
Mottarone
Isole Borromee
Villa Taranto

Milan Region

Milan food

Milan wine