Lake Como: Best Hotels and What to Do
Editorial Staff Hotiday· 3 Reading time: min
Lake Como doesn’t need much selling. The combination of Alpine mountains, deep blue water, Belle Époque villas and some of the most dramatic scenery in northern Italy has been drawing visitors since the days of the Grand Tour. What it does need is a bit of practical guidance – because Como is easy to get wrong if you don’t know where to base yourself, when to go, or how to get around the lake.
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There is a version of Lake Como that is genuinely overrated: the celebrity villa circuit, the Instagram queue at the Bellagio waterfront, the day-tripper chaos in July. But there is another version – quieter, more accessible, and just as beautiful – that you get when you approach the lake sensibly. Stay in Como city rather than commuting from Milan. Take the ferry instead of driving. Go in May or October, not August. The lake rewards this approach with one of the most rewarding travel experiences in northern Italy.
The best areas of Lake Como: where to base yourself
Como city is the most practical base, especially for a first visit. It has a proper town centre with restaurants that are not priced for tourists, a cathedral worth an hour of anyone’s time, a funicular up to Brunate with views across the whole lake, and direct trains to Milan in under an hour. From Como, the ferry network covers the whole lake – Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio, Tremezzo – so you can reach anywhere worth going without a car. Hotiday Como Paoli is our property in the city, a well-positioned stay that makes Como city the natural starting point for any lake itinerary. Bellagio is the most photogenic town on the lake but also the most visited – better as a day trip from Como than as a base in its own right. Varenna on the eastern shore is quieter, easier to walk, and has a better food scene than most people expect. Menaggio on the western shore is the favourite of hikers who come for the trails above the lake.
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What to do on Lake Como
The ferry is the best thing about Lake Como. The Navigazione Laghi runs a network of boats and hydrofoils connecting the main towns, and a day spent moving between stops – Varenna in the morning, Bellagio at lunch, Tremezzo for the Villa Carlotta gardens in the afternoon – is one of the best days available anywhere in northern Italy. The Villa del Balbianello near Lenno is the most photographed building on the lake and genuinely worth visiting; the gardens are open from spring through autumn and the setting, on a narrow headland over the water, is extraordinary. Hiking above the lake is underrated: the trails between Como and Brunate, or the higher routes above Menaggio, give you views that the ferry passengers below never see. In winter, the mountains above Madesimo and Livigno are within two hours of Como by car and offer some of the best skiing in Lombardy.
When to visit Lake Como
May and June are the best months: the lake is warm enough for boat days, the gardens are in full bloom, and the main towns have not yet reached peak season density. September is equally good and often better value. April works well for those who don’t mind cooler temperatures – the light on the lake in early spring is hard to match. July and August bring full crowds and full prices, but the lake handles high season better than many Italian destinations because there is always somewhere quieter to go. November through March is genuinely off-season: many smaller hotels close, the ferry schedule reduces, but Como city stays open and has an entirely different, more local character.
The honest answer on Lake Como hotels is this: book early, stay in Como city if it’s your first time, and use the ferry to cover the rest. Hotiday Como Paoli puts you in the right place from the start. Explore all our hotels across northern Italy and book direct for the best available price – members save an additional 5% at checkout.
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