How To Travel From Milan To Lake Como

Lake Como is by far one of my favorite places from my last recent trip to Italy. It’s the perfect combination of beautiful things to see and lots of things to do while it feels like you’re on a picturesque Italian holiday.

I visited Lake Como from Milan as part of our 12-day trip to Northern Italy with my mom. So, I’ll be sharing my field notes and tips on how I easily got from Milan to Lake Como, and how you too can easily plan this out. Let’s get started.

3 Easy Way To Travel From Milan To Lake Como

Overview Of How To Get From Milan To Lake Como

It’s an easy 1 Hour and 20 minutes drive from Milan (this is what I did!) to Lake Como and fairly well connected via Italy’s robust train and public transportation system. There are several ways you can easily reach lake como from Milan and I’ll break down all you’re different options and the pros and cons of each so you can pick the best route for your trip!

There are essentially 3 ways you can get from Milan to Como, No time to read the full article? No worries: you can click the links below to be taken to that section!

• 1 By A Tour: Milan to Lake Como Day Trip Options

• 2 Driving by Car: How to get from Milan to Lake Como Driving 

• 3 By Trai nmilan to lake como train : Train from Milan to Como lake

If you’re traveling from Milan airport to Lake Como

• How to get from Milan Malpensa Aiport to Lake Como (Verenna or Como)
• How to get from Milan Linate aiport to Lake Como (Verenna or Como)

How To Get From Milan To Lake Como by Train

Train from Milan to Como Lake| milan to lake como train

You can catch a train from Milano Centrale station (Milan’s largest and main train station)/ Milano Porta Garibaldi / or Milano Cadorna to any of the three main stations in Lake Como -Como S. Giovanni or Como Nord Lago. For Verenna Varenna-Esino, Bellano-Tartavalle Terme or Lecco.

The Milan to Lake Como train time takes 40 minutes to 1 hour. The Cost is only $5 for the train. Once you reach your chosen station, it’s easy to hop onto a ferry see the timetables at  Navigazione Laghi or slow boat that will take you across the lake.

Depending on which town in Lake Como you’re staying at (which town in Lake Como should you stay at?) there are different train routes to take. Just note, there are only two towns that are directly connected from Milan: the town of Como and Verenna.

You can catch a train from Milano Centrale station to any of the three main stations in Lake Como – Varenna-Esino, Bellano-Tartavalle Terme or Lecco. 

How To Get To Bellagio from Milan by train

If you opt to go to Bellagio, or any other town, you will have another connection to make via the ferry/hydrofoil from Navigazione Laghito Bellagio from Como (an hour on the express hydrofoil) or Verenna at the Varenna-Esino stop (which takes 20 mins). 

Tip: Use Trenitalia and purchase your ticket online in advance (the busy season you want to have assigned seats as they do sell out!). Want step-by-step guide and details and tips o how to buy train tickets in Italy, read my guide here. 

How To get To Como Lake (town of Como or Verenna ) from Milan Melpensa Aiport 

• Take a taxi or pre-book a shuttle to Milano Centrale Station ( about 20 minutes away and a Taxi costs about $25 euros when I went)
• Take the Malpensa Express Train to Milan (Book your tickets in advance here, if you book your ticket in advance you won’t have to validate it at the train validation machines, saving you valuable time and a hefty fine)
• Get off at Saronna Train station ( 20 minutes) 
• At Saronna station take the train from Milano Cadorna to Como Lago or Varenna-Esino(40 minutes)
• The price of the trip including both routes is only $11 euros but remember you will have luggage to lug up and down the train and train station stairs.

How To Get To Como Lake (town of Como or Verenna) from Milan Linate Aiport 

• Take a taxi or pre-book a shuttle to Milano Centrale Station ( about 30 minutes away and a Taxi costs about $35 euros and a shuttle is about $10)
• From Milan Centrale Station take the train to Como.S Giovanni Station OR  Varenna-Esinoit. It takes about 40 minutes and costs about $5 euros for the train ride!)

Takeaways Pros & Cons of Taking The Train From Milan To Lake Como

Italy is so well connected by trains, the route from Milan to Lake Como is affordable and takes less than an hour. Just take into consideration the amount of luggage and the inconvenience and added stress of having to haul your luggage up and down trains and train station steps. Elevators at train stations many times aren’t working.

Once you get to Lake Como getting around in Lake Como in major towns is fairly straightforward and easy by their ferries by  Navigazione Laghi. But if you want to visit other smaller towns getting around will take more planning ahead.  Overall, the train is an easy and convenient and cost-effective way to get from Milan to Como Lake.

Milan to Lake Como Day Trip Options

Taking a tour from Milan to Lake Como is another excellent way of exploring Lake Como without worrying about navigating on your own. Many tours include transfers by coach with stops at some of the region’s most beautiful towns such as Bellagio and Varenna. Here are some of the best day trip tours to Lake Como from Milan:

The Best Overall Day Trip Tour Milan To Lake Como

• DURATION:  11 hours 
• REVIEW: 4.7 Stars/ 4,200 Reviews 
• PRICE: $
• BEST FOR: Best Overall Group Tour
• Lowest Price Guarantee & Flexible Cancelations

Why You Should Take This Tour & Key Points 

See all the highlights in Lake Como in one day! Includes a tour guide and all transportation from Milan. So sit back. and relax and let the itinerary and driving all be taken care of for you. You’ll get to see Bellagio, and Varenna or Menaggio by foot with free time in each town and you’ll see Lake Como on the water on a private boat. This tour is awesome because they have small groups and the highest-rated reviews out of 4,000+ reviewers have approved.

How to get from Milan to Lake Como by Car

Driving From Milan To Lake Como | milan to lake como drive

If you prefer driving to Lake Como From Milan over public transportation, you’ll need to rent a car!

This option for getting from Milan to Lake Como is what I did and I recommend it if you are planning on needing to drive to your next Italian destination, such as I did to the Dolomites. It takes approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes via A9/E35 highway. This is a toll road, read my toll roads in Itay guide to prepare.

This is the option I went with since we were heading to the Dolomites after Lake Como. I picked up our rental car from Drivela in the airport Terminal at Linate Aiport.

The rental car pick up in Milan was quick and easy. Driving in Italy and in Lake Como was straightforward and easy and it gave us the freedom to explore all areas of Lake Como, you can even take your car on the ferries!

milan to lake como drive

The Milan To Lake Como drive, be warned that the roads are curvy and narrow (but don’t worry, I did it and so can you) and parking can be difficult in some areas around Lake Como so it’s always best to plan ahead! My tip would be to make sure the hotel you’re staying at offers parking. Our cute boutique hotels in Como did for $10 a day. See this Article on Milan To Lake Como Drive and how to do it yourself.