HOW TO GET TO LAKE COMO
You can get to Lake Como from Milan in many ways.
It all depends on your travel needs, such as the town that you wish to visit, your departure point (the city of Milan or its airports) and your means of transport.
Here I will give you an insight on how to get from Milan to Como, Bellagio and Varenna, three of the most popular Lake Como’s towns (from which you can easily reach all others, via ferry or bus).
Want to get to other towns?
Read carefully the travel tips found on this page!
The city of Como is very easy to reach from both the city of Milan and its airports.
*Note: Due to road works, until the end of September 2023 (at least), bus routes C10 and C30 will have modified service in the city of Como. Read here to find out more.
Here is how to get to Como:
There are three railway lines that connect Milan and the city of Como. Choose the route that is most convenient for you based on your starting point:
Travel tip
Once you are in Como, you can easily get to the western towns of the southwestern branch of the lake (such as Cernobbio, Argegno, Tremezzina, or Menaggio) by C10 bus.
On the other hand, if you want to reach the eastern towns of the same branch (such as Nesso or Bellagio), you will have to take the C30 bus.
In both cases, you can also make use of the lake transportation service.
If you want to travel from Milan to Bellagio, the Pearl of Lake Como, you have several options.
*Note: Due to road works, until the end of September 2023 (at least), bus routes C10 and C30 will have modified service in the city of Como. Read here to find out more.
Here is how to get to Bellagio:
From Milano Centrale train station
The easiest option is to take the train from Milano Centrale to Como S. Giovanni station (40 minutes). From there, you can take the C30 bus* (about 1h 10 min ride) or the boat to Bellagio (1h 30 min - 2h).
Alternatively, you can take the train to Lecco (40 minutes - check timetables on trenord.it) then, when you are in Lecco, you can choose between the D10 bus to Bellagio (50 minutes) or, only in summer, the public boat service.
From Milan Malpensa airport
Get from Malpensa to Como city by train, then take the C30 bus to Bellagio or use the public boat service (all year).
From Bergamo (Orio al Serio) airport
From the airport, take the ATB bus to the Bergamo train station (16 minutes).
Then, take the train to Lecco (check schedules on trenord.it) and, once in Lecco, you can choose to take the D10 bus to Bellagio or, only in summer, the public boat service.
From Milan Linate airport
First of all, you have to get to Milano Centrale train station (you will find several shuttles, such as Autostradale, outside the airport). Then, you have two options:
- take the train from Milano Centrale to Como S. Giovanni station (40 minutes) and, from there, take the C30 bus (about 1h 10 min ride) or the boat to Bellagio (1h 30 min - 2h)
- alternatively, you can take the train to Lecco (40 minutes - check timetables on trenord.it) then, when you are in Lecco, you can choose between the D10 bus to Bellagio (50 minutes) or, only in summer, the public boat service.
Travel tip
Once in Bellagio, you can easily get to the towns of the central part of the lake (such as Varenna, Tremezzina or Menaggio) by boat.
Getting to Varenna, one of the most loved Lake Como’s towns, is very simple.
Here is how to get to Varenna:
From Milano Centrale train station
There are several trains that can lead you to Varenna from Milano Centrale - check timetables on trenord.it - thanks to the efficient railway service on the eastern branch of Lake Como. Your journey will last approx. 1 hour.
From Milan Malpensa airport
Malpensa -> Varenna is quite a long ride.
First of all, you have to take the Malpensa Express from the airport to Milano Centrale train station.
Then, from Milano Centrale you can take another train that will take you to Varenna (see above).
Note: Due to works, until mid-November the last evening run and the first morning run are limited to/from Milano Porta Garibaldi. More info.
From Bergamo (Orio al Serio) airport
Take the ATB bus just outside the airport and get to Bergamo train station (16 minutes). Then, take the train to Lecco (check schedules on trenord.it) and, once in Lecco, you can take the train to Varenna.
From Milan Linate airport
If you land at Linate airport, first of all you have to get to Milano Centrale train station (you will find several shuttles, such as Autostradale, outside the airport).
Then, from Milano Centrale you can take another train that will take you to Varenna.
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There are three railway lines that connect Milan and the city of Como:
Milan central station, Milan’s main train station, is where most travelers begin their journey to Como. Two different services operate on this route (travel times, in each case, are about 40 minutes):
- the Regional train is the cheaper option and makes 3 stops (Monza, Seregno and Como Camerlata) before arriving in Como S. Giovanni
- the EuroCity train does not make intermediate stops but has a higher price.
Useful info (price, and more)
Price: €5.20 Regional train, €16 EuroCity
Duration: 39’ Regional train, '37 EuroCity
Tip: if you cannot find your train on the boards, get help from the staff: the arrival could be the Swiss city of Chiasso (in the case of Regional trains) or another foreign destination (especially in the case of EuroCity trains). Also, remember that outside the station you can take buses C10 (to Argegno, Tremezzina or Menaggio, for example) and C30 (to Bellagio, Nesso).
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⇒ Directions to Milano Centrale
⇒ Directions to Como S. Giovanni
The Suburban line S11 operated by Trenord starts from Porta Garibaldi, one of the most dynamic areas of Milan, and gets to Como in one hour.
Como S. Giovanni, your arrival point, is 12 stops from the start of the line.
Once out of the station, you will be just a five minute walk from the most beautiful lake in the world!
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⇒ Directions to Milano Porta Garibaldi
⇒ Directions to Como S. Giovanni
Milano Cadorna is another of the major train stations in Milan.
If you want to get to Como from Milano Cadorna, simply take the train that goes to Como Nord Lago (end of the line) and you’ll be there in one hour.
Once out of the station, Lake Como will be the first thing that you’ll see… and it’s gonna be amazing!
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⇒ Directions to Milano Cadorna
⇒ Directions to Como Nord Lago
Here is how you can reach the city of Como from major airports in the Milan area using public transportation.
Malpensa Express is the fastest way to get to Como. To reach Como from Milan-Malpensa Airport, proceed as follows:
- take the Malpensa Express (departing from both terminals) to Milan and get off at Saronno (after about 20 minutes)
- at Saronno train station, take the train from Milano Cadorna to Como Lago (40 minutes).
The price of the trip including both routes is €11.10 (€8 for Malpensa Express and €3.10 for the Saronno–Como route, operated by Trenord).
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One of the easiest ways to get to Como from Orio al Serio Airport is to first take one of the shuttle services just outside the airport to Milan Central Station (1 hour ride).
Then, from there, take the train to Como S. Giovanni station (40 minutes).
The price of the trip including both routes is €15 (€10 for the shuttle and €5 for the Milan–Como route).
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The easiest way to get to Como from Milan-Linate Airport is to first take one of the shuttle services just outside the airport to Milan Central Station (30-minute ride).
Then, from there, take the train to Como S. Giovanni station (40 minutes).
The price of the trip including both routes is €10 (€5 for the shuttle and €5 for the Milan–Como route).
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This Post Has 28 Comments
Can you please let me know its easy to drive in lake Garda & and Lake Como also is there you can find parking easy and cheap. I really appreciate your help.
Your information was very helpful
Hi Donna! If I were in you, I would avoid moving by car on Lake Como, at least in high season. Roads usually have only one lane and this often causes traffic jams (this is due to the nature of the territory, rich in hills very close to the lakes). But don’t worry, public transportation (bus and boats) will easily take you anywhere you want 🙂 I can tell the same about Lake Garda.
Hi!
We are only spending 2 days in Lake Como. Is it possible to store your suitcase at the train station? If so, what time do they close. We want to be able to drop the bags early and not have to wait for the check in.
Hello Lisa, you can leave your luggage in storages like this. Hope this helps!
Hello! We will be traveling from Milan to Bellagio and are interested in understanding the best way to do this with luggage in tow. Our intention was to take the train to either Como or Varenna and then transfer to Bellagio via every or bus. We will be traveling the first week of October.
We are curious to know:
– what are the chances of there being a long wait to get on a ferry or bus when we arrive to either location?
– is there easy accommodation for luggage on the bus and ferry? Is one easier than the other?
One idea we had was to go through Como and store our luggage and explore the town while we wait for a ferry—are we able to buy same day tickets for a later ferry or bus If we did this? It seems easier than getting stuck waiting on a ferry for several hours in Varenna with luggage in tow.
Appreciate any insight!
Hi David, buses and ferries on Lake Como are usually on time so your wait will not be long. If you carry luggages with you, I would recommend you to take a ferry (in Como or in Varenna, whatever you prefer for your trip) but I invite you to read Navigazione Laghi’s transport and fares condition in the second page of this document. Hope this helps!
Hi, I am visiting Milan with my partner. We were considering renting a car as this seems one of the cheapest ways to get to and from the airport as we are flying into bergamo airport and our air bnb has parking. We want to spend a day visiting lake como but are unsure on a few things. We have seen several full day trips where they pick us up from milan and give us a full tour and bring us back to Milan. We also considered simply driving their or getting their via train and exploring ourselves without a guided tour but we wanted some advice on which would be a better experience.
Any advice is appreciated!
Hello George! In general, I do not recommend using a car, from Bergamo you can easily take one of the many shuttles at the terminal. If you want to visit Lake Como from Milan in one day, I recommend following this nice itinerary that I have detailed on my Instagram channel. I hope it is to your liking!
Hi Alessandro great site! We will be staying in menaggio at the beginning of the season ( March). I had planned to drive from Milan Malpensa airport but as we will be arriving late afternoon on a Friday I’m concerned about it getting dark and haven’t driven in Italy before. I see above we could get two trains to Como city but how would we then get to Menaggio ( brand hotel Victoria). Thanks !
Hello Glenn, thank you! I suggest you reach one of the two Como stations (S. Giovanni or Lago) and, from there, take the C10 bus, which will take you to Menaggio in a little over an hour!
Hi Alessandro, I am planning a road trip with my family and kids and we are traveling from Zürich directly to Lake Como. I read the other comments and see that you don’t recommend getting by car to the lake. What would you recommend in this case? Should we rather use public transport to come to the lake?
Hello Aleksandra, I do not recommend driving around the lake because the roads can be very crowded during the peak season. But a good compromise might be to reach the town of Como by car and then travel from there by public transportation, how about that? 🙂
Hi Alessandro! I followed the tips above to look at a train from Milan airport (Malpensa) to Como- but it didn’t show any. We don’t come until July though- so wondering if it is too far out yet? Thank you!
Hello Crystal, I think maybe Omio has still to update its calendar. But if you check on trenord.it I’m sure you will get results.
Alessandro, We will be traveling to Como from Milan in mid-October. Will the ferries and boats still be running then? I am planning to do the tour you outlined on the opening page. Unfortunately, we will only have one day to spend, but would like to make the best of it.
Hi Anne, yes the ferries will be operating in October 🙂
Great site ! how would you recommend getting from Lake Como (Moltrasio) to Lake Garda?
Hi! 1. Take the C10 bus from Moltrasio to Como S.Giovanni train station, 2. Take the train to Milano Centrale, 3. From Milano Centrale, take the train to Peschiera del Garda – Sirmione
Hi! We’ll be travelling from Malpensa airport to Como in a couple of weeks – how easy is it to buy train tickets at a kiosk at the airport? We are a bit worried about buying tickets online just in case our flight is delayed and we miss the train booked.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Emma, tickets that you purchase via app are valid for several hours after purchase so I recommend, in any case, that you purchase them in advance.
HI!
Were planning to travel to Lake Como this summer!
We hope to stay in Tremezzo. Which route would you recommend taking from Malpensa Airport… Stop in Como Lago St or Como S. Giovanni? Any help is appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Hi! 1. MXP > Saronno, 2. Saronno > Como Lago, 3. Como Lago > Tremezzo (with C10 bus).
Hi Alessandro
Thank you for all the great tips. For traveling from MXP to Lake Como, you say to take the Malpensa Express to Saronno. Then you say something that I need clarification on – you say to take the train “From Milano Cardona to Como Lago”.
From Saronno, is the train to Como Lago passing through Milano Cardona? I know that Milano Cardona is a station, and I know that the Express takes you to Cardona. So am wondering why I need to get off at Saronno.,
Hi Charbel, you are right, I could have been clearer 🙂 I meant to say that with the Malpensa Express you get as far as Saronno, which is an important railway junction where you can take the connection from Milano Cadorna to Como Lago. Let me know if everything is clear now!
Hi Alessandro ,
Great Site, thank you for the efforts.
Which airport wound be easiest to reach Lake Como & Maggiore (MXP or LIN) ?
And for first time visiters , any advices / tips to share ?
Is there a place to store Luggage in Milan for couple of hours to move around the city ?
Thank you so much
Hi Amira, I am not an expert on Lake Maggiore, but as far as Lake Como is concerned I think MXP is the best option (especially if you want to reach the western area). Take a look at this article I wrote about the closest airports to Lake Como. You can find lots of tips on this site, I suggest you start from this page that collects links to pages about towns, villas, beaches, etc. I also made a guide on where to find the best luggage storages in Lake Como and Milan, I hope it helps you!
Hi Alessandro. We are traveling from Milan
Malpensa airport to Como Lago with transfer at Saronno. Can we.buy train tickets from Saronno to Como Lago at the Malpensa train station or we must buy them at Saronno?
We are traveling in September.
Thank you!
Hi, you can buy them everywhere: Trenord app, Omio app, Malpensa train station, Saronno train station, etc.