Things to Do Around Lake Como

Lake Como has got a bit of a rep for being ritzy and expensive, but I found it isn't just for folks like George Clooney and there are actually lots of things to do around Lake Como for people like you and me.

How to Get To Lake Como

We flew from London Gatwick into Milan Linate on Easyjet and then hopped on a quick 30-minute train to Como town. The flights to Linate are always very reasonably priced and the train cost us only €4.80.

Where to Stay in Lake Como

We omitted pricey hotel rooms by booking a lovely apartment overlooking Como town and the lake on AirBnB, which only cost us £246 for 3 nights. 

What to Do in Lake Como

We started by exploring Como town and wandered around its cobblestoned streets and tucked away squares. Browsed the shops, peeped into the numerous churches and the Duomo, and went up the cable car for bird's eye views of the area. 

There are lots of other pretty lakeside towns to visit and we hopped on the ferry to Varenna and spent an afternoon there. We walked around the steep alleys and visited the gardens of the Villa Monastero.

The next day we took a bus to Bellagio, which was slightly more touristy than Varenna. It was chucking it down so we decided to spent some time tasting local wine at a wine shop called Aperitivo et Al. When the weather cleared up slightly, we headed to the gardens of the Villa Melzi.

Where to Eat in Como

Eating shouldn't have to be expensive either and we had lovely food for reasonable prices. We enjoyed sun-downers at Lago and later went back there for food, which got four thumbs up. 

The following evening we headed to Vintage Jazz Food and Wine. It was not really our first choice, but this place turned out to be the hot spot of Como Town on a Saturday night.

The last evening was the rainy one and we had dinner at cosy Ristaurante Sociale, which has a homey fireplace and serves good and inexpensive food.