The first thing worth saying about Lake Como is that getting there is easier than most people fear, and harder to overthink than the guidebooks suggest. Nearly every journey begins in Milan, and from Milan the train is almost always the smartest way in. I have arrived by rail more times than I can count, in every season, and I have never once wished I had brought a car. What trips people up is rarely the train itself. It is the small confusion of which station to leave from, which station to arrive at, and which town those choices deliver you to. So let me lay it out plainly, the way I would explain it to a friend over coffee before they set off.
Arriving from Milan by train
Most travelers land in Milan first, whether by air or by the long-distance trains that pour into the city from Rome, Turin, Zurich and beyond. From central Milan, trains for the lake leave all day, and the two you are most likely to want both depart from Milano Centrale, the grand cathedral of a station in the northeast of the city.
If your destination is the city of Como itself, take the direct service to Como San Giovanni. It runs roughly hourly, takes about forty minutes, and costs somewhere in the band of five to eight euros in second class. This is the fast main-line option, and it is the one I reach for when Como town is where I am headed.
If you are aiming for the central lake, which for most first-time visitors means Bellagio, Varenna or Menaggio, your train is the regional service that runs from Milano Centrale up the eastern shore toward Lecco, Sondrio and Tirano. You want the stop called Varenna-Esino. The journey is a little over an hour, around sixty-four minutes, again roughly hourly, and the fare sits somewhere near seven to ten euros. One quiet word of caution: some of the Tirano-line trains do not stop at Varenna, so check the timetable for your exact departure rather than assuming every train pauses there. It takes ten seconds and saves an hour.
Varenna, the best rail gateway to the central lake
I will say it plainly, because it saves so much bother: Varenna is the single best station for reaching the heart of the lake by train. You step off onto the platform, walk a short way downhill, and the ferry dock is right there waiting. From that dock the boats fan out to Bellagio, Menaggio and the villages between them, so Varenna is less a destination than a hinge. Even if you are staying elsewhere on the central lake, this is very often the doorway you pass through.
Once you have arrived, the water itself becomes your transport, and it is a joy rather than a chore. I have written separately about getting around Lake Como by boat, because the ferry network deserves a guide of its own, but the short version is that the boats connect everything you will want to see, and they do it with a view no road can offer.
The two Como stations, and the mistake everyone nearly makes
Here is the detail that catches almost everyone at least once. The city of Como has two railway stations, and they are not interchangeable.
The first is Como San Giovanni. This is the main-line station, served by the fast direct trains from Milano Centrale I mentioned above, about forty minutes away. It sits up the hill, and reaching the ferry piers on the lakefront means a walk of around fifteen minutes, gently downhill on the way there and rather less gently uphill on the way back.
The second is Como Nord Lago, sometimes shown as Como Lago. This is the terminus of a slower line that runs not from Milano Centrale but from Milano Cadorna, a different Milan station altogether, and the trip takes closer to an hour. Its redeeming quality is location. Como Nord Lago sits right on the lakefront, a few steps from the boats, so you arrive at the water rather than above it.
The choice comes down to what you are optimizing for. Take San Giovanni when you want speed from Milano Centrale, which is where most long-distance arrivals deposit you. Choose Nord Lago when you are already near Cadorna and would rather land at the water than climb down to it. Neither is wrong. They simply serve different priorities, and knowing which is which before you buy a ticket spares you the small panic of watching your train pull toward the wrong side of town.
From the airports
None of Milan’s three airports has a direct train to the lake, so every airport arrival involves a change. This is worth planning before you land, tired and lugging a suitcase.
From Malpensa, which is where most long-haul flights come in, you have two sensible routes. Either take the Malpensa Express into Milan and connect there to a regional train for the lake, or arrange a private transfer straight to your town. A car transfer to Como runs roughly one hundred and twenty to one hundred and sixty euros, more if you are going all the way to Bellagio, and it is priced per car rather than per head, which makes it far more reasonable for a family or a small group than it first sounds.
From Linate, the compact city airport, the pattern is similar: a bus or taxi into central Milan and then a train onward, or a private transfer if you would rather not change.
From Bergamo Orio al Serio, the low-cost hub, a private transfer takes roughly one to one and a half hours. If you prefer to travel by public transport you can connect through Bergamo, Milan or Lecco, though it takes patience and at least one change.
Lecco, the useful side door
If you are heading for the eastern arm of the lake, the Lecco branch, consider arriving at Lecco itself. It sits on the very same Milan to Tirano line as Varenna, so the train is no trouble to find, and from Lecco the ASF D10 bus runs to Bellagio in about fifty minutes along the shore road. It is a handsome ride, and for certain towns on the eastern branch it is genuinely the quickest way in. When you are still deciding which shore suits you, my notes on the best towns on Lake Como may help you settle the question before you book.
The honest case against driving
I promised in my hub to explain why I steer people away from cars, so here it is without hedging. The roads around Lake Como are narrow, winding and frequently clogged, hemmed between the mountainside and the water with little room to pass. Parking in the villages you most want to visit, Bellagio and Varenna above all, is scarce and expensive, and the search for a space can swallow an hour of a day you meant to spend by the water. A car does not open the lake up. It ties you down. Arrive by rail, let the ferries carry you between the towns, and the whole place unknots itself. Where you base yourself matters more than how you drive, which is why I go into it properly in my guide to where to stay in Lake Como.
For the fuller picture of planning a visit, from seasons to itineraries, this article sits inside my complete guide to Lake Como, which I would read alongside this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which station should I use for Lake Como?
For the city of Como, use Como San Giovanni, reached by the fast direct train from Milano Centrale in about forty minutes. For the central lake and the villages of Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio, use Varenna-Esino, which puts you a short downhill walk from the ferry dock. Varenna is my default gateway to the heart of the lake.
Do I need to rent a car?
No, and I would gently advise against it. The roads are narrow and busy, parking in the popular towns is scarce and costly, and the ferries connect everywhere you will want to go. A car is a liability here rather than a convenience.
What is the easiest way from Milan?
Take a train from Milano Centrale. For Como town it is the direct service to Como San Giovanni, around forty minutes. For the central lake it is the regional train toward Lecco and Tirano, getting off at Varenna-Esino, a little over an hour. Both run about hourly.
How do I get to Lake Como from Malpensa airport?
There is no direct train. Take the Malpensa Express into Milan and connect to a regional train for the lake, or book a private transfer, which runs roughly one hundred and twenty to one hundred and sixty euros to Como and is priced per car rather than per person.
Is Varenna better than Como for arriving?
It depends on where you are staying. Varenna is the better rail gateway to the central lake because you land steps from the ferries that reach Bellagio and Menaggio. Como is the right choice if the city of Como itself is your destination.
