A Guide to Ferries in Lake Como
On Lake Como, when a ferry pulls into shore, not everyone wants to get off. The boats’ gentle pace encourages passengers to relinquish their when-will-we-get-there mindset and enjoy the proverbial journey. Crossing the lake cures all sorts of ailments, physical as well as mental – my miserable cold evaporated somewhere between Varenna and Bellagio.
Como’s ferry system can seem daunting from afar: forums abound with confused travelers trying to plan ahead, while guidebooks suggest asking hotel concierges to decipher complicated schedules. On the ground, we discovered a mostly-manageable network which usually functions smoothly without too many quirks. Over multiple days of boat-hopping, our main concerns were avoiding congestion in Bellagio and Varenna, as well as dealing with some weather-related glitches. In this post, we share how to navigate Lake Como’s ferries with minimum effort and maximum enjoyment.
Getting to the Mid-Lake Area: Varenna By Train, Como to Bellagio By Ferry
Types of Ferries: Batello & Traghetto
Mid-Lake Como Ferry Destinations: Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio, Tremezzo & Environs, Lenno
Orientation: Mid-Lake Como
Many of Lake Como’s storied resorts and historic gardens cluster in the lake’s center, at the convergence of three angled avenues of sparkling sapphire. This is the most famous part of the lake, and the most convenient for short stays. The main mid-lake hubs for ferries and sightseeing form a triangle, with Varenna on the eastern shore, Menaggio on the western side, and Bellagio on the tip of land splitting the southern lake into two branches. We’ve marked specific piers and major sights on our Google map.
Getting to the Mid-Lake Area
Varenna By Train
Varenna-Esino is the most convenient train station in the central lake area. Over a dozen direct trains to Milan depart daily, taking about 90 minutes. The tiny station lies about five minutes’ walk inland from the ferry piers. It tends to get mobbed from June through September, especially on weekends.
As an alternative, the town of Bellano is less than 5 km from Varenna and also has a train station within walking distance of the ferry terminal. Although the pier doesn’t see as many departures as Varenna, it’s an easy way to avoid the crush.
UPDATE: Please note there is maintenance scheduled on the line between Lecco and Colico, which includes Varenna and Bellano. From June 15-September 14, October 17-19, and November 14-16, replacement buses will be provided in Lecco. Passengers with luggage can store bags in the bays below the bus. For more information, see the Trenord website. Alternatively, additional ferries have been added to Lecco-Bellagio route; the new schedule is posted here.
Como to Bellagio By Ferry
The town of Como has over 50 daily trains to Milan, with an average duration of about 50 minutes. Rapid-service hydrofoils to the mid-lake take about 45 minutes while regular ferries take 2 to 2 1/2 hours. While the Como Nord Lago station lies closest to the ferries, the San Giovanni station is also within walking distance. On the lake’s eastern leg, Lecco also has frequent trains to Milan, but ferry service to Bellagio normally runs less often. However, extra ferries have been added for 2025’s summer season; the new schedule is posted here.
Fast hydrofoil ferries, referred to as Servizio Rapido con Pagamento di Supplemento or aliscafo, make limited stops. The (pricier) tickets can be purchased only at ticket offices and sell out first thing in the morning in warmer months.
A word of caution: taking the ferry between Como Town and the central lake has become increasingly challenging. Even slow ferries sold out occasionally during 2024’s high season, forcing travelers to scramble for overcrowded buses or pay for very expensive taxi rides.
Ferry Tickets and Passes
Navigazione Laghi operates ferries for Lake Como. One-way and round-trip tickets are priced according to the distance traveled; round-trip fares do not provide a discount. A typical fare, such as Varenna to Bellagio one-way, costs €4-5.
We appreciated the convenience of using an all-day pass with unlimited rides. Day passes, referred to as “Free Circulation Tickets”, allow passengers to bypass ticket lines. The €15 Centro Lago pass covers the mid-lake area. A €20 pass expands the zone of coverage from Bellano to Argegno, while the €25 pass goes all the way down to Como Town.
Currently, both tickets and day passes can only be purchased at ticket offices (on the website, they are always marked “sold out”).
To avoid extremely long lines in Varenna and Bellagio we recommend getting to ticket offices as they open, usually around 7:30 a.m.
Types of Ferries: Batello and Traghetto
Passengers can choose from two types of ferries to get around the central lake. Corse Battello refers to an ordinary passenger ferry. Traghetto means a vehicle + passenger ferry running between Bellagio, Menaggio, Varenna, and Cadenabbia. Car ferries operate from separate piers with separate timetables, and tend to load/unload more quickly than passenger ferries.
Ferry Schedules
In high season (early June to early November) regular ferries depart about every hour, and car ferries generally leave every 30 minutes. Unscheduled boats may be added in the summertime to accommodate heavy traffic. Some ferries run from about 6 in the morning to 11 or 12 at night, but others may not start until 9 and finish closer to 8 – so always check specific timetables for each destination. Routes operate on a reduced schedule during winter months and may be canceled in poor weather.
The simplest way to find ferry departures is to use the electronic signs at each terminal. For those who prefer to plan ahead, Navigazione Laghi provides the only reliable – albeit cumbersome – set of ferry timetables. (Visitors attempting to use third-party services such as Rome2Rio have reported inaccuracies.) Several sets of schedules cover the mid-lake area. Timetables for passenger-only ferries between Como Town and Colico combine routes running daily (Giornali), weekdays and Saturdays only (Feriali), and on Sundays/holidays (Festivali). Car ferry routes have separate timetables for Monday-Saturday and Sunday/holidays. Because shuffling between multiple PDF schedules with tiny print on a phone is awkward, we recommend picking up a paper copy at the ticket office.
Ferries operate roughly on schedule but delays are not uncommon, especially during peak hours. It’s a good idea to check weather forecasts and ask around about possible cancellations. Unfortunately, the system is not well equipped to communicate schedule changes, as we learned on an unusually gusty afternoon when multiple routes were canceled.
Varenna to Bellagio Ferry
All ferry routes in the mid-lake include the triangle of Varenna, Bellagio, and Menaggio, but the order of stops varies. After trying unsuccessfully to decipher the pattern, we simply accepted that a Varenna-Bellagio ferry might stop in Menaggio en route. A direct crossing between any two of these hubs takes about 15 minutes, plus extra time for loading and unloading. Varenna-Bellagio ferry terminals are always crowded; we saw throngs of people waiting at these stops from morning through evening. We recommend avoiding the last ferry of the day at these hubs.
Mid-Lake Como Ferry Destinations
Ferries to Varenna
Varenna’s tiny train station provides access to Milan and points further south, making this a popular starting point for day trips to the lake. The train station, like the ferry terminal, can get extremely congested. On the lake, piers for passenger-only and car ferries lie within view of one another, and people tend to queue up for whichever boat leaves first.
The village proper is about five minutes’ walk down from the ferry terminal, via a waterfront promenade or an upper-level road. Tiered medieval streets circle the colorful fishing harbor, while the Villa Monastero gardens line the southern shore.
Ferries to Bellagio
At the geographical center of the lake, Bellagio sees the most ferry and tourist traffic. Ferries run in all directions, including a line to Lecco and the eastern leg of the lake. This necessitates multiple piers, and the vehicular ferry area lies a few minutes’ walk away from the passenger-only lines. Bellagio’s central shopping and dining area starts right at the ferry terminal, while a lakeside walk leads west to the nearby Melzi Gardens.
To avoid the crowds in high season, consider using the pier in nearby San Giovanni instead of the terminal in central Bellagio.
Ferries to Menaggio
Passenger-only and car ferries leave from the same spot in Menaggio, about five minutes’ walk below the start of the town’s scenic promenade. Menaggio is big enough for a good range of hotels and restaurants, but the atmosphere is more low-key than Bellagio or Varenna. We found refuge from the masses of day-trippers here, with no lines for the ferry and plenty of sunny spots to enjoy a leisurely lunch.
Ferries to Tremezzo & Environs
Tremezzina refers to the stretch of shore between Tremezzo and Lenno, considered by many to be the most scenic part of Lake Como. The 10 km Greenway Trail winds between villages and hamlets along the water, while multiple hiking trails crisscross the slopes.
The classic resort settlement of Tremezzo anchors the area. Its grand old-school hotels have hosted the likes of Queen Victoria and Giuseppe Verdi. To the north, car ferries stop at the town of Cadenabbia. At the Villa Carlotta passenger-ferry stop, a pair of mammoth plane trees echo the ones in the nearby garden – and with one of the most spectacular views of the lake, the ferry waiting area is itself worth a trip.
Ferries to Lenno
Most visitors go to Lenno because of its proximity to the Villa del Balbianello and its cinematic gardens. Passenger ferries stop near the village’s sheltered cove. (Car ferries do not run to Lenno.) For more information, see our post A Guide to Lenno, Lake Como’s Most Idyllic Town.
Resources and Further Reading
The website mylakecomo.co has information about walks and hikes around Lake Como.
For more on Lake Como, see our posts:
A Guide to Lake Como’s Most Beautiful Towns
Lake Como’s Most Extraordinary Gardens
A Guide Lake Como’s Greenway Trail
A Guide to Lenno, Lake Como’s Most Idyllic Town
For more on the region, see our posts: