Excursion tips

Leisure time on Lake Como – tours by boat or ship across the lake

There are many ways to discover Lake Como. Leave your car behind and take one of the numerous ferries, boats, or ships for a scenic boat trip. The lake is often even more beautiful from the water. It’s also sometimes simply more convenient to travel without a car, as parking can be difficult to find.

On boat trips around Lake Como, you can easily discover every corner of the lake.

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Along the lakeshore, you’ll find numerous picturesque towns, each worth a visit. Menaggio, Cadenabbia, Bellagio, and Varenna are practically must-sees for every Lake Como vacationer. It’s simply a pleasure to stroll through the historic town centers, explore the winding alleyways, or enjoy a cappuccino on the harbor promenade.

For a fashion shopping spree, a trip to Como or Lecco is recommended. Both cities have beautiful pedestrian zones in their historic old towns with charming little shops and cafes. (Most shops are closed for lunch between 12:30 and 3:00 pm!)

Our tip: Take boat trips on Lake Como without a car. This often costs significantly less and also saves you potential parking fees at your arrival point.

The passenger and ferry ships

The ferries and passenger ships serve almost every one of the charming holiday resorts. Viewed from the sea, one gains entirely different impressions of the unique lake and mountain landscape. And within these resorts, a car is rarely necessary. Many places are easily accessible on foot, and parking spaces are often scarce.

It’s best to check in advance whether you can travel as a passenger without a car on the car ferries, as this isn’t permitted on all crossings. For a faster connection, the hydrofoils Aliscafo and Servizio Rapido are available.

However, they only dock at a few landing stages:

Colico
Piona
Domaso
Gravedona
Dongo
Bellano
Varenna
Menaggio
Bellagio
Tremezzo
Lenno
Lezzeno
Argegno
Moltrasio
Como or Limonta
Vassena
Onno
Mandello Lario
Abbadia Lario
Lecco

The journey from Lake Como to Lake Colico takes only about 1.5 hours. The fare depends on the distance and ranges from approximately €3.00 to €13.90 per person for a one-way trip.

In addition, there are the Battelli passenger ships. They stop at many other, even smaller, locations. On some routes, the ships are also equipped with a restaurant or bar. A one-way trip costs between approximately €1.90 and €10.00, depending on the route. Children up to the age of 4 travel free, and children between 4 and 11 years old receive a discount of approximately 50%. Group discounts are available for 25 or more people. Those aged 65 and over receive a discount of approximately 20%. There are also other packages available, which you should inquire about directly, such as day tickets combined with free villa admission.

The “Crociere Turistiche” depart from Bellagio, Lecco, and Como, taking you to the most beautiful spots on the lake. With the “Crociere sul Lago,” you can spend the whole day on board, enjoying the restaurant and bar.

Furthermore, there is currently an interesting “Como-Lugano” package that connects Lake Como and Lake Lugano. The journey takes you via Menaggio, then by bus to Porlezza, where you continue by boat to the famous Campione d’Italia (with its popular casino). Departures are from Como, Lugano, Campione d’Italia, Menaggio, Bellagio, Tremezzo, and Lenno. For groups of 25 or more, one person travels free. You only need one ticket for the entire tour, including bus, cable car, and historic boats. Food is also available. Multilingual information is available at the ticket counters.

The car ferries Autotraghetto connect the lakeside towns of Varenna, Menaggio, Bellagio, and Cadenabbia. These ferries can also be used without a car, and bicycles are permitted. Departures are generally at least once an hour. In the evenings, be sure to pay attention so you don’t miss the last ferry!

Prices depend on the car length and number of passengers and range from €6.80 to €11.40 one way. A season ticket for the lake triangle (Varenna, Menaggio, Cadenabbia, Bellagio) is also available for €33 per person. A 10-trip ticket for taking a bicycle (only possible on car ferries!) costs €7.

Where can I buy tickets for a boat trip across Lake Como?

Tickets for boat trips on Lake Como are generally purchased at the harbor, at the dock. However, the ticket counters are not always staffed. If a ticket is purchased on board when it would have been possible to buy one at the counter before departure, a surcharge will be added. The staff usually come to collect payment shortly before the boat docks.