Boat trips on Lake Como

Leisure on Lake Como - Tours by boat or ship across the lake

There are many ways to discover Lake Como. Simply leave the car behind and take one of the many ferries, boats or ships and set off on one of the many boat trips on Lake Como. The lake is often even more beautiful from the water. It is also sometimes more practical to travel without a car, as parking spaces can be difficult to find.

You can easily discover every corner of Lake Como on boat trips.

There are many picturesque villages along the lakeshore, each of which is worth a visit. Menaggio, Cadenabbia, Bellagio or Varenna are almost a must for every Lake Como holidaymaker. It is simply fun to stroll through the historic town centres and explore the winding alleyways or enjoy a cappuccino on the harbour promenade.

For a fashion shopping spree, take a detour to Como or Lecco. There are beautiful pedestrian zones in the historic old towns with nice little shops and cafés. (Most shops are closed at lunchtime between 12.30 and 15.00!)

Our tip: Take the boat trips around Lake Como without a car. This often costs much less and also saves on possible parking fees at the arrival point.

Passenger and ferry ships

Ferries or passenger ships call at almost any of the charming resorts. Viewed from the seaside, you get a completely different impression of the unique lake and mountain landscape. And within these resorts, you rarely need a car. Much can be reached on foot, and parking spaces are often in short supply.

With car ferries, it’s best to ask beforehand if you can only travel as a passenger without a car, as this is not allowed on all trips. The hydrofoils Aliscafo or “Servizio Rapido” provide a fast connection.

However, they only dock at a few places:

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

From the Como end of the lake to the Colico end of the lake it only takes about 1.5 hours. The fare depends on the length of the route and ranges from about Euro 3.00 to € 13.90 per person for a one-way trip.

In addition, there are the passenger ships Battelli. They dock at many other places, including smaller ones. On some routes, the ships are also equipped with a restaurant or bar. Here, a one-way trip costs between about €1.90 and about €10.00, depending on the line. Children up to the age of 4 travel free of charge, between the ages of 4 and 11 there is a 50% discount. Group discounts are available for groups of 25 or more. From the age of 65 you get a discount of about 20%. There are other packages that are best requested directly, e.g. day tickets in combination with free villa admission.

The “Crociere Turistiche” depart from Bellagio, Lecco and Como and take you to the most beautiful spots on the lake. With the “Crociere sul Lago” you can spend the whole day on the boat with a ristorante and bar.

There is also currently an interesting package “Como-Lugano”, which connects Lake Como with Lake Lugano. You go via Menaggio, then by bus to Porlezza, where you continue by boat to the famous Campione d’Italia (with the popular casino). Departures are from Como, Lugano, Campione d’Italia, Menaggio, Bellagio, Tremezzo and Lenno. From 25 persons, 1 person travels free of charge. You only need 1 ticket for the whole tour with bus, cable car, historic boats. Food is also available. There is multilingual information at the counters.

The car ferries Autotraghetto connect the lakeside towns of Varenna, Menaggio, Bellagio and Cadenabbia. Departure times are usually at least once an hour. Departure times are usually at least once an hour. In the evening hours, make sure you don’t miss the last ferry! Text editor In the evening hours, make sure you don’t miss the last ferry!

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

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

Tickets for boat trips on Lake Como are generally purchased at the harbour at the landing stage. However, the ticket offices are not always manned. If a ticket is purchased on board even though it would have been possible to purchase a ticket at the ticket counter at the time of departure, a surcharge will be levied. The staff usually comes to collect the money shortly before the boat docks.