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In this guide12 sections
- The short answer
- Lake Como’s hotel tax
- Getting to the lake, and around
- Como: the easiest base from Milan
- Bellagio: where the lake’s two branches meet
- Varenna: the train and the ferry in one village
- Menaggio: the western shore’s ferry hub
- Tremezzina: villas and gardens on the quieter shore
- How to book Lake Como
- All 12 at a glance
- Before you go
- Frequently asked questions
On Lake Como the hotel bill depends on which shore you pick, because each town sets its own tax. Como charges €5 a person a night at a four-star hotel, Bellagio €4 and Varenna €4, and the rest of the cost is time: only Como, Varenna and Lecco have trains, and every other base on the lake is a ferry ride away.
This guide covers five bases, Como, Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Tremezzina, 12 hotels, the trains and ferries that connect them and the local taxes we could confirm. The hotels are researched picks, chosen for location, what each property publishes and consistent guest feedback, and each was checked as operating in early November 2026. No hotel pays to appear here.
The short answer
| If you want… | Stay in | Why |
|---|---|---|
| the easiest arrival from Milan | Como | A direct train from Milano Centrale in about 40 minutes, and a lakefront with the cathedral and the ferry piers |
| the lake at the door for a first trip | Bellagio | At the point where the lake’s two branches meet, with ferries to the other central-lake towns |
| a village by the train and the ferry | Varenna | Milano Centrale in 64 minutes by train, then the central-lake ferries |
| the western shore with its own ferry hub | Menaggio | Faces Bellagio across the water, with ferries to Varenna and Bellagio |
| villas and gardens on the quieter shore | Tremezzina (Tremezzo and Lenno) | A string of lake villages with their own piers, south of Menaggio |
Lake Como’s hotel tax
Italy’s imposta di soggiorno is set by each comune, so the amount changes as you cross the lake. These are the rates we confirmed on the official pages of three of the five bases, per person per night:
| Hotel category | Como | Bellagio | Varenna |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five-star | €5.00 | €5.00 | €5.00 |
| Four-star | €5.00 | €4.00 | €4.00 |
| Three-star | €4.00 | €3.00 | €3.00 |
| Two-star | €3.00 | €2.00 | €2.80 (one and two stars) |
| One-star | €3.00 | €1.00 | €2.80 (one and two stars) |
| Holiday flats and other non-hotel lodgings | €3.00 | €3.00 (€5.00 for prestige villas) | €3.00 |
| Nights charged | the first 4 consecutive nights | the first 7 consecutive nights | the first 7 consecutive nights |
| Months charged | not stated on the sheet | 1 March to 30 November | 1 January to 31 December |
- Como published these rates from 1 January 2024.
- Bellagio published its rates in a Giunta resolution that applies from 1 January 2024 and charges them only from 1 March to 30 November each year, so a winter stay there carries no tax. The town says children up to and including the age of 11 are exempt.
- Varenna says children under seven are exempt.
- Menaggio and Tremezzina publish their own sheets on their comune websites, and we could not open them in time. Ask the hotel for the per-night amount when you book; it is collected at the hotel.
A worked example, our arithmetic from the published rates: two adults in a four-star hotel for three nights pay €30 in Como (€5 × 2 × 3), €24 in Bellagio (€4 × 2 × 3) and €24 in Varenna. The tax is usually paid at the hotel and is not part of the room rate you see online.
Getting to the lake, and around
- Milan to Como by train: Trenord runs direct trains from Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni in about 40 minutes, with a train every hour. From Milano Cadorna, Trenord trains reach Como Lago in about 60 minutes, every 60 minutes.
- Milan to Varenna and Lecco: Trenord trains run from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino in about 64 minutes, without changes and about every hour, and to Lecco in about 40 minutes.
- From Malpensa: the Malpensa Express runs to Milano Centrale in 51 minutes and to Milano Cadorna in 37 minutes for €15 one way (the same service our Milan guide describes); from Centrale, take the Como or Varenna train. Trenord also runs Malpensa T1 to Saronno in about 20 minutes, every 30 minutes, for €8; check the Trenord journey planner for the onward connection.
- From Linate: the M4 metro line takes 12 minutes to central Milan on a €2.20 ticket, then use the same trains from Centrale.
- Ferries: Navigazione Lago di Como sells fares by the number of zones travelled, valid from 1 April 2026. Between the central-lake towns of Bellagio, Menaggio, Varenna and Cadenabbia the journey is three zones, €5.50 for a single adult ticket. From Como, Bellagio, Menaggio and Tremezzo are six zones (€12.00) and Varenna is seven (€13.50). Rapid-service boats add a supplement of €5.00 for six zones and €5.50 for seven.
- Car ferries run only between Cadenabbia, Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna. A car up to 3.50 metres long costs €4.60 for the vehicle, or €10.10 with the driver.
Como: the easiest base from Milan
Como is the lake’s one proper city: a walkable centre, the cathedral, a lakeside promenade and the funicular to Brunate, with the ferry piers on the waterfront. It is also the only base reached by a direct train from Milano Centrale in about 40 minutes, which suits a short stay or an early flight.
Where to stay in Como
How the hotel links work: a hotel’s name goes to its own website. “Check rates” opens it on Booking.com through our partner Stay22, which pays us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
- Palace Hotel, comfortable. A late 19th-century Liberty-style building between the city centre and the lake, with the Antica Darsena restaurant and a short walk to the funicular to Brunate. Choose it for the lakeside promenade, with the cathedral nearby. Watch out: the building has two adjoining sections, so ask which one your room is in. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Hotel Metropole Suisse, comfortable. On Piazza Cavour, the main square, at the entrance to the historic centre and overlooking the lake, run by the Cassani family for four generations, with 70 rooms and a façade by the architect Giuseppe Terragni. Choose it for the square and the lake views. Watch out: most, not all, of the rooms have been recently refurbished, so ask for a refurbished one. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Albergo Firenze, budget. A three-star hotel on Piazza Volta in a neoclassical building, with 44 rooms from singles to triples, breakfast buffet included in the room price and a 24-hour reception. Choose it for a low price within walking distance of the Como San Giovanni and FerrovieNord stations. Watch out: the square is a restricted-traffic area, and some rooms overlook the piazza; the hotel says others face the interior garden and courtyard. Check rates on Booking.com →
Bellagio: where the lake’s two branches meet
Bellagio sits on the tip of the promontory that divides the lake into its two southern branches, with steep lanes, a lakeside promenade and the central-lake ferries. It has no railway station, so you arrive by ferry from Como, Varenna or Menaggio. Two of the three hotels below are in the old town; the third is a family house with a garden.
Where to stay in Bellagio
- Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, splurge. A neoclassical villa on Via Roma that calls itself the only 5-star luxury hotel in Bellagio, with rooms that each differ and live piano music in the evenings. Choose it for the grand-hotel experience in the town itself. Watch out: price, and the hotel describes April to November as the season for its lounges and gardens, so confirm winter dates. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Belvedere Bellagio, splurge. On Via Valassina, cared for by five generations of the Martinelli-Manoni family since 1880, with an acre of private tiered lawn and a spa with a steam bath and a salt room. Choose it for a garden and quiet. Watch out: it is a family house with grounds rather than a harbour-front hotel, so check the walk to the ferry pier before booking. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Hotel Florence, good value. A three-star hotel on Piazza Mazzini, run by one family since 1864, with a 24-hour front desk and rooms with town or lake views. Choose it for the old town and the harbour at the door. Watch out: the hotel calls municipal parking very limited, with the first available car park 600 metres away. It also looks seasonal: its site carried a reopening banner and Booking.com showed no reservations when we checked on 4 November, so confirm opening dates. Check rates on Booking.com →
Varenna: the train and the ferry in one village
Varenna is a small village of narrow lanes and a waterfront piazza on the eastern shore. It is one of the lake towns reached by a direct train, 64 minutes from Milano Centrale, and the Navigazione Lago di Como ferries run from there to Bellagio and Menaggio for the three-zone fare. The tax is €5 at a five-star hotel.
Where to stay in Varenna
- Hotel Royal Victoria, comfortable. A 19th-century hotel on Piazza San Giorgio, Varenna’s main square, with 45 rooms and a pool; it is part of the R Collection group. Choose it for the square. Watch out: Booking.com lists the pool as open from May to September, so check it if you visit in the shoulder months. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Albergo Milano, good value. On Via XX Settembre, with rooms in the main building and in three annexes, Casa Rossa, Casa 3 Archi and Casa Gialla, breakfast from 8 to 10 in the restaurant and on the terrace, and a restaurant closed on Tuesdays. Choose it for a lower price in the village centre. Watch out: Casa 3 Archi and Casa Gialla have portable fans rather than air conditioning, and Booking.com says the main building and reception close from November to March, so confirm dates. Check rates on Booking.com →
Menaggio: the western shore’s ferry hub
Menaggio faces Bellagio across the water and has ferries to Varenna, Bellagio and Cadenabbia, plus the car ferry that links the central-lake towns. It has no railway station, which makes it a good base for walkers and drivers and a slower one for a short train trip. We could not open Menaggio’s tax sheet, so check the nightly amount with the hotel.
Where to stay in Menaggio
- Grand Hotel Victoria, splurge. A five-star hotel on Via B. Castelli in two buildings, one restored and historic and one modern, with king-size beds, balconies, a pool and a Victoria Beach Club. Choose it for a spa and lake views. Watch out: price, and the two buildings are joined by a covered corridor, so ask which one your room is in. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Grand Hotel Menaggio, comfortable. On Via IV Novembre, facing the lake with Bellagio opposite, at the point where the lake’s two branches meet, with the La Veranda restaurant and a pool. Choose it for the view across to Bellagio. Watch out: some guest reviews on Booking.com call the rooms and bathrooms dated. Check rates on Booking.com →
Tremezzina: villas and gardens on the quieter shore
South of Menaggio the western shore turns to a run of villages with their own ferry piers. Tremezzina is the comune that includes Tremezzo, with Villa Carlotta and its gardens, and Lenno, on a bay that the hotel calls the Gulf of Venus. Both hotels below look over the lake. As in Menaggio, we could not open the comune’s tax sheet, so ask the hotel for the amount.
Where to stay in Tremezzina
- Grand Hotel Tremezzo, splurge. A five-star Belle Epoque hotel with lawns and botanical gardens and a sister villa, Villa Sola Cabiati, with six suites, reached by car or boat. Choose it for a classic grand hotel on the water. Watch out: price. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Albergo Lenno, comfortable. A four-star hotel on Via Lomazzi in Lenno, a few steps from the Lenno pier, with 46 rooms and five apartments in an annex. Choose it for a ferry stop at the door at a lower price than the grand hotels. Watch out: guest reviews on Booking.com note that some rooms have no lake view, so ask for one. Check rates on Booking.com →
How to book Lake Como
- Count the tax. Add the nightly amount for each adult: in a four-star hotel, €5 in Como or €4 in Bellagio and Varenna, per person per night, and none in Bellagio from December to February.
- Watch the season. Many lake hotels are seasonal: Villa Serbelloni describes April to November as its season, and Hotel Florence in Bellagio and Albergo Milano in Varenna were not taking reservations on Booking.com when we checked in early November. Check opening dates for any visit between November and March.
- Count the ferry. Book a base in the central-lake triangle if you will move between towns daily: Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna are €5.50 apart, against €12.00 from Como to Bellagio.
- Ask about parking. Hotel Florence says municipal parking in Bellagio is very limited, and only the central-lake ferries take cars.
- Compare totals. Hotel booking sites compared goes through where to book, and hotel taxes around the world puts the Italian rates in context.
All 12 at a glance
| Hotel | Area | Tier | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palace Hotel | Como | Comfortable | The promenade and the cathedral | Two sections to the building |
| Hotel Metropole Suisse | Como | Comfortable | The main square and the lake | Not every room refurbished |
| Albergo Firenze | Como | Budget | A low price by the stations | Piazza-facing rooms |
| Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni | Bellagio | Splurge | The grand-hotel experience | Price and winter dates |
| Belvedere Bellagio | Bellagio | Splurge | A garden and quiet | Not on the harbour |
| Hotel Florence | Bellagio | Good value | The old town and the harbour | Parking and winter dates |
| Hotel Royal Victoria | Varenna | Comfortable | The main square | Seasonal pool |
| Albergo Milano | Varenna | Good value | A lower price in the village | Fans in two annexes, winter dates |
| Grand Hotel Victoria | Menaggio | Splurge | A spa and lake views | Price and two buildings |
| Grand Hotel Menaggio | Menaggio | Comfortable | The view across to Bellagio | Dated rooms in some reviews |
| Grand Hotel Tremezzo | Tremezzina | Splurge | A classic grand hotel | Price |
| Albergo Lenno | Tremezzina | Comfortable | A ferry stop at the door | Some rooms without a lake view |
Before you go
- Before you fly, sort out mobile data (the best eSIM for Europe) and cover (the best travel insurance). If you are staying in Milan first, see where to stay in Milan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best base on Lake Como for a first trip?
Bellagio if you want the lake at the door, at the point where the lake's two branches meet, with ferries to Menaggio and Varenna. Choose Como for the easiest arrival, a direct train from Milano Centrale in about 40 minutes, and Varenna for a village with a train 64 minutes from Centrale and the central-lake ferries.
How much is the hotel tax on Lake Como?
It is set by each town. In a four-star hotel it is €5 a person a night in Como and €4 in Bellagio and Varenna; at a five-star hotel it is €5 in all three. Como charges the first 4 consecutive nights, and Bellagio and Varenna the first 7. We could not open the sheets for Menaggio and Tremezzina, so ask the hotel.
Do you pay the tourist tax in Bellagio in winter?
Not under the published rates: Bellagio's resolution applies its tax only from 1 March to 30 November each year. Children up to and including the age of 11 are exempt.
How do you get from Milan to Lake Como by train?
Trenord runs direct trains from Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni in about 40 minutes, every hour, and to Varenna-Esino in about 64 minutes, about every hour. From Milano Cadorna the trains to Como Lago take about 60 minutes. Bellagio, Menaggio and Tremezzina are reached by ferry.
How much is the ferry between Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna?
€5.50 for a single adult ticket between any two of Bellagio, Menaggio, Varenna and Cadenabbia, which is three zones on Navigazione Lago di Como's fares valid from 1 April 2026. From Como, Bellagio and Menaggio are six zones (€12.00) and Varenna is seven (€13.50), with a supplement on rapid-service boats.
Can you take a car on the Lake Como ferries?
Yes, but only on the car ferries between Cadenabbia, Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna; there is no car ferry from Como or Lecco. A car up to 3.50 metres long costs €4.60 for the vehicle, or €10.10 with the driver, on the fares from 1 April 2026.
Sources & further reading
- Comune di Como: tariffe dell’imposta di soggiorno (PDF)
- Comune di Bellagio: imposta di soggiorno, with the Giunta resolution on the 2024 rates
- Comune di Varenna: tariffe imposta di soggiorno (PDF)
- Comune di Varenna: regolamento imposta di soggiorno (PDF)
- Navigazione Lago di Como: passenger fares from 1 April 2026
- Navigazione Lago di Como: vehicle ferry charges from 1 April 2026 (PDF)
- Trenord: Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni
- Trenord: Milano Cadorna to Como Lago
- Trenord: Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino
- Trenord: Lecco to Milano Centrale
- Trenord: Malpensa Aeroporto T1 to Saronno
- Official websites of each hotel named above, checked in early November 2026
Prices, fares and hotel terms change. Every detail here was checked in early November 2026; confirm rates, room types, opening dates and cancellation terms with the hotel before booking. These are researched picks, not reviews. This article contains affiliate links: hotel rates on Booking.com and other booking sites through Stay22, and tours, transfers and eSIMs through our partners; if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. No hotel pays to be included.
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