Varenna without a car: a longer stay on Lake Como

Colourful houses and flowers along Varenna waterfront

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Varenna without a car: a longer stay on Lake Como

Settle beside the lake for gardens, waterfront evenings and boat outings, before or after the Bernina crossing or a stay in Milan.

In this article
Time beside the lake

Why Varenna deserves several nights

Varenna brings together the things that make a longer Lake Como stay work: a town you can explore on foot, two substantial gardens, ferries across the central lake and a railway linking Milan with Tirano. You can arrive without a car and have plenty to do without changing hotels.

The pleasure is in the balance. Spend a morning in a lakeside garden, have lunch in town and leave the afternoon for your hotel. On another day, cross to Bellagio or Menaggio, returning for dinner once the day visitors begin to leave. A stay allows you to enjoy the same waterfront at different times, rather than seeing it only between two ferry departures.

Varenna particularly suits couples who enjoy gardens, gentle sightseeing and good hotels, with more demanding walks available above the lake. It also gives a clear purpose to a pause in a wider rail journey: several days to settle after the Alpine crossing, or a lake holiday following Milan.

Aerial view of Varenna on Lake Como
Varenna occupies a narrow strip of the eastern shore, with the old town projecting into the central lake and the hillside rising immediately behind.
Suggested stayFour to seven nights at an unhurried pace
Best combinationsMilan or a journey across the Bernina route
Getting aroundOn foot, by ferry and by train
Who it suitsCouples, garden lovers and rail travellers
Understand the town

Fishing lanes, a medieval square and the waterfront

The old fishing settlement is still legible in the small waterfront harbour and the lanes climbing away from it. Houses stand close together, with narrow passages and stairways linking the water to the higher streets. Walk up through them to Piazza San Giorgio to understand how the town is arranged.

Varenna’s history also connects it with the wider lake. In 1169, people escaping the destruction of Isola Comacina settled here, an episode remembered in the town’s identity. The waterfront is therefore part of a much older story of communities, trade and conflict across Lake Como.

Varenna square, rooftops and Lake Como
The relationship between the square, the rooftops and the water becomes clearer as you move between the upper streets and the shore.

Piazza San Giorgio

The parish church of San Giorgio was consecrated in 1313. Its rose window and external image of St Christopher introduce a building whose interior rewards a short visit: look for the medieval frescoes and the fifteenth-century polyptych. The black local marble floor is another detail that roots the church in its setting.

The square provides a useful pause between the waterfront and the villas. Allow time to sit here as well as visit the churches; these spaces give Varenna more character than its most photographed harbour view alone suggests.

Stone archway in a Varenna lane with a view towards the lake
Small passages connect Varenna’s streets with the shore; the changes in level are part of the old town’s compact layout.

The lakeside walk

The Passeggiata degli Innamorati, usually called the Lovers’ Walk, follows the water between the ferry area and the old waterfront. It is a short walk with a practical purpose, linking two parts of town, and a good way to begin your stay. Continue around the harbour for a coffee or an aperitivo, then return through the lanes.

Red framework over the lakeside walkway in Varenna
The waterside path links the ferry side of Varenna with its older waterfront, keeping the lake in view along the way.
Two different visits

Make time for Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi

The gardens are a substantial reason to stay in Varenna. Both are reached from the historic centre, so you can visit without organising a separate excursion. Give each time of its own, with lunch or a break between them.

Villa Monastero: a house and a long lakeside garden

Villa Monastero combines a house museum with a botanical garden extending for almost two kilometres beside the lake. Its origins lie in a former convent; later owners transformed it into a residence, and the furnished interiors reveal successive layers of domestic taste.

Outside, paths follow the shore between planting, architectural ornaments and viewpoints. The elongated layout is central to the experience: the garden keeps revealing different relationships between the water, the mountains and the house. Allow around two to three hours for an unhurried garden and museum visit, longer if botany or photography is a particular interest.

Flowering oleander and stone urns beside Lake Como at Villa Monastero
Villa Monastero’s garden follows the shoreline, combining planting and architectural details with views across the water.

The museum and garden have different seasonal opening arrangements. Choose your visit using Villa Monastero’s current visitor information rather than assuming that a garden ticket includes an open house.

Villa Cipressi: terraces descending to the water

Villa Cipressi offers a different composition: stairways and planted terraces descend towards the lake beneath a group of historic buildings now used as a hotel. The interest is in the changes of level, cypresses and other planting, and the way the lake appears between the terraces.

Allow roughly an hour, according to your pace and interest. Its terraced character makes it a distinct visit from Villa Monastero’s long shoreline garden. Consult the local visitor information for Villa Cipressi for access details.

For more ideas that fit a journey without a car, see our guide to Italian gardens by train, ferry and foot.

Cypresses, palms and terraced gardens beside Lake Como
Cypresses and palms frame the lake beside Varenna’s villas; the planted slopes give the gardens their distinctive structure.
Across the central lake

Choose a boat outing to suit the day

Varenna faces the central-lake area where the lake’s three branches meet. Bellagio and Menaggio are natural outings on the ferry network, each offering a different day. Choose one main destination and leave time for lunch, a walk and the crossing itself.

Bellagio

Go for the promontory setting, stepped lanes, shops and a more polished resort atmosphere. The upper streets and gardens can give the visit shape beyond the busy waterfront.

Menaggio

Choose Menaggio for a broad lakeside promenade, a central square and a day with more time spent beside the water. It makes a useful contrast to Varenna’s narrow lanes.

Ferry travelling across Lake Como beneath the mountains
The ferry is both everyday transport and a way to see how the towns occupy different parts of Lake Como’s shoreline.

Services vary by season and vessel. Use Navigazione Laghi’s Lake Como timetables to choose the relevant crossing and return. In the busiest months, an early start gives more flexibility; there is little benefit in trying to fit several towns into every day.

Above the waterfront

Vezio and the hillside paths

For a more active morning, walk uphill towards Castello di Vezio. The reward is a view which explains Varenna’s position on the central lake, with the town below and the mountains enclosing the water.

Allow roughly half a day for the ascent, castle and an unhurried return. This is a sustained uphill outing on uneven surfaces, requiring suitable shoes. Check the castle’s current opening information before setting off.

Walkers staying longer can also choose a stage of the Sentiero del Viandante, the historic route along the eastern hillside. A route towards Bellano adds hamlets, woodland and lake views, with a possible train return. Use the local route guidance to select the exact stage: this is a hiking day with ascent and descent, separate from an easy waterfront stroll.

A city and lake holiday

Combine Milan with a longer stay in Varenna

Milan and Varenna make a straightforward twin-centre holiday because the change of atmosphere requires little travelling. Start with Milan’s art, architecture, shopping and restaurants, then continue to the lake for gardens, boats and quieter afternoons.

As a starting point, consider three nights in Milan followed by five nights in Varenna. For a ten-night holiday, four nights in Milan and six at the lake give both places room. The balance depends on whether you want more museums and city dining or more time at the hotel and on the water.

Direct trains from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino-Perledo normally take around an hour. The station is above the waterfront; we can organise a private transfer to your hotel where appropriate. Check Trenord’s current services for your travel date.

A lake stay adds something different to a Milan visit: there is time for a garden morning, a boat excursion and an afternoon with no appointment. It is particularly effective if you want a week or more away with only two hotel bases.

Stone balustrade, garden buildings and cypresses above Lake Como
A longer stay leaves time to enjoy the relationship between Varenna’s gardens, historic buildings and the lake.
From the Alps to the lake

Stay before or after the Bernina crossing

Varenna also belongs naturally in a rail journey through Switzerland and Italy. Its station lies on the Milan–Tirano line, while Tirano is the Italian end of the Bernina railway. The lake can therefore become a substantial stage in the journey, with several nights before or after the mountains.

A clear route through the landscape

Stay in Switzerland → cross the Bernina route to Tirano → change to the Italian railway for Varenna → spend several nights on Lake Como → continue to Milan or your next Italian base.

The sequence also works in reverse.

The Bernina Express panoramic trains and ordinary regional trains use the same Alpine railway, but their reservation arrangements and stopping patterns differ. Tirano has separate Swiss and Italian stations close to one another; allow a proper connection rather than relying on the shortest possible interchange.

We would plan the crossing around the whole holiday, including time in Switzerland and a relaxed arrival at the lake. Four to seven nights in Varenna give the lake stage its own value after the travelling day. A stay before the crossing works equally well, allowing you to continue towards the Alps rested.

Our Bernina Express guide explains the scenery, train choices and experience in detail. If the Swiss journey also includes the Glacier Express, we can connect the stages into a longer itinerary.

Choose the right base

Where to stay and how long to allow

Four nights allow a day in Varenna and its gardens, a boat outing and some time for the hotel. Five to seven nights suit travellers who want a hillside walk, another excursion or simply more afternoons without a fixed programme. A week here can be a complete holiday at one base.

Royal Victoria hotel on Varenna waterfront

Royal Victoria, Varenna

A central choice for couples who want to stay in the historic town, with the square, waterfront and gardens close at hand. Its lakeside setting makes time at the hotel part of the reason to stay.

Explore Royal Victoria

Planning the stay

Spring through early autumn gives the widest scope for gardens and boat outings, although individual opening dates and ferry frequencies vary. Summer brings a livelier waterfront and more visitors; staying several nights lets you use mornings and evenings as well as the busiest middle part of the day.

The old town has steps, cobbles and changes of level. Tell us if walking or luggage is a concern so that we can match the hotel and transfers to your needs. ExpertoItaly organises private transfers from the rail station or your previous accommodation where required.

Explore our Lake Como holidays and accommodation selection for the wider choice of bases and combinations.

Plan with ExpertoItaly

Tell us how you would like to travel

Tell us your dates, interests and preferred pace. We can arrange your accommodation, rail journeys and private transfers, combining Varenna with Milan, Switzerland or another Italian base. Flights are booked separately.

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