Piazza Cavour on the lakefront at Como, at the southern tip of the lake. Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Best Lake Como villages to visit: Como, Cernobbio, Bellagio and Varenna compared, with the cheapest way to reach each one from Milan.
Published 20 July 2026 · Last updated 20 July 2026 · 5 min read
By Dorin G. · NexDriver
Official source: In Lombardia, official Lombardy regional tourism board
Piazza Cavour on the lakefront at Como, at the southern tip of the lake. Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Lake Como isn't a single destination, it's a handful of very different villages strung along the same shoreline. Some are a short train ride from Milan, others are only practical to reach by car. Here's what makes Como, Cernobbio, Bellagio and Varenna worth visiting, and the cheapest realistic way to get to each one.
| Village | Known For | Cheapest Way | Fixed Driver Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Como (town) | The Duomo, the lakefront promenade, and the funicular up to Brunate | Direct train (~1 hour) | From € 155 by private driver |
| Cernobbio | Villa d'Este and quiet lakeside walks just north of Como | No direct train, private driver only | From € 155 |
| Bellagio | The "Pearl of Lake Como", where the lake's three branches meet | Train to Como + ferry, or direct private driver | From € 185 |
| Varenna | The Riva Grande lakefront and Villa Monastero gardens | Direct train (~65 min), or private driver | From € 185 |
Driver fares are per vehicle, fixed, and agreed before departure. See our Milan–Lake Como transfer page for full details.
Como town is the only village on this list with a direct train from Milan, reaching it in around an hour. It's home to the marble Duomo, a long lakefront promenade, and the funicular that climbs to Brunate for a view over the whole southern lake. It's also the easiest and cheapest village to reach: from Milan city centre, a private driver takes about 45 minutes and starts from € 155 all-inclusive.
A few minutes up the shore from Como, Cernobbio is best known for Villa d'Este and its calmer, more residential lakefront. It has no train station of its own, so a private driver is the most direct way to get there, from € 155, the same starting fare as Como.
Bellagio sits at the point where the lake's three branches meet, which is why it's often called the pearl of Lake Como. It's the village most people picture when they think of Lake Como, and also the hardest to reach cheaply: the train only goes as far as Como, after which you'd need a bus or ferry connection. A private driver covers the whole route in one trip, from € 185 all-inclusive, around 90 minutes from Milan city centre.
On the eastern shore, Varenna offers the same lakeside charm as Bellagio with fewer crowds, centred on the Riva Grande promenade and the gardens of Villa Monastero. Unlike Bellagio, Varenna has its own train station with direct services from Milano Centrale (around 65 minutes), so it's the cheapest of the four villages to reach after Como itself. For door-to-door comfort straight to your hotel, a private driver starts from € 185.
Flying in instead? We also run a direct transfer from Malpensa Airport to any of these four villages, skipping Milan entirely.
Bellagio is the most popular choice for a single day, since it sits where the lake's three branches meet and gives you views in every direction. If you'd rather stay closer to Milan and skip a long return drive, Como town or Cernobbio make an easier half-day trip.
The train only reaches Como city; from there you'd need a bus or ferry connection to Bellagio, which adds time and extra fares. A private driver goes door-to-door in one fixed price, from € 185 with NexDriver, with no changes en route.
Not directly. Cernobbio has no train station of its own, so the practical options are a taxi or bus from Como's station, or a private driver straight from Milan, from € 155 with NexDriver.
Yes, Lake Como is a common day trip from Milan. Como town is around 45 minutes away by car, and even Bellagio or Varenna are reachable in under two hours, making a day trip realistic without an overnight stay.
Yes, that's one of the advantages of a private driver over the train: the itinerary and stops are agreed with you in advance, so combining two nearby villages, for example Cernobbio and Como, in one trip is possible on request.