Recommendations for Lake Como stay after a few days in Milan

[Nonnaleone]

Hi..Looking to go to Lake Como, with a few days in Milan first. Never been to Italy before. Please hit me with any recommendations for accommodation or places to stay. Looking primarily at Verenna, possibly Bellano...but am I missing somthing. One dd 18. We like walking, swimming and eating! Budget flexible..probably not top end though! Thanks!!

Varenna is lovely, but super busy with tourists, so it depends what you are looking for.

Last year we stayed in Lenno, in Alberto Lenno. Lenno is quite small, but pretty, and the lake ferry stops literally right outside the hotel, so it is very easy to travel to Varenna, Menaggio, Bellagio etc. After days spent in those towns, it was nice to come back somewhere quieter for the evenings!

We caught the train from Milan and then had a private taxi transfer up to Lenno.

The hotel has a pool, and there is also a small beach on the lake at Lenno that you can swim from. There are maybe 4/5 restaurants to choose from in the town.

Second Lenno, it's lovely. Bellagio was heaving when we went for a day trip (August) and actually horrible in the heat. But Lenno was gorgeous. Definitely enough to keep you busy for a few days and a great base for trips to more touristy areas.

When you’ve decided where you’re staying, I recommend getting to Como early one morning & catching the first funicular of the day - the queues build up quickly & the views at the top are beautiful.

Also, the traghetti / ferries between Menaggio, Bellaggio & Varenna are both cheaper & less crowded than the tourist boats, and if you see a tour group trailing along behind their guide I’d go in the opposite direction!

My other tip for Italy in general, & I know this won’t suit everyone, is that there are rules about having to serve snacks (aperitivo) with wine.

I usually have my main meal at lunchtime & then have a glass of wine in the evening with the aperitivo as a light tea. When I was staying in Menaggio I usually did that by the lake & followed up with a gelato.

You do need to tell them when ordering if you’re vegetarian though.

Thanks for your replies. Albergo Lenno..looks gorgeous and definitely a contender! I hadn't even looked at Lenno before!

I love Bellano, it's very near where my relatives live so go for at least a day trip every time we visit Italy...Best bits are the old town with the cute little shops and the lido, where you can either swim in the lake or the pool. There's also 'l'orrido' which is like a gorge/waterfall thing which is nice because it always stays quite cool.