Looking for a place to stay during your stay Lake Como? Below, we’ve listed our favorite villages for easy accommodation and sightseeing on Lake Como, as well as our best hotel addresses.
We’d also like to introduce you to the different villages we visited and the main things to do to discover the region.
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The best villages to stay in on Lake Como? [carte]
To make the most of the various villages and activities around the lake, we recommend to choose several drop-off points. Finally, the distances between the most interesting villages are great, and the only road connecting them is the coastal road or a small trunk road, on which you won’t always be able to drive very fast.
If you’re staying 3 or 4 nights, we recommend choosing 2 places to sleep, for example Mennagio and Como or Como and Varenna or Bellagio.
We’ve listed below the villages on Lake Como that we think are the most interesting to visit and therefore the nicest places to stay.
In our opinion, the most beautiful part of the lake lies to the south and center of Lake Como. For accommodation, we recommend the villages of Como, Varenna, Menaggio and Bellagio.
List of our favourite villages to sleep in around Lake Como :
- Varenna ♥♥♥
- Menaggio ♥♥♥
- Como ♥♥
- Bellagio ♥♥
- Cernobbio ♥
1. Varenna: the most beautiful village on Lake Como
Varenna is an authentic village where you’ll feel right at home. In our opinion, it’s the most charming, and we fell in love with its suspended cornice, its authentic port and the incredible Villa Monastero with its tree-lined garden.
To fully enjoy the charming village of Varenna, we recommend staying in the center. As you’ll see, there’s very little well-placed accommodation in Varenna, so we advise you to book as far in advance as possible.
We’d like to suggest a second address if the first is unfortunately sold out.
Albergo Del Sole, l’hôtel est situé en plein centre de Varenna sur une adorable placette, vous ne pouvez pas trouver plus authentique ! Vous serez ainsi à deux pas du lac, de la villa Monastero.. Le restaurant est également très bon. Bref vous y passerez un agréable séjour !
Varenna Guest House : l’appartement est agréable propre et lumineux avec une belle vue, seulement à 5 minutes à pied de Varenna.
2. Menaggio: the ideal low-cost base
It’s a pleasant little village, and we like it above all for its location, which we think is ideal for visiting the south-western part of the lake.
Another interesting point is that it’s a little less touristy, so accommodation is less expensive (vs. Varenna and Bellagio), and you’ll also enjoy greater peace and quiet.
South of Menaggio, we recommend the authentic little village of Laglio and the sumptuous villas Carlotta and Balbianello (filming locations for Star Wars episode 2 and James Bond film Casino Royale).
Another important point is that from its port, you can take a direct boat to other towns on the lake, including Varenna and Bellagio, which are only 15 minutes away.
We advise you to choose accommodation in the center of town, close to the port. The range of accommodation is limited, so we recommend that you book your stay in advance.
Hôtel à Menaggio: Suite Menaggio localisation idéale, en plein centre de Menaggio avec une belle vue sur le lac, appartement décoré avec goût, avec un grand lit confortable et avec une cuisine tout équipé, pratique pour se concocter un bon petit plat ou se préparer un apéro, bref foncez-y
3. Como: a must-see
Como is the largest city around Lake Como. Located at the southern end of the lake, it’s usually the gateway to Lake Como. If you only have one day to spend on Lake Como, we definitely recommend staying in Como.
We spent 1 day and 1 evening there before heading to Milan airport. We were reluctant to stay, but we’ve been busy in Como and the historic center is very charming.
The other cool thing to do in Como is to climb up to the Voltiano faro (Volta lighthouse), for a panoramic view of the lake, even if access via a narrow, winding road gave us a few scares. This was the only elevated viewpoint we had during our stay.
Another interesting point is that Como is the departure point for many ferries to other towns on the lake, making it a very convenient base for exploring Lake Como.
Hébergement à Côme : Albergo Frirenze la chambre était très agréable et propre, idéalement située près du port, tout est accessible à pied, avec un petit-déjeuner incroyable. Parking 10€ par jour. Bref une bonne adresse avec un excellent rapport qualité prix à Côme
Bello!Lake Como Suites à Côme, les chambres sont superbes et décorées avec beaucoup de goûts. L’hôtel est situé en plein centre. La terrasse avec le jacuzzi est sublime. Bref un très bel hôtel que nous avons hâte de tester !
4. Bellagio: the most touristic
Bellagio is one of the most beautiful towns (some would say the most beautiful) around Lake Como. This village is even considered one of the most beautiful Italian villages (just that).
Of course, it’s a truly magnificent village that’s a must-see, and the number-one thing to do in Bellagio is to walk along the esplanade bordering the lake while enjoying an Italian gelato. We just found it a little too touristy for our taste.
This is a very touristy village, so accommodation prices may seem prohibitive. Accommodation in Bellagio is limited, so if you wish to stay in this village, we advise you to book as far in advance as possible.
Hébergement à Bellagio : Hotel Bellagio en plein centre de Bellagio, hôtel confortable, très propre, vous pourrez profiter d’une jolie vue sur le lac depuis la terrasse de l’hôtel et le petit-déjeuner est copieux. Un dernier point important pour profiter pleinement de votre séjour, l’emplacement est idéal, en plein centre et à deux pas de l’embarcadère.
Le personnel vous donnera de bons conseils. Bref, nous avons adoré ! Petit parking sur place ce qui est rare à Bellagio.
Le grand hôtel Villa Serbelloni à Bellagio, une belle adresse très chic, avec piscine intérieure et extérieure ainsi qu’un accès direct au lac pour la baignade avec ponton et plongeoir.
5. Cernobbio: the place to indulge yourself
When we visit we love spotting beautiful hotels and then bookmarking them on Google (we have well-stocked maps) for a future stay or to get ideas for accommodation onspecial occasions !
We spotted this magnificent hotel with swimming pool and breathtaking views in Cernobbio, a village south of Lake Como, close to the city of Como.
Hotel Asnigo à Cernobbio, le gros avantage de cet hôtel est sa magnifique piscine avec vue sur le lac, l’une des plus belles de la région. Les chambres sont belles, propres et calmes. Un hôtel idéal pour se détendre.
Hotel Asnigo in Cernobbio
Where to stay on a budget?
The most affordable village south of Lake Como is Menaggio.
To get even better rates, we recommend you move away from the tourist villages or opt for the camping option on Lake Como, in which case we advise you to bring your own vehicle.
Albergo Breglia qui peut être une bonne option, qui propose des chambres basic à quelques kilomètres au nord de Menaggio
Our top 3 accommodations on Lake Como
We advise you to book your accommodation as far in advance as possible, so that you have the widest choice and the best hotels, as Lake Como is a very popular region in high season, and the supply of accommodation is limited. The lake is bordered by mountains, so the towns are not expandable.
1. Coup de cœur ♥ : Suite Menaggio, localisation idéale, en plein centre de Menaggio avec une belle vue sur le lac. Appartement charmant avec une cuisine tout équipé, bref foncez-y.
2. Petit prix € : Albergo Frirenze, à côté du port de Côme, idéal pour prendre un bateau qui fait le tour du lac, en plein centre-ville, avec parking à proximité. Un excellent rapport qualité / prix pour la ville de Côme.
3. Avec vue : Hotel Bellagio, en plein centre de Bellagio, hôtel confortable avec un excellent petit-déjeuner généreux, servit sous une charmante tonnelle avec au loin la vue sur la rive en face avec la Villa Carlotta.
Top 3 of the most beautiful hotels to pamper yourself in
As explained above, when researching or traveling, we make a note of the addresses of beautiful hotels to get ideas for accommodation onspecial occasions ! Here are our top 3 finds from our stay in Lake Como.
We warn you, these are palaces offering top-of-the-range services. You can still look at the photos and dream a little, or keep it in mind for a special occasion!
1. Avec Jacuzzi : Bello!Lake Como Suites à Côme, les chambres sont superbes et décorées avec beaucoup de goûts. L’hôtel est situé en plein centre. La terrasse avec le jacuzzi est sublime. Bref un très bel hôtel que nous avons hâte de tester !
2. Avec piscine : Hotel Asnigo à Cernobbio, le gros avantage de cet hôtel est sa magnifique piscine avec vue sur le lac, l’une des plus belles de la région. Les chambres sont belles, propres et calmes. Un hôtel idéal pour se détendre.
3. Plage privée : Le grand hôtel Villa Serbelloni à Bellagio, une belle adresse très chic, avec piscine intérieure et extérieure ainsi qu’un accès direct au lac pour la baignade avec ponton et plongeoir.
Hotel Asnigo in Cernobbio
We loved this little stay around Lake Como, we were enchanted by the beauty of this place. We loved wandering around the picturesque villages and enjoyed the Italian food.
You can also take full advantage of your stay in the region to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Lake Como and visit the city of Milan, including the Duomo, Milan Cathedral and its incredible museums.
We wish you an excellent trip! Don’t hesitate to leave us a quick note or 5 stars below, to tell us if you’re planning this trip, to ask any questions you may have, here or on Instagram, we’ll get back to you with great pleasure.
Don’t hesitate to leave us your good accommodation addresses in comments.
