Como Lake from Milan: How to Get There? In this Article, you can find out how to reach Lake Como from Milan with all means of transport.

 

There are many ways to get to Como Lake from Milan: by car, by bus, by taxi, by train, with a guided tour or even with a private elicopter (I am watching you James Bond!) 😉

In this article you can find all the information you need to get from Milan to Lake Como as fast, cheap and comfy.

 

CHOOSE YOUR MEAN OF TRANSPORT

FROM MILAN TO LAKE:

MAP OF LAKE COMO

Como Lake from Milan: By Train

WHICH TRAIN LINE RUNS FROM MILAN TO LAKE COMO?

Catching a Train is both the fastest and cheapest way to get from Milan to Lake Como.

In fact, there are trains from the Trenord/Trenitalia company that depart from Milan Central Station in direction of Como station (or Lecco station) every 15 to 30 minutes all day long (5.00-23.00).

Como is the largest town on the Como Lake (and also the one that gives the lake its name) and from here forward, you have the option to choose either local buses or trains to reach your town of destination on the lake.

Lecco is the largest town on the south-eastern side of the Como Lake, and it’s another perfect base camp to move further to visit the lake. 

A train ride from Milan Central Station to Lake Como takes about 1 hour and costs 5 Euro (Prices 2023).

A train ride from Milan Central Station to Lake Como Lecco Station, takes approx. 40minutes and costs 6 Euro.

NOTE: In Como there are three train stations all pretty close one another: Como Borghi (1.2km from the lake), Como s. Giovanni (500m from the lake) and Como Lago Station (on the lake).

WHERE TO GET THE TRAIN TICKETS FROM MILAN TO LAKE COMO?

To get the train tickets to the Como Lake from Milan, there are different options:

You can book your tickets in advance from:

• Trenitalia (main train company in Italy)
• Omio (one of best app for booking rides of any kind in Europe)
• Trainline (one of the best platforms to book train rides in Europe – sometimes cheaper than official websites)

Or you can simply book your tickets to Como Lake in the Milan train station: normally the train never gets sold out, although the ticket office might get very crowded, especially in the summer months.

Como Lake from Milan: By Bus

WHICH BUS RUN TO COMO LAKE FROM MILAN?

There are few buses that run from Milan to Como and Lecco, but are not as fast nor convenient taking the train.

Personally, I would strongly suggest you to take the train.

Once you’ll be in Como or in Lecco though, from here you can take local buses instead for touring the lake and moving from town to town around the Como Lake.

LOCAL BUSES FROM COMO TO THE LAKE

If you plan to visit the many gorgeous towns around Lake Como, it is useful to know that there are two main bus lines that from Como to the Lake west and southern coasts:

Bus Line C10: Runs from Como (South) to Colico (North) passing all the western coast (Cernobbio, Argegno, Tremezzo etc.).

Bus Line C30: Runs from Como (South) to Bellagio (the most Iconic Town situated in the center of the Como Lake), passing all the southern coast (Pognana, Lezzeto, Bellagio)

 

If you instead plan to visit the eastern side of Lake Como, your best choice is to get:

Bus Line C40: Runs from Como to Lecco, the two main towns on the Lake Como. This bus does not run on the coast but cuts through some hills.

And once in Lecco, get the train that stops in all towns on the eastern side of the Como Lake (Varenna, Bellano, Colico etc.).

 

From the following website, you can download the updated bus timetables to the Como Lake and check-out the map of all the stops:

Check out: ASF Autolinee Como – Bus Timetables and Routes

COMO LAKE FROM MILAN BY FLIXBUS

Flixbus, the leader of European low-cost bus rides, offers a bus service connection from Milan Lampugnano Bus Station directly to Como, which is a convenient option if you find yourself arriving to Milan by bus.

The cost of a Flixbus ride from Milan to Lake Como is around 5-8Euro and takes  50minutes.

Como Lake from Milan: By Car

SELF-DRIVING TO LAKE COMO FROM MILAN?

Self-Driving is the mode of transportation that will surely give you the most autonomy and freedom to visit Lake Como at your own pace.

The following are the times and distances you can expect to reach the Como Lake From Milan by car:

Como Lake from Milan Malpensa by car: 50min time – 50km distance

Como Lake from Milan Linate by car: 55min time – 65km distance

Como Lake from Milan Bergamo Airport by car: 1.20min time – 85km distance

Como Lake from Milan Central Station by car: 50min time – 50km distance

Of course, the previous will slightly change depending on which town of the lake you are heading to: Lecco, Bellagio, Como, Varenna, Menaggio etc.

As you get further away from Milan by car, the scenery will become increasingly gorgeous, with pictoresque towns and pic-worthy corners painting the way until the coasts of Lake Como.

Keep in mind that the roads around the lake are extremely panoramic, yet pretty narrow. Speed limits are low and traffic in high season can slow down traffic even more, so be careful in planning your trip and, despite the short distances, consider travel times might expand.

Don’t stress too much about it though, as the beauty of Lake Como will keep you busy starring at the marveolous colours and ravishing nature, everything here is better enjoyed slowly anyway (yeah bella vita! 🙂 ).

WHERE CAN YOU RENT A CAR IN MILAN TO REACH LAKE COMO?

If you are not travelling with your own car, there are many options to rent one in Milan.

You can find car rental companies in Milan Malpensa Airport, Milan Linate Airport, Milan Bergamo Airport or all around Milan City Center. You can check out the following websites to get a rental quote:

Rentalcars.com: Largest Car Rental Platform in Europe

Sixt.global: One of the most serious and respected car rental companies in Italy

Europcar.it: A third option, worth checking out for offers

Como Lake from Milan: By Taxi

CAN YOU REACH COMO LAKE FROM MILAN BY TAXI?

As we have seen in the previous paragraph, driving times from Milan to Lake Como range between the 50 minutes and one hour.

This means that, choosing to drive to the lake by taxi, might cost you quite a handful of money.

The price to go from Milan to Como Lake by taxi averages indeed between 120 to 200 Euro, depending on the number of people traveling, season and time of the day. 

HOW TO RESERVE YOU TAXI OR PRIVATE TRANSFER FROM MILAN TO LAKE COMO IN ADVANCE?

Not all taxis around Milan and its airports might be willing to bring you to Lake Como. Some taxis are indeed just for serving the city and its suburbs.

If you need a taxi or private transfer from a Milan Airport to Lake Como, I suggest you to book it in advance, to avoid  waiting times and to get better prices.

You can find private taxis and shuttle services here:

Vivaldi.it: Local Professional Driver Service based in the Milan Region

Transfer-Milano.com: Private Shuttle/Taxi company with competitive rates 

Alternatively, you can just find normal taxis at the taxi stop outside of each airport.

Como Lake from Milan: By Tour

JOINING A ONE-DAY TRIP TO LAKE COMO FROM MILAN

If you are in a hurry, and you would like to visit Lake Como for just a half-day trip or a one-day trip, you might want to consider to book a tour from Milan.

Organised tours from Milan are a great choice to see most of Lake Como’s hotspots in just one day, which might include the towns of: Bellagio, Varenna, Tremezzo and Argegno between the others.

Following, you find the best websites to check-out for Lake Como Tours:

Viator: Tour Search Platform from Tripadvisor

LakeComoTravel: Local Company, most tours come with boat trips included in the price

PrestigeTourItaly: Italian Company organising Luxury Private Tours

Como Lake from Milan: Carpooling

CAN YOU CARPOOL TO COMO LAKE FROM MILAN?

If you are social, you like a bit of adventure and you would like to meet up with some italians on your way, you might also think to reach the Como Lake from Milan by carpooling.

Carpool is a thing in Italy and, although not everyday, it’s possible to find car rides from Milan to the towns of Lake Como from 2/4Euros (mostly from people that just like to chat with somebody on the way 😉 ).

If you are interested in carpooling to lake como, I suggest you to check out the following website to check for available car rides:

Blablacar: Main (and almost only) carpooling platform used in Italy. 

Como Lake from Milan: Helicopter

WHICH BUS LINE RUNS FROM MILAN TO LAKE COMO?

The scenery of the Como Lake is just not epic enough for your taste and you’re looking for an epic entrance? Well, in that case you might be happy to know that there is also the (expensive) possibility to book and helicopter ride from Milan directly to Como Lake!

Yeah, exactly like James Bond you could reach the lake by flying!

You can expect the cost of an helicopter ride to Como Lake from Milan between 900-2000Euro. The flight takes just 20 minutes at best (which bring the cost of around 50-100Euro per minute of flight).

For sure, it’s not something anyone would do… but surely it might be a romantic idea to surprise someone for some special occasion, if your pockets allow it.

You can check out helicopter fares from Milan to Como Lake from the websites below:

Helifly.it – Largest Italian Website for Helicopter/Private Jets rides and tours

 

Conclusion: How to Get to Como Lake From Milan?

 To conclude the article, let us finish with a brief recap of the main points:

• The fastest and cheapest way to reach Como Lake from Milan Central Station is by Train, which takes approx. 40 minutes and costs 5 Euro.

• The fastest way to reach Como Lake from any Milan Airport, is still by train (all airports – Malpensa, Linate and Bergamo – have indeed a convenient train station placed nearby).

• Although not many buses run from Milan to Lake Como, local buses are a great way to move around the lake and hop from town to town.

• There is a Flixbus connection from Milan Lampugnano Station to Lake Como twice a day, it costs around 8Euro

• Self-driving is the mode of transport that will give you the most freedom to explore, but roads around the Como Lake are narrow and slow, so consider it will take some time to get around.

• Half-day and one-day tours from Milan usually include also an iconic boat trip between some towns of Lake Como.

• Flying to Lake Como by helicopter from Milan is an option, although very expensive. Ideal to romantically surprise someone if you have couple of thousand euros to spend.

 

In conclusion, I hope that this article has been useful to you to find your best way to reach the Lake Como from Milan.

The Lake of Como is one of the most suggestive lakes in Italy, which boasts incredible blue waters enclosed between tall and green mountains. Once you will be there, don’t forget to breath, relax, take life slowly and try a good Italian coffee and a world-famous Gelato! You are in Italy after all ;D

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next article! 🙂