If you are planning a visit to Milan, there are a number of day trip options available. Lake Como is probably one of the first places that comes to mind, but I was concerned about visiting in November. Exploring Lake Como and Northern Italy in November proved to be a great getaway. I visited some of the lakes (Como and Garda) in addition to the sparkling wine region Franciacorta. While visiting in November was a different experience than summer, I loved my time in Northern Italy so much that I have since returned to explore the area even more.
It is easy to rent a car from Malepensa Airport to drive to Como town. I enjoyed the freedom of having a car to explore different areas. That being said, driving in Italy is not always the easiest. I recommend driving to Como town and taking a ferry from here to Bellagio or Varenna. This allows you to make Como you home base for exploring. The drive from Malpensa to Como town is just under one hour. Another option for those not wanting to rent a car is train travel. You can explore more of your train travel options with OMIO. You can travel from Malpensa to Como with arrival into two different stations. Both routes involve one transfer. This will place your arrival in Como in typically under 1 hour and 30 minutes. Once you arrive, you are within walking distance the main Como town.
Keep in mind that there are a number of towns along the lakes and that “going to Lake Como” can really mean a number of different things. I wanted to see the famous Bellagio first prior to checking in to our hotel in Como town. We started our drive from the airport and made it to the Como area relatively quickly. Once we started driving to Bellagio, we quickly realized that the road was very narrow. There are many blind curves and twists. During our travel, it was raining as well. As I mentioned, for a future traveller, I would recommend taking the ferry from Como town to Bellagio. They were not running the day we wanted to go due to the inclement weather. Service is reduced for all ferries in the winter months. If you go from Como to Bellagio, you could also take an additional 15 minute ferry over to Varenna, which I read is beautiful.
*Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link or book through an affiliate program, I receive a small commission at no cost to you!
As our trip was in November, a number of the hotels were closed. In my searches, it seemed that the majority of the hotels closed at the end of October or beginning of November for the winter time. We did find a couple of hotels that remained open and made the decision to stay at Albergo Terminus. This hotel is in the town of Como. Find more infomation about our hotel Albergo Terminus. Another option in Como is VISTA palazzo. This is a more luxury option, as the cost was considerably more even for off season. I was seeing rates around $650 per/night. Albergo Terminus was much more reasonable and very charming. I will include photos of our room which included a walk out onto the roof. There were a few stairs up to a viewing point. Although the views were obstructed, it allowed you to see the lake to the north. They provided us with breakfast, which was included in our room rate. In addition, the hotel has a lovely, cozy restaurant to enjoy a cocktail or meal. This was a fantastic addition to our rainy afternoon.
For exploring Como town in November, there were a number of stores that were open and plenty of window shopping. Their cathedral is beautiful and in the middle of town. Also, we did not have any difficulty finding a place for a cocktail, which was Hemingway Bar. They made a great drink and provided some tasty snacks. We then wandered around looking for a place to eat dinner. Ultimately, I do not think this was the best restaurant in town, but the atmosphere was very lively and the place was packed given the quiet nature of the town. It was called Vintage Jazz Food & Wine. The best dish we had was a black truffle pasta with pappardelle noodles.
The following morning, we started walking around the lake. The weather was improved and the sky was clear. The views here are really breathtaking. Our hope was to take the funicular for better views. This proved to be closed. For those visiting, it is something that I think is worth checking out and was recommended by Albergo Terminus.
Ultimately, I do not regret making a visit to Lake Como in November. If I was able to take the ferry to Bellagio, I think this would have elevated the trip. Keep in mind that weather may dictate whether it is running or not. In the winter months, obviously, the weather can be unpredictable. We experienced a fair amount of rain on our trip. This was my first time visiting Northern Italy, and it inspired me to return. The crowds were much lighter in November, which is always favorable. Traveling in November also helps cut costs of hotels and other experiences that aren’t in peak season.
