It’s all about the ferries on Lake Como.

Visit Bellagio.
I think it’s safe to say that the ferries in Italy might be the unsung heroes of punctuality. Who knew? They shattered my whole “Italian time” theory.

And yes, Bellagio is the “all roads lead to here” kind of place! It’s on a peninsula where the lake splits into two arms.

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If Lake Como were a big triangle, Bellagio would be smack in the middle, making it feel like an island. You’ve got the water on both sides of you and all the ferries crisscrossing like a maze.

The ferries run frequently, though they tweak their schedules on weekends and holidays.

Bellagio is part of the mid-lake, and most ferry lines go through it, making it the perfect spot to get anywhere. It’s the best place to base yourself if you want to explore without the stress.

If you’re staying or eating at Il Perlo, use our shuttle to drop you off at the ferry terminal or walk it. I walk to have an excuse for another amazing meal.

Download the ferry schedule. It may take time to get used to the timetable, which uses military time.

You can buy tickets online or at the ferry terminal. Tickets are sold as one-way, round-trip, or as day passes.

Here are five, just some of the many, mid-lake places to explore using the ferry, and some must-do’s for each.

Tremezzo

You can spot the Grand Hotel Tremezzo from our Il Perlo terrace…look for the orange awnings.

This five-star hotel is a great place to sip a cocktail where Taylor Swift (and many other celebs) have been. To the right is Villa Carlotta, known for its meticulously maintained, colorful gardens.

This was my first ferry ride and the first villa I visited. You don’t have to be an avid gardener to appreciate the watercolored flowers.

The villa is impressive, however sparsely furnished, and I recommend spending more time on the spectacular grounds.

Verenna

You can take a train from Milan to Varenna, making this a popular ferry terminal for those without a car. We fell in love with Varenna because it’s always in the sun, morning and evening.

The most popular place is the Castle, Castello de Vezio. Over one thousand years old, you can experience what it might have been to live in that period. The authentic-looking plaster ghosts are amazing, and our kids imagined being Harry Potter casting spells on all below.

Look past the weird displays installed a few years ago. It seems like someone was trying to create some Halloween “scary” features…it’s pretty funny. Maybe this is what Italians think tourists like.

On the way to the castle, there is a small pottery store where you can buy small ceramic figurines (and it’s a great excuse to catch your breath). There is a five-minute train ride from Varenna to Bellano.

Hike the Orrido Di Bellano, a creek naturally created around 15 million years ago. We had no clue that it would be so impressive and worth the diversion.

Menaggio

There is a beautiful lakeside promenade with cobblestone roads leading to hidden, ancient hamlets, Italian for neighborhood.

Our friend Carlo took us on our first bicycle ride (assisted electric ones) through Menaggio – we loved it. On that excursion, we discovered one of the only golf courses on the lake https://www.golfclubmenaggio.com/en/, a 100-year-old course.

This is on my husband’s must-do list now. Of course, there are hiking trails for all skill levels, some starting from Val Sanagra Park.

And if you didn’t know, many hiking trails end at a rifugio—a cozy mountain restaurant where your hard work is rewarded with hearty traditional food and drinks.

Lenno

This stop is most famous for Villa del Balbianella.
The tickets to the villa made famous by iconic movies like Star Wars, Episode ll, and James Bond Casino Royale are hard to get, especially during high season. Ask reception to help book tickets in advance.

There is a 20-minute walk along the lake from the Lenno ferry terminal to the villa, and spend about 2 hours seeing the grounds and villa (get the ticket for both).

There is a fascinating history of the 18th-century villa, which was privately owned by an eccentric Italian millionaire until 1988. Unlike some of the other villas, this one is preserved with numerous rooms and halls showcasing antiques and artifacts from all over the world: rare African art, mountain equipment used for the first Italian expedition to Mount Everest, and a library of mysterious and ancient books.

Nesso

Eat at Trattoria del Porto. I read about this years ago in a magazine.
It’s incredibly hard to find by car, but by ferry, it’s perfect. Fish is the specialty (and only) item of this authentic, family-run restaurant.

It’s one of the best places to experience Lake Como local fish. Nesso is home to the famous Orrido di Nesso, a dramatic waterfall formed where the Tuf and Nosè streams meet and cascade into a deep gorge.

Spanning the gorge is an ancient Roman bridge, offering a perfect vantage point to take in the view. In the summer, you might even catch adventurous locals diving from the bridge into the lake below.

If you have a leisurely day, you can ferry-hop and check out all the well-known mid-lake villages.

This is great if you don’t have $500+ to spend on a captained boat. You’ll get fabulous water views without the cost. Bellagio is one of the few villages offering frequent passenger & car ferries and the hydro-ferry to Como (about an hour’s ride), making it the perfect “home base.”

Taking a ferry is a great way to see how the locals get around. For you, it may be an exhilarating experience, but for a local, it’s like taking the subway in NYC… just a way to get from point A to point B.

Think of the ferries as commuters, there bathrooms but no other amenities.

I’ve written about using the ferries as a pedestrian passenger, but they are a great way to save time by car, eliminating the need to go down and around a “leg” – Lecco or Como.

It’s easy to bring a car onto the ferry, and you can get out of it to enjoy the sun and water. You pay based on the size of the car and the number of passengers, and it’s affordable.

Visit Bellagio.