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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Como
Base in Como town for 1–2 nights, or sleep in a lakeside village and use Como as the arrival hub: the old town is a half-day, the lake is the trip.
Como sits at the southern tip of the lake, 40 km from Milan and a few minutes from the Swiss border at Chiasso. The walled old town, the cathedral and the Volta sites fill a half-day; the reason to stay longer is the lake itself, reached by ferry or the C10/C30 buses. Most travellers give Como one or two nights, or use it as a day trip from Milan.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and crowds), late Dec–Feb (cold, wet, some boats reduced)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–95 excl. bed · Mid €95–170 excl. bed · High €170+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Europe-wide emergency 112 · Police 113 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at the bar | €1.20–2 |
| Pizza or a plate of pasta | €8–15 |
| Beer: draught at the bar / bottle at a shop | €4–6 / €1.50–3 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | €12–18 |
| Urban bus ticket | €1.50–2.50 |
| Ferry Como to Bellagio, one way | €10–15 |
| Museum entry (civic museums) | €4 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MXP · Milan Malpensa
- Malpensa Express to Saronno, then Trenord to Como Nord Lago; about 1 h 15 min–1 h 40 min total
- LIN · Milan Linate
- Bus or taxi to Milan, then train to Como San Giovanni; about 1 h 30 min–2 h door to door
- ZRH · Zurich
- Direct trains from Zurich HB to Como San Giovanni; about 3 h 30 min–4 h
Typical fares
- Malpensa to Como by train
- about €10, 1 h 15 min–1 h 40 min
- Funicular to Brunate
- €3 one way, €5.50 return
- Ferry Como to Bellagio
- €10–15 one way, about 1 h by fast boat (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is compact and best on foot. ASF buses cover the city and the lake shores: C-prefixed lines are extraurbani, including C10 up the west shore to Colico and C30 up the east shore to Bellagio. Buy tickets at tabacchi, the bus station by Como Lago, or on board at a higher price. The funicular runs from Piazza De Gasperi to Brunate in about 7 minutes. Navigazione Laghi ferries and hydrofoils leave from the port by Piazza Cavour.
See and do
Known for
- Lake Como's southern gateway
- Como Cathedral
- Alessandro Volta and the Volta Lighthouse
- Silk and lakeside villas
- Ferries to Bellagio and the villages
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Brunate and the Volta Lighthouse | Funicular from Piazza De Gasperi, then a walk of about 36 min to the Faro Voltiano | About 1 h 30 min round trip plus time at the top |
| Bellagio | C30 bus from Como, or ferry/hydrofoil from the port | About 1 h by fast boat, longer by slow ferry or bus |
| Varenna | Train toward Lecco/Sondrio, or ferry across the lake | About 1 h by train |
| Lecco | Train from Como San Giovanni along the eastern shore | About 40–50 min |
| Milan | Trenord or SBB train from Como San Giovanni or Como Lago | About 40–60 min |
| Chiasso and the Swiss border | Train from Como San Giovanni, one stop | About 10 min |
Sleep
- Old town (città murata)
- Walkable to the cathedral, the waterfront and both stations; best for one night with bags.
- Lakeside near Piazza Cavour
- Ferry port and lake views; pricier, and traffic and crowds in summer.
- San Giovanni station area
- Cheaper hotels and direct trains to Milan and Switzerland; 10 min walk to the old town.
- Brunate
- Village above the city reached by funicular; quiet nights and lake views, but you depend on the funicular timetable.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Buongiornobwon-JOR-no |
| Please | Per favoreper fa-VO-re |
| Thank you | GrazieGRAH-tsyeh |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?KWAN-to KOS-ta |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagare con la carta?POS-so pa-GA-re kon la KAR-ta |
| Where is the ferry port? | Dov'è l'imbarco del battello?do-VEH lim-BAR-ko del bat-TEL-lo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- Ferry and bus timetables thin out in winter and on Sundays: check the day's last departure before you commit to a village.
- Parking in lakeside villages is limited and roads are narrow; the bus or boat is usually faster in summer.
- ZTL camera zones cover the old town: do not drive into the centre.
- Summer thunderstorms are frequent and can be heavy; keep an indoor plan for the afternoon.
- Many small hotels and B&Bs are up steep lanes or stairs: confirm lift access if you have bags.
Como is a low-risk city; the real issues are pickpockets around the ferry port and stations in summer, fast scooters in the old town, and steep, unlit lanes in Brunate after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Como yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lake Como's southern gateway
- Como Cathedral
- Alessandro Volta and the Volta Lighthouse
- Silk and lakeside villas
- Ferries to Bellagio and the villages
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Navigazione Laghi — Lake Como ferries: www.navigazionelaghi.it/
- Milan Malpensa Airport: www.milanomalpensa-airport.com/en/
- Milan Linate Airport: www.milanolinate-airport.com/en/
- Wikivoyage: Como, revision 5263606 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5263606
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Como
A questo indirizzo, per favore
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Como; most countries keep embassies in Rome and consulates in Milan. The US consulate general is in Milan (check the address).
Tourist information: Via Albertolli 7, Mon–Sat 09:00–18:00, and a booth at Piazzale San Gottardo.Tourist information: Via Albertolli 7, Mon–Sat 9:00 AM–6:00 PM, and a booth at Piazzale San Gottardo.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/como). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.