Before you go · Lake Como
Lake Como essentials
The practical things worth knowing before you arrive, checked against official sources on 27 October 2026. Entry rules change: always check the official sources before you travel.
Updated October 2026
Entry to the EU
The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) registers travellers from outside the EU electronically at the border.
ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is not yet in operation: the EU will announce the start date on its official site, travel-europe.europa.eu, in advance. Never pay a third-party site. Lugano and Ticino are in Switzerland, so carry your passport or ID card on that day trip.
From the airports
Milan Malpensa and Linate are run by SEA, Milan Airports (milanairports.com). Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como puts Malpensa about 55 minutes and Linate about 70 minutes from Blevio by car. By train, go into Milan and take Trenord to Como or Varenna-Esino.
Trains from Milan
Trenord runs from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino in about 64 minutes, on the line to Lecco, Colico, Sondrio and Tirano; trains for Como leave Milano Cadorna for Como Lago and Milano Centrale for Como San Giovanni. See our page Lake Como by boat and train.
Boats and the car ferry
Navigazione Laghi runs the boats and fast services between Como and Colico, the Bellagio–Lecco boats and the car ferry between Bellagio, Cadenabbia, Varenna and Menaggio. Tickets are sold online, at the pier offices or on board where there is no office. The winter timetable runs from 2 November 2026 to 14 March 2027.
The seasons of the lake
Most villas and many lakeside hotels open from spring to autumn and close for the winter: the gardens of Villa Melzi, for example, close from 2 November until the end of March. Check each one’s season on its own site before you plan. Spring brings the azaleas and camellias of the villa gardens; summer is the busiest season.
The tourist tax
Many towns around the lake charge a tourist tax (imposta di soggiorno) per person per night; your hotel collects it, and each Comune sets its own rates.
Customs and etiquette
Cover your shoulders and knees for the cathedral, the Sacro Monte and other churches. In a bar, coffee taken standing at the counter costs less than at a table. Lakeshore roads are narrow and busy in summer: use the boats where you can.
Emergencies
Call 112 for ambulance, police and fire. See our health page for the hospitals of Como, Menaggio and Lecco. Carry your EHIC or GHIC, or travel insurance that covers medical costs.
Questions and answers
Do I need ETIAS to visit Lake Como?
Not yet: ETIAS is not in operation. The EU will announce the start date in advance on its official site.
How do I get from Milan to Lake Como by train?
Trenord runs from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino in about 64 minutes, and from Milan to Como Lago and Como San Giovanni.
Are the villas open in winter?
Most close for the winter; check each villa’s own site for its season.
What is the emergency number?
112.
Entry rules and transport change, sometimes at short notice. Check the EU’s official sites, milanairports.com, trenord.it, navigazionelaghi.it and your government’s advice before you travel.