A Day Trip to Lago di Como, Italy

Lago di Como

There are a number of beautiful panaromic cities around the city of Milan, that can be visited in a day trip if time and budget are short. One of them is Lake Como, or Lago di Como. I visited the quaint, scenic town during the christmas holidays and it was surely an amazing, though short, experience. It becomes the 'City of Lights' during the Christmas and New Year's time, with beautiful light projections lighting up the centre (Piazza del Duomo) with christmas themed designs. 

Getting There

There are a number of trains and buses that connect Milan with Como throughout the day. Even if you decide to visit Como on a very short notice, transport is not a big problem. Trains can be taken from various stations throughout Milan, like Centrale, Garibaldi and Cadorna. I took the Lugano bound train of Trenitalia from Milano Centrale (4,80 euros one-side). It took me around forty minutes, and this particular train comes every hour at the station. The other trains take about an hour to reach Como. Buses usually take up to two hours to reach, and if you have a car (maybe the best option, as you can admire the landscape and choose your own way) will take you around an hour to reach, depending on traffic.

Sightseeing

The train I took stopped at the Como San Giovanni station. From there, it takes approximately ten to fifteen minutes of walking to reach the lake shore and the central parts of the city. On the way you can appreciate the architecture. For all the design and history lovers, near to the station is the building formely called "Casa del Fascio" or "Palazzo Terragni" that was designed by Italian architect Giuseppe Terragni. 

I definitely recommend visiting Como during the Christmas holidays as the city was beautifully decorated. Next to the lake shore there was a children's area, with a ferris wheel, swings, carousel and various other play sets. The trees around the area were lit up with fairy lights. Walking further along the lake, there are points where you can feed and see the resident swans and ducks. There is also a ferry point, from where ferries begin their ride to towns ahead of Como, like Varese. Unfortunately I was not able to experience the ferry ride, but that is saved for the next time! 

On the opposite side of the ferry point is the Piazza del Duomo of Como. There was a very big and beautiful Christmas market around the plaza, serving mulled wine, hot chocolate and rum cocktails (for the cold weather, these drinks were heavenly). For the foodies, there were great options as well, though my favourite was the bretzel con secko e formaggio, or pretzels with melted cheese and a slow heated ham in the middle. There were also other shops selling woollen accessories, macarons, etcetera.

Further on, the Duomo and the buildings around it were lit up with Christmas themed light projections, a beautiful and mesmerizing display of lights and colours, turning the cold weather into a vibrant environment. The christmas market continued around the Duomo Cathedral, while the restaurants around had beautiful heated outdoor seating for the ones craving proper Italian aperitivo and dinner. 

After roaming around the central plaza, I took the furnicular railway up to the town of Brunate. The small train (5,70 Euros for a round trip) was very steep but so enjoyable! You can see the entire city of Como if you get to stand at the end of the train. It is approximately a fifteen minute ride up but definitely worth the view. 

Sadly I reached Brunate quite late, so it was dark and I was unable to experience the town properly. I did see that there is a famous lighthouse nearby (30 minutes walk, 10 minutes from the available shuttle service). So I have another reason to visit Como again!

Getting back

Getting back to Milan is easy and similar to the way you come to Como. I went back to the station, purchased a ticket from the vending machine (I had not planned the trip in advance, so I had not booked a round trip), and went back in the same train I came in. 

Como is a small quaint town, perfect for a day trip from Milan. If you are going there in the winter season, I would recommend reaching a little early on a sunny day (maybe reaching by 11 am) so you can have brunch in a restaurant overlooking the lake shore and admire the scenery; then going up to Brunate for a quick visit around; coming back down to Como for a late lunch; and then taking the ferry ride till Varese (which is another beautifully scenic town from what I have read). You can explore Varese for a few hours, maybe have aperitivo or an early dinner, and then take a train back to Milan at night (Varese is also well connected to Milan).