About a month ago, I started rounding up our most recent visit to Europe! Last Fall, RJ and I spent a little over a week in the Italian Riviera, Lake Como, and Portugal. The entire trip was an absolute dream but I may have to say our 3 Days in Lake Como might have been the best part of the whole week. So good that we almost canceled the Portugal leg of our trip to stay longer.
I’m excited to share why we chose Lake Como, how we got there, where we stayed and a little bit about our budget. If you’re even considering traveling to Italy, please add Lake Como and our amazing hotel to your list. It was truly one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.
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If you read my post on the Italian Riviera, you know a little bit about how we landed on Northern Italy for our annual vacation. We can’t seem to stay away from Italy and we were excited to have the ability to visit two of our dream locations in one visit. Flying in and out of Milan, you are very close to Lake Como. Only about an hour/hour and a half to Bellagio (the town we stayed in within Lake Como).
In this guide, I’m going to break down a few essential things I think you should know for your trip. I am including a little index below if you want to jump around! If you have any questions let me know!
For our 3 Days in Lake Como guide, I’m going to share:
- Flight Information/Rental Car
- Hotel
- Restaurants
- Things To Do
Arrival & Flight Info
We flew into Milan, but first traveled to the Portofino area. After spending three days on the coast, we traveled from Santa Margherita Ligure to Lake Como. It worked out so well because it was very rainy during our drive and absolutely beautiful weather for the rest of our visit. Even though it was very rainy, it was still a very easy drive! If you fly into Milan and drive, it would be even shorter and easier.
When our 3 days in Lake Como were over we flew out of Milan to Lisbon, Portugal. Please note there are two airports in Milan. We flew into a different one than we left from and I almost didn’t notice! Both airports were easy to navigate and close to Lake Como. We returned our rental car to the airport, it was pretty seamless!
Hotel
This is a BIG section. One of the things we really fell in love with at Lake Como was our incredible hotel. We stayed at Hotel Belvedere Bellagio and it was truly pure magic. It was easy to find and access. You could drive straight up to the front of the hotel for easy unloading and greeted with a delicious welcome cocktail paired with the most breathtaking lake views. From the moment we stepped inside, I was in love. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. They escorted us to our room and gave us a tour.
Our room was huge! Something you don’t always get in Europe. We had a private balcony terrace overlooking the lake and beautiful hotel grounds, a seating area and a huge bathroom with the most gorgeous soaking tub. In addition to the amazing tub, they offered local bath salts for your enjoyment! I was truly in heaven. Our room was perfection and I cannot wait to return one day.
The property of Hotel Belvedere Bellagio was breathtaking. I don’t even have words to describe it. A beautiful pool, gorgeous architecture, a spa, private gardens, rolling meadows and a rooftop sun terrace – all right on the water of Lake Como. We would grab a drink at the poolside bar and explore everything. It was so magnificant I really cannot put it into words. I really cannot say enough about this hotel.
If you can’t tell, we really loved this property from the moment we arrived but the thing that almost made us cancel the second half of our trip? The incredible restaurant on property. RJ and I have traveled around Italy and Italian food is our favorite type of food, so I think it’s safe to say we are experts when it comes to eating pasta. The restaurant on property was some of the best food we’ve ever had in our life, it was spectacular. During our 3 Days in Lake Como, we ended up eating here 4 times (not including the complimentary breakfast). We enjoyed sunset dinners over the lake and lunch on the terrace. When RJ and I talk about our ‘Death Row Last Meal’, we both include dishes from this restuarant. We tried so many things and loved them all but my absolute favorite was the Tagliolini verdi di pasta fresca gratinati al prosciutto, a Home-made green thin tagliatelle with ham au gratin. I dream of the day I can eat this incredible dish again.
Things To Do
Eating good food and soaking up the beautiful view at Lake Como is amazing, but there are even more things to love! Our first full day of our 3 Days in Lake Como we rented a boat for the day. Being on the lake in Chattanooga is one of my absolute favorite things. I almost always prefer the lake to the beach. I spent most of my Summer dreaming of the day we would experience Italian lake life. Let me tell you, it exceeded my expectations.
Rj was a little hesitant to rent a boat. He wasn’t sure how it would work logistically and was a little nervous about driving it in Italy. I did a lot of research on Lake Como boat rentals and every one raved about how easy and fun it was. I found a few boat rental companies in the Bellagio area and sent them emails. I was a little nervous because I didn’t hear back from most. Eventually, I heard back from one and reserved our boat. Once arriving in Bellagio, we ended up finding a different rental company that was closer to our hotel. You can’t drive much once you’re in Bellagio and we didn’t want to walk a few miles when we could go right down the road. We were able to switch our reservation and it worked out perfectly! We ended up using Lake By Boat and were so happy with everything. We didn’t need a special license or insurance, called the morning of (keep in mind during shoulder season) and were able to rent a boat that same day.
To prepare for the boat, I brought your typical boating day things – sunscreen, towels, a cardigan in case I got cold, and my polaroid camera. We also stopped in town to pack a picnic. This was the best decision we ever made. There is a small wine store where you can purchase different wines to take, wine opener, etc. we got some bottles and then went to a local market to pick up cheese, bread and balsamic vinegar. We took everything on the boat and had a picnic in the middle of Lake Como. When I say this was a pinch me moment, I am not lying! It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my entire life. I actually cried being out on the lake because it was so amazing. Everything was gorgeous, the food and wine were delicious and I was on a private boat with my husband in the middle of Italy. I really will never forget this day. We spent four hours driving around the lake, looking at houses and having the absolute time of our life. I cannot recommend this enough.
In addition to our boat day, we spent our other full day at the hotel pool, exploring the adorable town and relaxing! Out of all the places we’ve been in Italy, I think returning to Lake Como would be at the top of our list. It truly looked like something out of a story book and every aspect of it was so beyond perfect.
I hope this covers all your questions for Bellagio – our 3 Days in Lake Como. If I missed anything, please let me know below or DM me on Instagram (@RileySitton). Also, if you go and try any of these, PLEASE let me know. We’re hoping to go back with my parents in a couple of years but I need to live vicariously through you guys until then. XO
See more of my FAVORITE travel bucket list experiences here!
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