LAKE COMO INSIDER - The Essential Local Guide
By Manuele Colombo - born on Lake Como, resident for over forty years.
Fully updated for 2026.
Most travel guides to Lake Como are written by people who spent a week here with a notebook. This one is different.
Manuele Colombo was born on Lake Como. He has lived here for over forty years. He knows which ferry to take on a Saturday morning in July to avoid the crowds at Bellagio. He knows which restaurant in Varenna is worth the walk uphill. He knows why Lecco is the most underrated town on the lake - and why most visitors never discover it.
This is the guide he would give you if you asked him, over coffee, how to spend a few days here properly.
What's inside:
• The towns - Como, Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio, Cernobbio, Tremezzina, Lecco and the quieter villages most guides ignore: Nesso, Argegno, Gravedona, Colico
• The villas - which ones are genuinely worth your time, what to see inside, and when to arrive to beat the crowds
• Getting around - how the ferry system actually works, which train reaches the central lake from Milan in under an hour, and how to do it all without a car
• Hikes and walks - from easy lakeside paths to the high routes with views most visitors never see
• Food and drink - where locals eat, what to order, and how to spot a tourist trap before you sit down
• Day trips - Lugano, Bellinzona, the Bernina Express, Bergamo
• Ready-made itineraries - 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, plus a dedicated romantic itinerary
Also includes an exclusive reader discount for the Lake Como Insider - your personal local guide that answers your specific questions in real time, before you arrive and while you're already on the lake.
"There is no bad day on this lake. Some are just better than others."
Whether you're planning a day trip from Milan, a weekend stay, or a full week on the water, this guide gives you the knowledge to do it like a local.
