Lake Como on a Whim

While I was on a guided tour to Jungfraujoch in Switzerland, one comment in particular that was made by my tour guide struck me as interesting: "Switzerland is about the size of New York state."

Knowing that I had a few extra days free at the end of my trip, I started looking into whether I could add a new country to my list of places I'd visited. After briefly considering Liechtenstein, I landed on Italy, specifically Lake Como and Milan.

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From Zurich to Como

Starting at the Zurich HB Main Station, the train ride to Como takes about 3 hours. I'm sure there are some people who know how to use the ticket machines in the underground station for international travel between Switzerland and Italy, but I found purchasing my tickets online to be easier. The website I used is linked here.

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What to Do in Como

One reason that I am drawn to destinations either in national parks or on lakes is because the itinerary is much easier to plan. There are just two steps:

1. Get there.

2. Explore.

You don't have to concern yourself with seeing a specific set of popular eateries or attending the location's must-see events.

The downtown of Como is a short walk from the train station. Across the street from Caffe Monti, where I enjoyed a lovely meal outside with the birds who were stealing my chips, is the ticket booth for the ferries around the lake. I had only a day in the area, so I opted for a ticket on the fast-service hydrofoil (€14.80 one way) from Como over to Bellagio, where I spent a couple hours wandering the charming streets before heading back.

As I was there during off-season, not many restaurants or shops were open in Bellagio, but even so I preferred it to Como. Bellagio felt more like the type of quaint village you would see in an animated Disney film, while Como felt more like a small town.

Be sure to make your way to Bellagio's Punta Spartivento for unobstructed views of the lake. Don't be dissuaded from making this short trek by the fact that portions of the road that take you from the dock to the viewpoint lack sidewalks. Aside from this spot, I would have to return during the summer to have additional recommendations on must-sees, but that is a job I will happily take on.

A quick thing to note: you can't buy roundtrip hydrofoil tickets, so you must instead buy a one-way ticket from Como to Bellagio and then a one-way ticket in Bellagio to return. Everyone is very nice and helpful, and the ticket booth in Bellagio is right next to where the boat docks, so it's a relatively straightforward process otherwise.

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Where to Stay on a Budget

If you book in advance, there are some gorgeous Airbnb's on the water around the lake for about $80-$90/night, but as I was planning the trip less than a week out, I chose instead to stay at a hostel in Milan for the night.

Even though Milan can't replace Paris in my heart for my favorite European city, my visit there served as a good reminder that some of the best memories come from unexpected surprises and not meticulous planning.

When I found that the gelato shop I had picked from a "Best Milanese Gelato" list, and walked forty minutes to, was closed for the season, I decided to head to my hostel before trying to find an alternative. On the way there, however, I walked right by Gelato for Run. I am glad I went in, as the Italian behind the counter was very kind to translate the flavors that were listed out--my Italian begins and ends somewhere around "un caffè per favore"--and the dark chocolate and Italian pastry-inspired flavors I chose were amazing.

After checking in to my hostel, I made the short walk over to Darsena del Naviglio, where I had seen everyone was enjoying aperitivo, an Italian pre-dinner meal of appetizers and cocktails. The outdoor heaters made it possible to enjoy sitting outside with a view of the water while having a very large (and very inexpensive) Aperol Spritz.

Milan doesn't sleep on breakfast either, adhering to the Italian tradition of having a quick pastry and cappuccino in the morning. If you want the option of savoring your breakfast, visit Pave Bakery before hopping on the train to your next destination. You won't be disappointed. It truly is a breakfast revolution.