Varenna & Bellagio
Private Day Trip from Milan
The eastern shore of Lake Como by the Lecco road: Varenna in the morning, a short ferry across to Bellagio for the afternoon. Door-to-door by private Mercedes, 8 hours, fixed price from €600 per car.
Book this day trip
Lake Como: Varenna & Bellagio · private and tailor-made
Book this day trip
See the price for your car now, then send the request: we confirm the driver and send a secure payment link. The itinerary is yours to change: tell us your stops in the notes.
- CarsMercedes E-Class up to 2 guests, V-Class up to 6
- Pick-upYour hotel in Milan, or Malpensa, Linate, Bergamo (+€60)
- PaymentNothing now: we confirm, then send a secure link
Two villages facing each other across the lake
Varenna and Bellagio look at each other across the widest part of Lake Como. This day reaches the lake from the east: instead of Como, the car takes the SS36 through the Brianza to Lecco and follows the eastern shore of the Lecco branch to Varenna, a small village of coloured houses stacked above a tiny harbour. After the morning there, a passenger ferry of about a quarter of an hour carries you over to Bellagio. It is a quieter, more village-focused alternative to the Como-based day trips from Milan.
While you cross on the passenger boat, your driver brings the car round by road via Lecco and meets you in Bellagio, so the day ends there without going back. If you prefer the car to cross with you, it can travel on the car ferry, with the ticket paid on the day. The price is per vehicle, not per person: from €600 with an E-Class for two, from €680 with a V-Class for up to six.
Varenna & Bellagio Day at a Glance
Varenna & Bellagio Day Trip Itinerary
Varenna while it is still quiet, a short boat ride at midday, and an afternoon in Bellagio.
Tailor-made, always. This itinerary is our suggestion only: every MilanobyCar day trip is tailor-made. Change the stops, the order and the timing as you like, or tell us your own plan in the booking notes.
Your driver, your local insider. Our chauffeurs are not licensed tour guides and do not guide you inside museums or sites, but they know these places well from years on the road: ask them for the best viewpoints, where to eat, where to stroll and how to avoid the busiest spots. If you would like a licensed guide, we can book one for you.
Pick-up at your hotel in Milan
Your driver meets you in the lobby. The SS36 runs north through the Brianza to Lecco, then the road follows the eastern shore of the lake to Varenna. From Linate or Bergamo airport, the day can start at arrivals.
The harbour and the Lovers’ Walk
Your driver drops you by the village, as parking in Varenna is scarce. Walk the Passeggiata degli Innamorati, a short promenade suspended above the water between the ferry landing and the village, then the harbour and Piazza San Giorgio with its 14th-century church.
Lakeside garden and house museum
A former convent turned villa, with a botanical garden stretching along the shore and a house museum furnished in late 19th-century style. The garden is open most of the year; the museum closes on Tuesdays outside summer. Villa Cipressi’s garden next door is an alternative.
Across the lake to Bellagio
The passenger ferry from Varenna to Bellagio takes about 15–20 minutes. Meanwhile your driver brings the car round by road via Lecco, or puts it on the car ferry if you prefer.
Lunch in Bellagio
Lake fish, risotto and local cheeses. Your driver can suggest a place on the lakefront or in the upper lanes and book a table.
Lanes, Basilica of San Giacomo and Villa Melzi
Climb the stepped lanes to the Romanesque basilica, walk out to Punta Spartivento, or follow the shore to the Villa Melzi gardens, open from spring until the end of October.
Back to Milan via Lecco
The car leaves from Bellagio along the lake road to Lecco and the SS36. Drop-off at your hotel, at Linate or Bergamo airport, or elsewhere.
Varenna & Bellagio Day Trip Prices — 8-Hour Private Car
Prices are per vehicle for the whole 8-hour day with 150 km included, whatever the number of passengers. Saturdays and Sundays +20%, major holidays +50%, airport pick-up +€60. Extra hours €75 with the E-Class, €85 with the V-Class, bookable in the form below.
- •Door-to-door from your Milan hotel
- •English-speaking chauffeur
- •8 hours · 150 km included
- •Door-to-door from your Milan hotel
- •English-speaking chauffeur
- •8 hours · 150 km included
- •Executive luxury sedan
- •English-speaking chauffeur
Included in the price
- ✓Private Mercedes and English-speaking chauffeur for the whole day
- ✓Door-to-door pick-up and return in Milan
- ✓Fuel, motorway tolls and parking for the car
- ✓Bottled water on board
- ✓Child seats on request, free of charge
- ✓Driver waiting while you visit
Not included — paid separately
- ✕Passenger ferry Varenna – Bellagio
- ✕Car ferry ticket, if the car crosses with you
- ✕Villa and garden tickets (Villa Monastero, Villa Melzi)
- ✕Meals and drinks
- ✕Licensed local guide (bookable on request)
Milan to Varenna & Bellagio: The Route
About 80 km on the SS36 via Monza and Lecco, then along the eastern shore to Varenna: around 1 hour 15 minutes. Passenger ferry to Bellagio, and back to Milan via Lecco, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Varenna & Bellagio Day Trip from Milan — FAQ
Varenna and Bellagio by private car or by train?
There is a train from Milan to Varenna-Esino taking about an hour, and the station is a short walk from the village. Bellagio has no station, so you add the ferry, and coming home means a ferry back to Varenna and the train again. A private car starts at your hotel, avoids the return crossing and brings you home from Bellagio directly.
What makes Varenna worth the detour?
Varenna is smaller and quieter than Bellagio, with its harbour, the promenade over the water and two villas with lakeside gardens. Above the village stands the Castello di Vezio, and just south of it the Fiumelatte, about 250 m long and often described as the shortest river in Italy, flows from spring to autumn.
How much is a Varenna and Bellagio day trip?
MilanobyCar charges a fixed price per car: from €600 for two passengers in a Mercedes E-Class and from €680 for up to six in a V-Class, for 8 hours with 150 km included. Ferry tickets are extra. Weekends +20%, holidays +50%, extra hours €75 or €85.
Book Your Varenna & Bellagio Day Trip — Private Mercedes from Milan
8 hours, English-speaking driver, door-to-door. Varenna in the morning, Bellagio in the afternoon.
or call +39 335 821 0912