One thing that has surprised me about being an “interior design” blogger is that, by far, the most read blogs I publish are the ones about our travels. As surprising as that may seem, I also understand it. As an interior design content creator, I don’t read very many blogs about interior design (though I devour in-print magazines and coffee table books). Conversely, I read a lot of travel blogs. There is just something that works about consuming travel content online, and in blog format in particular.
But really why you’re here is to not listen to my inner ramblings about the most suitable form of content depending on subject type, but to hear about our voyage into Northern Italy. We took this 10-day trip over a year ago, but every last bit of it is still fresh in my mind because it was just that memorable, and I know the kids would say the same. It was the type of trip that we still talk about all the time, while my older one begs us to move to Italy already (for the record, I am not opposed). Aside from it being incredible and memorable, I also want to talk about why, yes, you should bring your kids to Lake Como (and Venice…a blog will be forthcoming on that soon). For the sake of making this blog easily consumable, I am going to break it down into two blogs: the first will be about Lake Como and the second in the series will be about Venice. We did spend two days in Milan as well, but not enough time there to write a full blog on it. I’m hoping to return soon, though, for Design Week!
Lago di Como
Where to Stay
I had never been to Lake Como before, but spoke to many people who have been there before booking our stay (and, of course, read many blogs on the topic). There are a few conclusions that, after actually traveling there, I came to:
- Bellagio is very beautiful, very crowded and a bit overrated. It is one of those places that you have such high expectations for, so of course that played into my overall impression. I’m glad we spent the better part of a day in Bellagio. I’m also glad we didn’t spend more time there because there is a lot to see and do on Como, and Bellaggio wasn’t even my favorite. All of this is to say, I wouldn’t stay in Bellagio. It is crowded and overrun by tourists (and we were there before the high season).
- Stay near the center of the lake vs. the southern tip in or near the city of Como. We didn’t really spend any time in the city of Como other than taking the train from there, and driving through Como on our way in. It seems like a nice enough city, but are you really coming to Lake Como for city living? I didn’t think so. Besides, Lake Como is fairly large, and staying near the center allows you to more easily and fully explore it. You don’t need a car to get around the lake, either…
- It is worth staying in a hotel with a concierge (vs. an airbnb, etc.). The best way to get around Lake Como is by boat, and it’s just nice having someone to reserve water taxis for you (there are also plenty of traghetti, or ferries, that pick up and drop off at many locations throughout the lake, too). Be aware: water taxis are insanely expensive, but also very fun. We took just a couple and otherwise used the ferry system to get around. It’s also nice having the option of a pool because the water is FREEZING. Like, so very, very cold and I am fairly certain it never really gets warm. For those of you who live on Lake Michigan like I do, I would say the water temps are probably quite similar, possibly even a bit colder. Billy and Eva went for a dip (this was early June) and they were quite the spectacle for the rest of the visitors at our hotel because no one could believe humans were putting their skin in that water.
So, where did we stay and did we like it? We stayed at the Filario Hotel & Residences and we LOVED IT. Probably one of the top five hotel experiences we have ever had, and the kids were completely in love with it, too. Filario boasts one of (if not the only) beaches on Lake Como (it is not large, and very rocky, but has an outrageously delicious pizza restaurant on it that also makes amazing cocktails, as well as lots of lounge chairs). The restaurant inside the hotel is better than some of the Michelin-starred restaurants I have eaten at, and I would say even better, actually, because it was completely kid-friendly, not fussy or pretentious at ALL, and the staff was just incredible. They loved the kids and the kids loved them right back.
The room was just as wonderful as the staff and the food. It was huge, with two-bedrooms, two-bathrooms, a huge balcony overlooking the lake, a kitchen, and a living room. The decor was minimalist, yet very well-done. Because we went just before high season, we got a great rate and it was worth every penny. The weather was literal perfection, the crowds were light, and we felt like we had this hotel and the lake nearly all to ourselves.
The last thing few things I will say about the Filario is that it is centrally located on the lake, and the pool was also amazing. It was heated, so we were able to really enjoy it in early June, and it was never crowded (we were usually the only ones in it).
Overall, I’m giving Filario 10/10 stars (and, no, they did not pay me to say that, nor did they compensate me for our stay, but hey, Filario, if you’re ever into that type of thing, let me know because we would be MORE than happy to come back 😂😉).
When to Go
As I have alluded to a few times already, we went in early June. And, yes, choosing early June was a very, very intentional choice. Let me tell you why.
Our kids get out of school in very early June, so going earlier wasn’t really an option for us, but we also did want to get as close to the warmest months we could get, while still avoiding the high season. If our kids’ schedules weren’t as much of a consideration, I would have also entertained a trip in September or October, even, when the ferries are still running regularly and the villas, gardens and historic mansions are all open to the public. The weather is also still nice then.
I’m sure Lake Como is still worth a visit in the dead of summer (or even the dead of winter), but both of those seasons come with some major drawbacks. During the high season you will surely be contending with major crowds, and the winter you won’t have as much open to enjoy (though the ferries are heated, they run less regularly then, and one of my favorite small pleasures during our visit to Como was having the warm sun hit my skin as we cruised on the waters of the lake).
We had pretty perfect weather during our stay in early June. Mostly sunny, mid-to-high 70s, and late sunsets, giving us maximal amount of daylight to enjoy the scenery.
What to Do
Visit Varenna
Varenna was my favorite part of our Lake Como trip (scenes from Varenna pictured above). This town was a little less crowded than Bellagio and, in my humble opinion, quite a bit more beautiful. It felt like walking through a medieval fairy tale (yes, Varenna does have medieval roots). The buildings are colorful, the views are epic, and the the streets are narrow and winding (and mostly pedestrian). It’s easy to access via ferry, too.
We ended up happening upon a spot called “Bar Giardino” which is a courtyard inside the Hotel Royal Victoria, and I would highly recommend popping in for an Aperol Spritz (or your drink of choice). Otherwise, just wandering the streets and popping into the stores and cafes was utterly enjoyable in itself.
Visit Bellagio
Bellaggio, though not my favorite part of the lake, is still definitely worth a visit, and be sure to pop into Villa Melzi for a visit. We spent the better part of a day walking the hilly streets, popping into cafes for an espresso an a cornetto, and enjoying the views. We took a water taxi to and fro Bellagio and our driver was a really great resource for information about the lake. The boat was beautiful, and the girls really enjoyed our ride with him.
Eat at il Governo
This restaurant is a member of the “Locali Storici d’Italia” (Historical Places of Italy) and was established in 565 under Justinian the Great. It has been run by the same family for seven generations (since Napoleon in 1801) and claims to be the oldest operating restaurant in the world.
While all of that is very cool, come for the pistachio pesto pasta. We ate SO much pistachio pesto while on our Sicily trip (it’s usually a Sicilian dish), but our favorite of all was at il Governo. Really, all the food here was wonderful, the atmosphere was great, and the staff is very kind and welcoming. They take a lot of pride in their restaurant (and it’s obvious why they do). This was very close (walking distance – though a bit of a scary walk) from our hotel, but otherwise, might be a bit tricky to get to. If you can access it, though, it’s worth the trip!
Other
It’s fun, too, checking out all the palazzi of the famous, like Lady Gaga and George Clooney, from the water. We rented a boat for a day and had a lot of fun just exploring the lake from the water. I would highly recommend doing the same if you have the chance.
I wish we had more time to check out other palazzi that are open to the public, such as Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbainello, and Villa Olmo. If I had been with a more design-interested crowd, and not my children, I would have been sure to sneak them in on this trip, but now I just have a reason to go back (as if I needed one!).
Truly, though, what is so great about Lake Como is the opportunity to just slow down and relax while traveling Italy. Cities like Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan will forever be favorites of mine, but you’re usually squeezing in as much site-seeing as possible and approaching 20,000 steps/day while visiting them. Lake Como is a destination of a different speed. My best recommendation would be to find a great hotel with easy ferry access to explore the lake from, but also a spot where you can just sit poolside or lakeside and just take in those utterly incredible views. It’s an easy spot to pop up to if visiting Milan (or even southern Switzerland). And the train ride to Venice is only around three hours. Which is exactly where we headed next…
