Destination Italy: Lake Como and Lugano by Car + Baby on Board – Day 2

Bellagio, Nobiallo and Menaggio, Italy

Morning in Menaggio, Lake Como, Italy

Start the day with breakfast in Menaggio, then take the ferry to Bellagio, one of the most famous destinations on Lake Como, Italy. You can have breakfast at Cafè del Pess in Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi one of the most pleasant spots in Menaggio to enjoy a coffee while admiring the beautiful view of Lake Como. Then get to the ferry terminal. Go down on Via L. Cadorna, turn right on Via Como, at the end of the street turn right on Via IV Novembre. Cross the street, see Grand Hotel Menaggio, turn left and you get to Menaggio (Traghetto) ferry terminal and take the traghetto to Bellagio.

Get to Bellagio ferry terminal and take the ferry – it costs approx. 4.6 euros per person. It is a traghetto boat, the ride is 15 minutes. Check the website.

Breakfast & Lakeside Walk in Bellagio, Lake Como, Italy

If you didn’t have breakfast in Menaggio, you can have breakfast at Bar Pasticceria Rossi in Bellagio.

From the ferry terminal go to the right on Lungolago Europa, you will find a drinking Water Fountain Bellagio to fill your bottles.

You can take the Trombetta Express Bellagio tourist train from Bellagio ferry station to San Giovanni.

A ride costs 5 euros for adults and 2.50 for children. The ticket is valid all day. The train takes you to places like Villa Melzi, Loppia, San Giovanni, and passes through all the hamlets of Bellagio. It leaves every 30 – 40 minutes, from 10 am to 6 pm. It is available only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. San Giovanni is the 6th stop. First is the Bellagio ferry stop, the second one is after Borgo near Pescallo, the third is after Pescallo, the 4th is on Via Aureggio, the 5th is in Loppia. Then the 6st stop is in San Giovanni and finally the 7th is near Villa Melzi.

Bellagio San Giovanni Hamlet & Local Festival in Italy

In Italy they have many religious festivals. In San Giovanni hamlet on the 22th – 23th June, Parrocchia S. Giovanni holds the traditional Sagra di Bellagio – Feast of San Giovanni in the square in front of the church of San Giovanni, by the Imbarcadero di Bellagio San Giovanni. Check the website for the events schedule. Moreover, in the back of the church you will notice Casa delle Biciclette Volanti. The house has become a tourist attraction for the numerous vintage bicycles that hang on its exterior walls.

Loppia Hamlet

After 25 minutes go and board the next tourist train. Get off at Loppia hamlet with its dock and historic lucie boats and the Scallota (Loppia stairs). There you will find Porto comunale in località Loppia di Bellagio and Chiesa Santa Maria di Loppia, which cannot be visited, but it can be seen along the main road towards Como.

Villa Melzi Gardens, Bellagio, Italy: The Jewel of Lake Como

Visit I Giardini di Villa Melzi – botanical garden. Before you go, visit their website for updated info. At the entrance in Loppia you can first see Cappella di Villa Melzi. Then you can see Villa Melzi, only from the outside; the villa itself is a private property, so it is closed to the public.

I Giardini di Villa Melzi it’s a picturesque botanical garden with statues, lakeside paths and a beautiful villa built between 1808 and 1810. The park has many rare trees, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. Entry price is 10 euros. It is open every day from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. In the garden you can see a hidden cave and an artificial pond in Japanese style. In the Orangery adjacent to the villa there is a small museum, which exhibits Napoleonic memorabilia, evidence of Duke Francesco Melzi d’Eril loyalty to Napoleon. The garden is crossed by many winding paths. Under the trees, along the shore and at the intersections of the paths, there are Egyptian sculptures and Roman statues. Moreover, on the lake shore you can visit beautiful Chiosco Moresco.

Bellagio Lakefront Promenade

Take the tourist train or walk back to the ferry terminal. Head north on Via Lungo Lario Manzoni. Then see Restaurant La Terrazza on the left and Bellagio Bar Pizzeria Splendide. And forward there are Gelateria Excelsior and also Bar Sanremo. Continue forward and at the intersection you will find Hotel Metropole Bellagio on the left. It has a fantastic terrace facing the lake. Then you can see the famous Salita Serbelloni, or Serbelloni steps on the right. Also on the right there is Grandi Carlo di Alberto Gaviglio – handicraft and souvenir shop selling gifts, ornaments, cameos, corals, jewelry etc.

Continue forward at Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini. See the beautiful Hotel Restaurant Suisse. Then next to it there is Bar Pasticceria Rossi – offering continental breakfast, sandwiches, cocktails, fresh pastry and also a tea room. Then there is NANDO – ex Carillon, also a Restaurant-pizzeria with a large outdoor garden on the lakefront, and Hotel du Lac on the right.

Via Roma & Scenic Terraces of Bellagio, Italy

Continue ahead and arrive in Via Roma. Just before the street turns right you will find Hotel Florence and Restaurant de l’hotel Florence. It has a beautiful terrace on the lake and prices around 12 – 25 euros a course. Then next to the terrace there is Punto Panoramica Bellagio, offering scenic views of the lake. Then turn right and you will arrive at Ristorante La Goletta – approx. 20 euros a course, 10 euros a pizza or dessert. In the same location there is Ristorante Mistral – one Michelin star, very expensive, with prices between 40 – 90 euros a course. These restaurants are within the famous Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.

Maybe have lunch at Restaurant de l’hotel Florence or even at Ristorante La Goletta.

Borgo & Basilica of St. Giacomo

From Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni go right on Via Roma and therefore get to Borgo hamlet, Piazza della Chiesa.

See Basilica of St. Giacomo, a Romanesque church built between the 11th and 12th centuries. Across the piazza there are some bars and restaurants, such as: Caffè Bar Sport, Bistrot Antichi Sapori serving typical and local Italian food, Prices: 10 – 25 euros a course, 7 – 10 euros a pizza, and La Fontana Bellagio dei F.lli Patroni offering traditional cuisine, typical local food in a cozy atmosphere, prices: pizza form 7 euros.

In the back of St. Giacomo church there is the entrance to Parco di Villa Serbelloni.

Via Giuseppe Garibaldi & Shopping Streets in Bellagio, Italy

Continue south on Via Giuseppe Garibaldi which is populated by many shops selling local food, leather goods, clothes, perfumes etc. From this main street, several alleys lead to the lakefront, facing the Como branch of the lake. These alleys are also full of shops and restaurants and stairs. Food options in the area are Bar Ristorante Vecchio Borgo – offering breakfast, sandwiches, aperitives, pizza, Gelateria del Borgo – selling homemade ice cream, ice drinks, milk shakes, ice cream cakes, Italian delicatessen and wine and cheese tasting – Da Caio – selling Italian specialties: sweets, pasta, truffles, Italian wine and liquors, local olive oil, and also cold sandwiches and take-away dishes, picnic baskets; prices: a bunch of salami, prosciutto, bread, and cheese around 8 euros.

Continue forward and there will be an intersection with Salita Serbelloni on the right. Go down a little on this famous stairway street. Food options: San Giacomo on the right – trattoria serving typical and local dishes, and also wide wine selection in a friendly atmosphere; prices: 3 course fish menu only 28 euro. Then you have Ristorante Bilacus on the left – also offering typical and local Italian food. It has a beautiful terrace overlooking one of the most characteristic steps of Bellagio; prices: around 15 euros.

You can have lunch at Bar Ristorante Vecchio Borgo or at San Giacomo trattoria, both are good options.

Get back to Via Giuseppe Garibaldi and then continue south and at the first intersection you will find Bellagio City Hall and also Chiesa di San Giorgio on the right. Moreover, on the left are the stairs that lead to Pescallo – Scalotta per Pescallo.

Pescallo Hamlet of Bellagio, Italy

Continue the itinerary towards Pescallo hamlet – a great place to relax, an old fishing village located southeast of the promontory.

A stepped pathway – Salita Cappuccini and then Scalotta per Pescallo, which starts from the town hall of Bellagio, will take you there in about 10 minutes.

Go down the stairs through stone walls and get to Porto – Pescallo and Hotel Ristorante La Pergola – a unique lakeside terrace, offering breathtaking views and a simple and genuine kitchen, open every day except Tuesday, from 12.30 to 2.30 pm and from 7 pm to 9.30 pm; prices: 18 – 25 euros.

Lake Como Ferry Ride to Menaggio, Italy

Get back the same way to Commune di Bellagio. Cross Parco Martiri Della Libertà and then get to the lakeshore, Lungolago Europa, or catch the tourist train to the ferry terminal. Get back to Lake Como Gestione Navigazione Laghi and finally take the ferry to Menaggio and enjoy the views.

Cross Lake Como and enjoy the views. Get off at Menaggio ferry terminal. From there go to the accommodation and afterwards drive to Nobiallo.

Menaggio & Nobiallo, Italy Evening Visit

Park by Porto turistico de Nobiallo. The port and Parco di Nobiallo are nice for a walk and also for taking in the views of the lake. You can also walk a few steps up to the village. Then head towards Menaggio on Via Armando Diaz and at the intersection go right on Via Regina. Pass by Chiesa dei Santi Bartolomeo e Nicola and then get to Piazzetta di Nobiallo. Or, from the parking lot by the port, cross the street and then go on the narrow alley called Via alla Parrocchia.

Lakeside Walk near Menaggio and Dinner with Views of Lake Como, Italy

Afterwards drive back to Menaggio on Via Armando Diaz. Before entering the tunnel at Menaggio – Galleria bus stop, there is the start of the Falesia Menaggio on the left. If you can park there at the entrance, have a walk on the lakeshore promenade and take in the views of Lake Como. If not, drive ahead and after the tunnel ends, there you will find a big free parking lot on the left, Parcheggio Comunale. From there walk towards the lake on Via dei Cipressi and see a camping site and also the beach, Spiaggia Lerai.

Drive all the way back to Menaggio center, get to the intersection with Via IV Novembre and then turn left on Via Giuseppe Mazzini and continue ahead. Pass by Grand Hotel Victoria concept & spa, by R Collection Hotels, continue and also pass by Il Gabbiano Bar Gelateria and park near Lido Beach Menaggio and La Grolla Menaggio restaurant where you can have a nice dinner with views of Lake Como.

Read On

Be sure to explore the next chapter of our Italian journey — from hidden corners to breathtaking views, there’s so much more to discover. You can find all our posts about Lake Como on this page. For more inspiration and practical travel tips, don’t miss our maps and travel guides, and visit our Italy Travel Hub and Italy Bucket List — your go-to resources for exploring Italy in depth. Are you looking to expand your itinerary? Don’t miss our posts on Venice!

Thanks for reading!

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