On our road trip through Italy, Mickey and I spent a few nights on the gorgeous Lake Como. Lake Como has tons of small towns lining the lake making it very time consuming to research and find the perfect town for you. I had heard various rumors such as “The city of Como is too touristy” or “Tremezzo is small but has a beautiful hotel.” Luckily, we had gotten a recommendation from some friends to stay in Bellagio and decided to take their advice.
Bellagio is located between the two southern branches of the lake, on the promontory sticking out in the lake. This city is known for its beautiful villas overlooking the water – and it has every right to be. We immediately fell in love with the architecture and sophistication of the town.
With that being said, you can imagine the typical cost per night for a hotel room in Bellagio is not cheap. When we travel, we prefer to spend less to see more. So long as the budget is tight, the opportunity cost of traveling to multiple different destinations outweighs that of staying in a nicer hotel. My go-to for stays while traveling is Airbnb. I have found that, especially in Europe, you can get a delectable apartment/home for a very reasonable price. For some tips on how to find the best Airbnb for you, check out my post Guide to Booking the Perfect Airbnb for You.
There was a bus that stopped at the end of our street and took you right into downtown, but we had a car so we drove and parked in the free street parking near town instead. We stayed in a lovely Italian family’s guest house. We did not have much contact with them during our stay but when we did, they were very pleasant. The host, Nicoletta, did not speak much English and her daughter, Elisa, had been the one speaking to us through Airbnb. When we arrived for check-in, Elisa wasn’t around so Nicoletta showed us to our room and did her best to translate for us. She showed us around and then gave us a map of the area, explained the best means of transportation, and provided some restaurant recommendations. The Airbnb itself had an outstanding view of the lake with the mountains on either side. Being a little ways up in the village, we were also able to see some other homes in the area. One of my favorite parts about traveling is seeing how others live and what their lives are like. Staying in a neighborhood like this and being able to interact with the locals is a great way to do so! Within the first 20 minutes of arriving in Bellagio, we had already fallen in love with the scenery and its people.
The downtown area of Bellagio is as close to perfect as it gets. Restaurants, cafes and shops line the streets along the water and weave through the alleys. You cannot make a wrong turn in this town. Everywhere you look the restaurants are as yummy as the next and the shops are cute as the one before.
We spent a whole morning exploring every inch of the city. We stopped at café with delicious cappuccinos and croissants. We browsed in a few shops. We ate the BEST gelato. The rest of our time on Lake Como was spent visiting other cities on the lake via ferry. You can buy a day pass for about $15 which gives you unlimited rides anywhere on the lake. Just make sure you don’t miss the last one back to Bellagio or you’ll be stuck across the lake!
Our trip to Bellagio was nothing less than perfect. Isn’t it satisfying to look back on a trip you took and think “wow, I would not have done anything differently”? We loved it so much we made it our goal to someday own a villa there so we can visit as much as we want! Bellagio – this isn’t a goodbye, it’s a see you soon ?
