Lake Como looks compact on a map, but the drive to a lakeside hotel can take anything from 45 minutes to more than two hours depending on where you are staying. The difference comes from the roads: the motorway reaches the town of Como quickly, and from there narrow lakeside roads lead along each shore. This guide lists real driving times from Google Maps, for a weekday morning, to some of the lake's best-known hotels, and explains what they mean for your arrival day.
The southern end: Cernobbio, Moltrasio, Blevio and Torno
The hotels closest to the town of Como are the quickest to reach. From Malpensa, Villa d'Este in Cernobbio is about 45 minutes and Passalacqua in Moltrasio about 45 minutes as well. On the eastern shore, Mandarin Oriental in Blevio is about 55 minutes from Malpensa, and Il Sereno in Torno about 55 minutes. From central Milan, allow between 1 h 05 min and 1 h 20 min for these hotels.
The central lake: Tremezzina and Bellagio
The central part of the lake takes longer. Grand Hotel Tremezzo is about 1 h 20 min from Malpensa and about 1 h 45 min from central Milan. Bellagio, at the point where the lake divides, is the longest of the classic transfers: Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is about 1 h 50 min from Malpensa and more than 2 hours from central Milan. Some guests prefer to drive to Varenna or Cadenabbia and take the short ferry crossing to Bellagio; your driver can suggest the best option for your arrival time.
Linate or Malpensa?
For the hotels near Como, Malpensa is usually closer than Linate: Villa d'Este is about an hour from Linate against about 45 minutes from Malpensa. For Il Sereno, Linate is about 1 h 15 min. If you have a choice of flights, Malpensa usually wins for Lake Como; if your flight lands at Linate, the difference is rarely more than 20 to 30 minutes.
What slows the lake roads
In summer, weekends and holiday periods, the lakeside roads are busy with cars, coaches and cyclists. Narrow stretches, village centres and parking at hotel entrances all take time. A good driver plans the departure around this, chooses the timing of the last stretch and stops exactly where the hotel can receive luggage.
Seasonal hotels
Several of the lake's grand hotels close for part of the winter. Before planning your transfer, check the opening dates with the hotel. Outside the main season the roads are quieter and the transfer times are often closer to the figures in this guide.
Planning your arrival
Send us your flight, your hotel and the number of passengers and suitcases. We track the flight, meet you in the arrivals hall with a name sign and take you to the hotel door. For a family or a group with a lot of luggage, the V-Class or the Sprinter Luxury VIP keeps everyone in one vehicle. Each transfer is quoted in writing; price on request.
During your stay
Once you are settled, the lake is best explored by boat, but a car is still useful: for dinner in another village, a day of shopping in Milan, a visit to Lugano across the border or an excursion to St. Moritz. A car and driver by the hour, with a minimum of four hours, waits for you between stops. For departure day, we plan the pick-up time around your flight and the traffic on the lake road, so that you reach the airport without rushing.
An independent service
Elite Royal Cars is an independent chauffeur company based in Milan and is not affiliated with the hotels mentioned in this guide. For room reservations and hotel services, contact the hotels directly.