2020
A few months ago I managed to escape the UK and travel to Lake Como in Italy for a last minute mini break. You can watch a short vlog of the trip by clicking here.
Flights
We paid £75 for return flights to Milan (closest to Lake Como), out with Ryanair and back with Wizz (classy, I know!) Super cheap, probably largely due to COVID!
Accommodation
We stayed at Hotel Asnigo in Cernobbio which I would HIGHLY recommend. We paid EUR 748 (GBP £679) / £340 per person for 4 nights and had the most spectacular views from our room. It has a great restaurant and a nice pool with stunning views of the lake.
Whilst Cernobbio might not be the most famous place on Lake Como, it was my favourite out of everywhere we visited – had the best views and was not spoiled by too many tourists.
Currency
Is the EURO, of course. A GBP pretty much = a EUR at the moment, especially with conversion / currency charges.
Transport
We jumped in an Uber from Milan airport to the hotel – took about an hour. The easiest way to travel around Lake Como is by boat and these run really regularly from Cernobbio waterfront. The only downside is the boat service stops at about 7pm and is even more limited on certain days of the week / times of year, so you can’t stay late / have dinner somewhere else unless you’re prepared to pay a hefty taxi fee to get back (and the taxis seemed to be few and far between where we were).
What we did…
After a tough year, we were really looking to chill, eat some amazing food and drink some good wine, with a little bit of exploring thrown in for good measure. Other than hanging out by the pool, here’s what we did…
– Hike (from Hotel Asnigo)
We wanted to go for a big walk so asked the team at the hotel if there were any good routes near to us… they recommended Croce dell’Uomo as the easiest.
It was quite funny because it ended up being way more of a walk than we thought – we were asking people for directions along the way and they were laughing at us and wishing us luck as it was quite clear we did not know how long it would take by what we were wearing. Beautiful views, but maybe wear trainers and appropriate clothing if you go.
– Boat Trips
There are so many beautiful places to see a stones throw away from Cernobbio via boat. Find more details on a few places below. But first, here’s where to eat in Cernobbio…
Where to eat in Cernobbio…
Trattoria del Vapore
The guys at our hotel recommended this restaurant and it didn’t disappoint. I am a BIG pasta fan and I think this was the best pasta we ate during the whole trip. They had weird opening times (perhaps COVID related?) so make sure you check and book – you don’t want to miss out on this one.
Harry’s Bar
Lively restaurant on the waterfront in Cernobbio. It wasn’t the cheapest place in town, but the food was delicious and the service was fantastic. The staff were very friendly and happily organised us a taxi home too. I think it would be even more special during the daytime as it has great views of the lake.
Osteria del Beuc
Sweet little restaurant down a side street in Cernobbio – less touristy than the main ones along the front. Food was delicious and the place was packed full of locals.
Hotel Asnigo
As mentioned previously, the hotel we stayed in also had a nice restaurant with stunning views of the lake. Breakfast was included in the price of the room, and we enjoyed lunch (limited menu) and dinner (much more extensive menu) there too.
Pasticceria Poletti
Sweet little cafe with a cute outdoor area. The pastries looked absolutely delicious.
Hotel Miralago
Nice restaurant on the waterfront – the pasta and views were fab!
– Boat trip to Como…
Como is just a 10 minute boat trip away from Cernobbio and boats run regularly, so it’s an obvious place to go. It has a beautiful Duomo (cathedral) and pretty streets and squares to explore.
A couple of times we got the boat to Como for a change of scenery and spent hours sitting in the pretty squares people watching whilst drinking rose and cocktails.
– Boat trip to Bellagio
Bellagio was a trek away from where we were staying in Cernobbio, but it’s a ‘must see’ when visiting Lake Como. It’s known for its cobbled streets and stunning lake views.
I’m really glad we went but think where we stayed, whilst a lot sleepier, was much more picturesque. Where to eat in Bellagio…
Ristoro Forma & Gusto
One of the only places we could find serving bruschetta – probably looked like total tourists asking for it!
Bilacus
Gorgeous restaurant with a very cute terrace and a lovely atmosphere. Had DELICIOUS pasta and got very drunk. 10/10. Apparently there’s a great wine bar under the restaurant too.
– Boat trip to Torno
We also visited Torno which was only about 15 mins from Cernobbio. There wasn’t a whole ton to see, but we did enjoy some cocktails, crisps and feeding ducks on the waterfront. A nice change of scenery.
Other places…
There were lots of other places we stopped off at / went past on our longest boat trip, all stunning and worth a visit if you have the time.
& that’s it! 🙂
It was an absolutely amazing trip and I’m so glad we managed to get away. It wasn’t cheap (we spent over £1k for 4 days) but was definitely worth it and much needed after lockdown and an awful breakup.
Here’s a few recommendations from a friend who visited just before us…they stayed in Grand Hotel Cadenabbia which is a 5 min walk from Tremezzo or a ten min train boat ride from Bellagio (so the opposite side of the lake to us).
– Get kayaks out on the lake
– Villa Balbianello – beautiful gardens with guided tour
– Food
Casa del Portico – about a half hour walk from Grand Hotel Cadenabbia – food fresh from their farm
Grand Hotel Tremezzo – quite pricy but also really good if you want to dress up
La Fontana in Bellagio
La Vita Belle in Como
Travel with Shan 