Taylor Swift's recent romantic getaway with Travis Kelce in Lake Como has all the girls ready to pack their bags and make their way to Italy! While the destination had plenty of draw before, I have a feeling it's going to get even more popular than it already is! And as someone who was there the same time she was, I can attest that it truly is one of the most stunning places on earth!
Lake Como, Italy is know for its stunning views of the lake and picturesque mountains. It is not only gorgeous, but also features incredible food, culture, people, and castles...no seriously, they're everywhere! While there's no shortage of beautiful sights, it can be seemingly hard to find affordable places to stay in Lake Como.
I did Lake Como for eight days and along the trip, I learned quite a few lessons for what I'd do differently and what I think I did right. But one things for certain; I made sure to get the most bang for my buck while there! So, get your beach bags and mini dresses packed and ready, because I've got all the insider info on how to do one of Italy's most expensive cities on a budget.
How To Get Cheap Flights To Lake Como
Photo by Kayla Walden
Lake Como is about an hour North of Milan, so it can be bit tricky to plan out how to get there. You're going to want to fly into Milan, BUT I wouldn't recommend flying directly into Milan from the states. In my experience, it was far too expensive to fly into either Milan airports from the US, and it was MUCH cheaper to fly into Paris (either CDG or ORY) and take an Easyjet into Milan.
For my first flight, I tookNorseairlines to the City of Light, and while you do have to pay for bags and food, it's MUCH cheaper than any other airline. I only paid $500 roundtrip for my ticket from LAX to CDG, so I would highly recommend it. Frenchbee is also a great airline that I've used and loved. It's a bit more cost-wise, but it also has meals included which is nice!
Next, you can either decided to linger in Paris for a couple days, or go directly onto an Easyjetflight into Milan — which literally costs around $50. It's incredibly cheap (especially if you book in advance), and the flight is only a little over an hour from Paris. I've flown Easy jet probably over 10 times in the last couple years, and it's super reliable and easy. It's faster than the trains, and sometimes it's honestly even cheaper, so that's why I use it anytime I've trying to get around Europe. The only thing to be aware of? Delays! Their flights often have delays, so just prepare for that in advance, and don't book flights too closely after them.
Booking Rental Cars To Lake Como
Photo by Kayla Walden
Now that you've made it into Milan, you need to work your way up to Como. You can do this via train or Uber (I prefer the EU company Bolt if you're doing this, because it's much cheaper) or rental car. I did a rental car because in Italy insurance is included in your rental car so it's *incredibly* cheap.
I rented a car (literally the most basic and cheap one available) for eight days, and it was a whopping $7 a day with insurance included...I'm not joking. So my rental car total for over a week with all the fees was $120. To me, it was worth it to be able to get all around the lake freely and not have to rely solely on ferries! I rented with Hertz, but I'd also recommend Sixt if you're looking for another option!
Don't rent from smaller, local places like Europecar or anything with bad reviews — nine times out of 10, they're totally tourist scams. Reputable places like Hertz or Sixt are reliable, with international ties and a proven track record, so they're definitely the better move. Also make sure to look on their sites for deals because they often do summer deals with discounts! When I check the Hertz website, I ended up using for 30% off my trip! Yay!
Budget Lodging In Lake Como
Photo by Kayla Walden
I almost always like to break up my international stays into two: one half in Airbnbs and the other half at nicer hotels. I do this because I save so much money on cheap flights so that I can spoil myself a bit with lodging. If you're looking to skip out on the hotel splurge, I'd still recommend splitting your trip into two, but doing it between different Airbnbs. A lot of places in and around Lake Como won't have all the cleaning fees we're used to in the states, so it's really affordable. For the first half of the trip, I would recommend staying more North of the Lake, so then you can cover more cities around the water. For the second half, you should stay more south, closer to Como City itself.
Once your lodging is settled and you've landed in Italy, you'll want to drive straight from Milan to your Airbnb. I would recommend staying in Lenno. This city is the prime location for anything and everything you could need. If you don't have a car, make sure you're walking distance to a ferry stop because that's how you're going to get around. TBH, even with a car, I still ended up taking the ferry most days to get across the lake. This is also the perfect location for any Star Wars fans because it's right next to the famous prequel villa: Villa Balbianello. This attraction is honestly a MUST, but make sure to buy your tickets in advance.
From the Lenno ferry stop, you can easily access all the major cities in the area. I recommend going to Bellagio, Menaggio, Varenna, and Tremezzo via ferry. Tremezzo, full of many fabulous tourist sites — including THE Grand Hotel Tremezzo (which is also a must) — is extremely expensive to stay in. Taylor Swift stayed near here, and I just happened to drive by her villa while she was on her own Italian holiday! Luckily, by staying in Lenno, I had plenty of proximity to the luxe destination without the pop star-level price tag!
Stay here (Lenno) for a couple days (by the lake, if you can) and just wander around to the local spots. Most of the restaurants here have incredibly affordable food and drinks. I found my daily coffee for two euros at most places, and lots of meals were under 10! It was one of my favorite cities I've ever stayed in! The above picture is an Airbnb I stayed at in Lenno for around $180/night, and it was right on the water!
After a couple days here, you're going to want to head more south! I stayed at a nice hotel in Cernobbio — an absolutely charming city — but you can stay in an Airbnb anywhere near here! I would recommend either Cernobbio, Laglio, Moltrasio, or even Como City if you're wanting more city-level action! I loved Cernobbio because it was a much quieter town which can be so nice after a lot of the busy tourism on the north side of the lake.
Lake Como Hotels On A Budget
Photo by Kayla Walden
I'm a big hotel-lover, so I'll always want to splurge and check out the hotels in the area! But if you don't want to the per-night price tag, then a hot tip I have is to check out the hotel bars for drinks! The hotels here are literally like castles, so I would definitely check them out. That way, if you're a hotel obsessor like me, then you can still get to experience the luxury of the lakeside hotels without the massive price point.
Some ones that I loved on the lake are:
- Villa d'Este, Passalacqua (you need a reservation here)
- Hotel Grand Serbelloni
- Hotel Grand Tremezzo
- The Mandarin Oriental
These are all stunning with incredible views! Another hotel I visited that had great food and views (but was under $400 a night) was Hotel Villa Relais Vittoria, so I would definitely check that out if you want the five star experience without the five star price!
Affordable Food In Lake Como
Photo by Kayla Walden
My biggest tip when it comes to cheap, yummy food in Lake Como? Find quiet towns because that is where the more affordable food is! Places like Bellagio and Tremezzo are heavy on tourism, so the food will be much more expensive than other areas. However, quieter towns like Lenno or Cernobbio will have more affordable food without skimping on the flavor! Be sure to fill up at cafes there and head into the bigger towns for a lighter meal! The above picture is a truffle pasta I had in Cernobbio at a quaint little spot. It was only $14, but it was easily one of the best pastas I had on the entire trip!
Final Tips For Visiting Lake Como On A Budget:
Photo by Kayla Walden
Weather
Being on a lake is incredibly stunning, but one of the downsides is that weather can be very unpredictable! Rain is always an option so bring an umbrella because it could be sunny one moment and completely storming the next! Just be prepared because the weather app is normally never right!
The Ferry
The ferry is the cheapest and easiest way to get across the lake, but make sure to buy your tickets in advance as best as you can. Often times, the lines are very very long, and sometimes you can't even get them! So, just be mindful, and try to prepare ahead when you can.
Seasonality
The highest (and most expensive) times of year to visit Como are June-September, so if you can go anytime before or after that, I would definitely try. I went at the end of May, which was just as the summer season began. It was still pretty crowded, so I can't even imagine what it's like in the warmer months of June and July. Plus, the rates for stay and lodging almost double so if you want to do it more affordably, I would go either May or September/October!
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Header image via Kayla Walden
