Lake Como, Italy (and the drive there)
Lake Como, the absolute dream destination. The place you go to for the ultimate relaxation vibes, scenery and incredible food. We ended our week long Cruise excursion by driving to Lake Como, Italy from Ravenna. For all my recommendations, little insider knowledge and fun things we did on the way and there, keep reading!
Our cruise docked in Ravenna, Italy which was about a 3.5 hour car ride to Lake Como. We rented a car from Enterprise to drive there, and along the way stopped in Maranello so my parter could experience the Ferrari Driving experience. Before I dive into the Ferrari Experience, a tie bit about the rental car experience in Ravenna. We docked on a Saturday, and the Rental Car shop (Enterprise) opened at 9:00 am. There is one person that works there, and they handle each group individually. We were third in line, and were not helped until 10:15 due to the length it took for the representative to work with each person. Keep this in mind if you decide to do the same, and maybe get off the boat earlier than later. I love Italy and Italians (as my family origins are from there), but Italian time is a very real thing.
Back to Marenello: If you or someone you are traveling with is a car enthusiast, Maranello is home to the Ferrari factory, Ferrari test drive track, Ferrari design store and other Ferrari experiences. My partner enjoyed his 20-min test drive of a Ferrari 458. It was a very fun experience that is unique and broke up the drive as well. Maranello was very cute and quaint, with stunning sites and excellent food. We had lunch after the test drive at a restaurant around the corner called “Drakes”. The pasta was incredible, no shock there. We ordered the Bolognese and Gnocchi with Parmesan Cream Sauce.
After we finished the test drive and lunch, we started towards Lake Como, which was now only 2.5 hours away. Important information to know while driving through Italy is there are tolls constantly. You can pay with credit card, Euros or the EU ‘fast pass’. We paid with credit card. My American Express worked for the majority of the tolls, however the further north we got they only accepted Visa or Mastercard. When driving in Italy, they use speed cameras to capture speed and ticket if you are going over the designated speed. The majority of the time the speed was 130kmph, which is equivalent to 80*mph, which was a perfect speed that most of the time we didn’t even reach.
As we got to Lake Como, the scenery all around was stunning. It was everything that I had seen in movies and photos, and more. Truly, one of the most incredible places I have ever seen. The mountains beauty while surrounding the lake was surreal. I booked the most perfect hotel for our stay- Palace Hotel Como. Our hotel room had a balcony and lake front views. The staff was extremely helpful and kind as we checked-in, and had a bottle of Prosecco waiting for us in the room when we arrived. This hotel is centrally located in Como, walking distance to all the shops, restaurants, and lake front. This was perfect as the days went on and I did some shopping, I could easily bring my bags back to the room before I went to eat or did some experiences. Breakfast was included at the hotel, and it was amazing. An entire spread of your typical eggs, bacon and sausage, but make it Italian with pastries, cheeses and meats, multiple bread and croissant options, Prosecco and OJ, fruits and fresh squeezed juices. Of course, no breakfast is complete without an espresso or cappuccino. If you are interested in staying in this perfect hotel, reach out to me as I can help you reserve with all the benefits that I experiences.
The first thing we did once we were settled at the hotel was take a walk by the water to the Lake Como ‘Gondola’- Funicolare Como-Brunate. We did wait a bit long, maybe 45 min to get on. However, the views at the top, in Village Brunate, made it worth it. I have never seen more stunning views. The ticket cost for 2 people was 13 Euro. By the time we got up to the top, it was abut 5pm (in May). It did get a bit chilly when the sun hid behind clouds. I would recommend a light sweater for anyone in a tank top or short sleeve shirt for this. Once at the top in Brunate, there is a couple restaurants, gelato stop, a stunning hotel and a bus that can drive you around. There is plenty to do if you wanted to stay up there for a while. We had a cheese plate and espresso at Capolinea Bistrot, which was very good.
As we were only going to be there for 1.5 days, I just wanted to walk around some shops, enjoy the scenery and relax at cafes or restaurants while we admired the beauty. It was the perfect place to do that. The only experience I booked for Sunday was an hour long shared boat tour on Como with Prosecco that took us up the lake to admire some of the historical and famous properties, such as the Versace House. The driver and guide were so friendly and informative. They even offered to take all couples photos with the stunning backgrounds. It was worth it, and I’d even extend for the two-hour ride.
There is plenty to sight-see and walk around to do. Whenever I go back, I will plan to see the top three villas on the Ferry Tour to that includes Villa Tickets. But for our short time, we walked around sight seeing the monuments on the lake, did some shopping and grabbed some aperitif’s at the Ceccato Garden Bar, just steps in front of our hotel. I enjoyed a couple Hugo Spritz’s, and we shared the Prosciutto and Goat Cheese plate. It was delectable. Later that night we went to dinner at Ristorante Sociale which was so cozy and cute. This restaurant was family owned and had more locals than tourist present. We sat outside in the cute patio bar that was decorated with Italian paintings and sparkly lights. We ordered the Parmesan Shrimp Risotto with Lime and the Carbonara for our entrees. They were again, perfect. The Risotto had the perfect touch of lime mixed with parmesan. Both meals were so fresh. Of course we ended with a Tiramisu and a Brownie with Vanilla Gelato. Can’t recommend this restaurant enough! This restaurant also by far had the best service out of any that we went to during this vacation.
Be aware that when you sit to eat in Italy, it will be a longer experienced than Americans are used to. This can be nice to force you to enjoy the company you are with and take time to enjoy the moment. However, don’t go to eat if you have a hard timeline to be somewhere quickly. Don’t expect to be in and out quick!
Other recommendations for the Como area are:
Gustosè la Bottega- Organic food with local ingredients offering a great selection of wines.
II Carrettiere- Typical Italian food and large pizzas!
ComoCafè- Thin crispy Pizza, and typical Italian Pastas. Recommended dishes are pizza or the Casoncelli Ravioli.
Enoteca Cavour- Wine Bar and Wine Shop! Enjoy some Italian Wine and send some home!
Villa D’ Este- For more of a fancy experience, at one of the World’s Top Rated hotels. Jacket required for dinner and reservations.
