Just less than an hour after boarding the train at Stazione Milano Centrale, we arrived on the beautiful shore of Lake Como. Milan is this large industrial city in the way New York is to the U.S. yet just a short train ride away is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It was kinda magical seeing the contrast. We had heard from so many how “dreamy,” “stunning,” fabulous” Lake Como is but there really are no words that capture the way the air smells, the pristine view of the Swiss Alps in the distance and the storybook magic of each of the little towns that dot the shoreline (right out of a fairytale).

Here is an overview of our day exploring Lake Como:

8:20am – Train to Varenna-Essino

We stayed at the Excelsior Hotel Gallia which is right across from the main train station in Milan. It made it very convenient for an early train departure!