ITINERARY
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Day 1: Arrival
Your driver will meet you at Malpensa airport or Milan Central train station for a transfer to your hotel in lake Como. Check in and settle in your lake view room. If you wish to get a taste of the ambiance of the lakes you may want to visit villa Carlota, which is located within walking distance from the hotel. Villa Carlota is a masterpiece of more than 17 acres of gardens and a museum facing the peninsula of Bellagio.
Free evening
Day 2: Get cruising on Como
Breakfast
Meet your tour guide at the hotel. Board on a high speed ferry and cruise along lake Como, passing by magnificent villas and quaint coastal villages. Your first visit will be to the town of Como. Como’s cobblestone streets wind past medieval towers and walls, renaissance palaces, churches, neoclassical 19th– century villas, and small family owned shops. You will have time for lunch and some free time. After lunch you will take a scenic walk along the lake from Como to the town of Cernobbio. If you don’t want to walk, you will take a boat to Cernobbio where you can enjoy spending time in this lovely town.
In the late afternoon you will cruise back to the hotel for a free evening.
Day 3: Villa Melzi, Bellagio , Varenna
Breakfast
Meet your local guide and board on a ferry. This morning you will cruise to villa Melzi. The villa is a private property but the spectacular garden is open for visitors. The complex of Villa Melzi includes the villa and the vast botanical garden that surrounds it. A long avenue of trees begins at the landing of the boats. Gardens of azaleas and gigantic rhododendrons surround the villa, enclosing small spaces such as the hidden cave or the artificial pond in Japanese style. The Villa Melzi gardens also have many exotic and rare plants, which alternate with secular trees, big camellia hedges, and many other plant species. This gives you the opportunity to take a walk through one of the most enchanting places around Lake Como. After exploring this grand villa you will continue to the town of Bellagio, often called the Pearl of the Lake. The description fits perfectly: it’s compact, beautiful, and flawless. Bellagio’s spectacular location at the junction of the arms of the lake, offers the visitors breathtaking views. Shopping here is a real treat. You can find rare items that are made by local craftsmen not found anywhere else in Italy.
Our last stop today will be Varenna. Varenna is beautifully located on the shores of lake Como. Its narrow pine-shaded streets lead through the village’s preserved medieval center. It is famous as the source for the quarried black marble used to decorate the floors of Milan’s famous Duomo.
At the end of the day, you will take the ferry back to the hotel for an evening at leisure.
Day 4: Departure
Transfer to Malpensa airport or Milan central train station
Arrival Details
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Airport city:
Milano
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Pick-up Location:
airport/train station
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Pick-up time:
Coordinate
Departure details
-
Airport city:
Milano
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Drop off location:
airport/train station
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Drop off time:
Coordinate
The program includes:
- 3 nights accommodation
- All breakfasts
- Entrance tickets to Villa Melzi
- Two full -day local Tour guide service
- 1 full day public ferry boat to central lake area
- 1 full day public ferry boat with high-speed hydrofoil
- Transfer from Malpensa airport/train station to Lake Como
- Transfer from Lake Como to Malpensa airport/ Milan train station
The program does not include
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Anything not mentioned in the program
TERMS & CONDITIONS
A deposit of $500.00 per person is required at time of booking to guarantee the space on the tour.
Balance of the full amount is due 90 days prior the first day of the tour.
CANCELLATION
Your deposit is refundable within the first 30 days of your deposit, so long as you have booked more than 180 days before the start date of the tour. If you book within 180 days of the start date of the tour, your deposit is immediately non-refundable. 90 days or less before the start date of the tour, the tour is non – refundable unless we are able to rebook another participant for the date/tour you are booked on.
Food N wine vacations, Inc reserve the right to re-calculate prices due to currency fluctuations. For full terms and conditions refer to Terms and conditions page.
ACCOMMODATIONS
During the tour in lake Como we will stay at a 19th-century villa overlooking lake Como in Lake view rooms. The rooms are decorated with period furniture and chandeliers, and come with free Wi-Fi, satellite TV and minibars. Italian-style breakfast is complimentary and is served in a glass-enclosed restaurant with lake views. Other amenities include a garden, plus a swimming pool with a terrace.
DATES & PRICES
Available from Easter to October based on availability only for guests who are combining it with our Piedmont tour or other tour.
From $1650.00
2024
Single supplement: $500.00
Prices are in USD.
Looking for a Private Group Tour?
We can accommodate private groups year round
TRAVEL INSURANCE
We highly suggest purchasing travel insurance to protect your travel investment. Many travel products are non-refundable.
Emergencies happen when you least expect it. Travel protection provides coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Medical and Dental, Emergency Assistance and Transportation, Baggage, Baggage Delay, Travel Delay and much more. Plus, we offer our exclusive One Call 24-hour Traveler Assistance Service to help you with emergency situations that arise during your trip.
You may also consider ‘Cancel for no reason’. It may seem costly, but if you are deeply concerned about things like Hurricanes, strikes, Coronavirus outbreak, terror attack and such, you should look into that.
For pre existing condition, it’s important to purchase a policy within 10 days of your deposit.
FLIGHTS
Your best option would be flying in and out of Milan.
We provide a complimentary consulting with your pre or post travel plans. Don’t hesitate to ask us.
PRE AND POST IDEAS
It might be a good idea to combine a trip to Lake Como with a tour in Piedmont.
TOUR PACE
Walking pace is like walking around town.
You will be walking in cobblestone streets and some uneven roads.
We try to start the days after 09:00 am – 09:15 am.
The itinerary is balanced between activities, sightseeing and leisure time.
MORE INFO
Italy Travel Tips
Weather
High temperature: 75°
Low temperature: 60°
What should I wear?
Stay casual and comfortable. Mornings and evening are chilly but during the day it’s warm. Even in full summer, hot days can quickly turn into cool evenings. Be prepared with a light sweater during the summer months, and something a little heavier in spring and fall.
Unless you plan on visiting the Opera in Italy, you won’t need to dress up anywhere you go. If you would like to try to blend in with the locals as much as possible, think “smart casual” or “preppy” for men, and “light and stylish” for women. Italians are very fashion conscious, but not formal.
In the summer months, you will most likely want to wear shorts. Make sure they have good pockets. However, always make sure you also have some long pants
Bring flat shoes, as you will be walking in medieval towns with cobblestone streets or farms with unpaved roads.
If you want to dress up for dinner, dress as if you are having dinner with friends.
How many bags can I bring?
We recommend bringing one medium suitcase and another small bag or trolley.
Please check our packing advice.
Packing
We advise you to pack light. We also recommend planning what you need based on each day of your travels.
You will need the extra space for souvenirs. You may not think about it now, but believe us; you’d want to take home that tasty olive oil, a bottle of wine that you can’t find at home, local specialties, or ceramics.
On that note, the best advice we can give you is “bubble wrap”. Bring bubble wrap with you. It’s cheaper and more convenient to bring it from the U.S and you will probably never leave home without it.
We highly recommend you use packing cubes for efficient packing and to keep things organized. You can search for videos on YouTube to learn more about it.
Do I need a passport?
Yes!
Copy of passport
We strongly suggest that you to make a copy of your passport.
Should I bring my cell phone?
It is a good idea to bring a cell phone. See our tips for communications while on a tour down below.
Do I need converters or transformers?
European power outlets run at 220 volts. You must buy a transformer to avoid shorting out and/or causing permanent damage to your devices. You will need it for cell phones, cameras, tablets, and other US-made electronics.
Tip: If your electronics can be powered by either 120 volt or 220-volt outlets (the device will usually have this listed in the technical specifications in a format like 120/240 volts, meaning the device can be powered from any power outlet around the globe), you will only need a plug adapter. Please note that a plug adapter is not a transformer, and using one with a device not capable of handling 240 volts will cause permanent damage and may even render the device unusable.
Money
We find that a debit/credit card of a credit union bank has low rates for an ATM withdrawal or credit card charges. In addition to credit union banks, here is a list of cards that offer a low or no foreign transaction fee: Capital one no fee hassle card, Chase Sapphire preferred, Chase ink business card, United mileage plus, Barclays arrivals world, Amex platinum card, Capital one venture reward, bank Americard travel reward, Marriott, Southwest, Barclaycard arrival plus, United mileage plus, Citi Hilton honors.
It is also important to let the credit card company or your bank know what country you are traveling to and the exact date
Communications
It is recommended to have a cell phone with you, however, if you plan to bring your smart phone, make sure to turn off mobile data right before you board the plane. If the data is not turned off, your mobile provider may charge you hundreds of dollars for using their services outside the U.S. On certain phones, you may be able to disable data roaming (phones that support this feature will most likely have it turned off by default). This will automatically turn off data outside the U.S.
You may want to check with your cell phone provider what data/voice/ text they offer when you travel to Europe. Things are changing for the better. For example, if you have an unlimited plus plan with AT&T you can pay $10 a day and continue using your phone in Europe as if you were at home.
If you plan on bringing a tablet with Wi-Fi, you can make international calls via Skype. If the other person that you are calling has Skype, the call is free. If not, you can use Skype credit and pay low rates for international calls.