Como to Bellagio: Ferry, Hydrofoil, Bus and Train Compared
The slow ferry from Como to Bellagio takes about two hours, the hydrofoil under one, and the C130 bus about seventy minutes. There is no train. Here is which to take, and when to skip Como altogether.
There are four public and private ways to get from Como to Bellagio, and the gap between the quickest and the slowest is more than an hour each way. Take the hydrofoil if its times suit you, the bus if they don’t, and the slow boat when the boat ride is the reason you came.
If you would rather not juggle timetables at all, the From Milan: Lake Como Cruise with Visits to Como & Bellagio (4.7★ from 2,135 reviews, from €66) starts in Milan, walks you through Como’s old town and takes you up the lake to Bellagio by boat. Departures and prices change through the season, so check your date below.
The four options side by side
| Method | Time | Cost | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow ferry (battello) | About 2 hours | Low | Year-round, fewer sailings in winter |
| Fast hydrofoil (servizio rapido) | Under an hour | Low, plus a supplement | Fewer departures, suspended in rough weather |
| Bus (ASF line C130, formerly C30) | About 70 minutes | Lowest | Daily, year-round |
| Private boat or water taxi | Well under an hour | Highest by a distance | On demand, mostly in season |
| Train | — | — | There is no train to Bellagio |
Coming from Milan with Bellagio as the goal, you may not want this route at all: the train to Varenna and the short ferry across is quicker, as the last sections explain.
Other experiences you might enjoy
Guided days from Milan take in Como and Bellagio, and boat tours from Bellagio and Lenno run past Villa del Balbianello. These are the ones travellers book most:
The slow ferry: about two hours
The scheduled battello leaves from the pier on Piazza Cavour in central Como and zigzags between the two shores of the Como branch, calling at villages such as Cernobbio, Moltrasio, Torno, Argegno, Lezzeno, Sala Comacina, Lenno, Tremezzo and Cadenabbia before it reaches Bellagio.
It is a lovely ride. You pass the villa shoreline at walking pace, the villages stack up the hillsides, and the fare is low. It is also two hours each way, which for a day-tripper means four hours of the day spent sitting down.
Take it if: the boat ride is what you came for, you have a full day, or you plan to get off somewhere along the way. To stop at Lenno for Villa del Balbianello, buy a ticket to Lenno and a second one from Lenno on to Bellagio.
Skip it if: you are working to a train home. Four hours on the water plus a couple of hours in Bellagio uses up most of a day trip.
The fast hydrofoil: under an hour
The servizio rapido covers the same water with far fewer stops and cuts the journey to under an hour, saving you an hour or more each way compared with the slow boat.
Three things to know:
- Buy your ticket and the hydrofoil supplement at the pier ticket office before you board.
- Day passes do not cover the supplement, so you pay it on top even with a pass.
- The hydrofoil is the first service suspended in rough weather, so have a fallback.
Departures are fewer than on the slow boat and change with the season, so check the current timetable before you plan around one. Ticket types and passes are covered in the Lake Como ferry guide.
The bus: the option most visitors miss
ASF Autolinee runs line C130, “Como - Nesso - Bellagio”, along the eastern side of the Como branch through Torno and Nesso. It starts at Como San Giovanni station, stops on the lakefront at Lungolario Trieste, and ends at Bellagio Lido.
The full run takes about 70 minutes, faster than the slow boat and slower than the hydrofoil, and it is the cheapest of the options. On the winter 2026–27 timetable (14 September 2026 to 8 June 2027) the first bus leaves Como at 6:20 and the last at 20:20, every day of the year. That makes it the dependable choice in winter, when boat services thin out, and in bad weather, when the hydrofoil stops.
Two practical notes. The line used to be numbered C30, and older guides, bus-stop signs and search results still use that number, so look for either. And some runs do not operate on 25 December and 1 January, so check the timetable if you travel on either day.
Take it if: you’re travelling off-season, the weather is poor, the hydrofoil times don’t suit, or you’re watching the budget.
Skip it if: you get travel sick, because the eastern shore road is narrow and winding, or if you’d simply prefer to be on the water.
Private boat or water taxi: the fastest
A private speedboat is the quickest way across and by far the most expensive. It goes direct, with no intermediate stops, and will collect and drop you where you like; ask the operator for their crossing time when you book.
It makes sense as part of a longer private charter, or for a group splitting the cost. The point where a private boat costs about the same as shared seats is worked out in Lake Como boat tours compared. As pure transport it is hard to justify. Our pick on GetYourGuide, if you want a private boat built into a day from Milan, is the Lake Como: Private Boat, Como & Bellagio from Milan (4.3★ from 373 reviews, from €87).
The train: there isn’t one
Bellagio has no railway station and never has had one. Anyone searching for “train Como to Bellagio” is looking for something that does not exist.
People who search for it usually mean one of two things:
Getting to Bellagio from Milan by rail. You don’t go via Como at all. Take the direct train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino, then the ferry across, which takes fifteen to twenty minutes. More on that below.
The Asso line. Trenord trains run from Milano Cadorna to Asso, in the hills behind the lake. In recent summers ASF has added a weekend bus from Asso to Bellagio timed to meet those trains (line C136 in 2025, from 11 July to 14 September). It is seasonal, so check whether it is running on your date. Even when it runs, it is slower and more complicated than the other routes, and we don’t recommend it.
The faster way from Milan: via Varenna
If you are coming from Milan and Bellagio is where you want to be, don’t start from Como.
The direct train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino takes about 65 minutes, and the ferry from Varenna to Bellagio takes fifteen to twenty. With the walk down to the pier, the whole journey takes about an hour and a half.
Compare that with Milan to Como (about 40 minutes) plus Como to Bellagio (two hours on the slow boat): the Varenna route saves you more than an hour each way, and Varenna is a good place to spend the time you saved.
Como is closer to Milan. Varenna is closer to Bellagio. The full comparison of routes is in how to get from Milan to Lake Como.
Which should you choose?
| Your situation | Take |
|---|---|
| Day trip from Milan, Bellagio is the goal | Train to Varenna, ferry across, not this route at all |
| Already in Como, short on time | Hydrofoil |
| Already in Como, full day, want the scenery | Slow ferry |
| Winter, bad weather, or hydrofoil times don’t work | Bus |
| Group of five or more, want flexibility | Private boat |
| Want to stop at Lenno for Villa del Balbianello | Slow ferry, with separate tickets for each leg |
Practicalities
The pier in Como. All scheduled boats leave from Piazza Cavour on the lakefront. It’s ten to fifteen minutes’ walk from Como San Giovanni station, or about five from Como Nord Lago on the Cadorna line.
The piers in Bellagio. Passenger boats dock at Piazza Mazzini; the car ferry uses a separate pier; and there’s a second stop at San Giovanni, south of the centre, where not all services call. Check which one your return boat leaves from before you wander off.
Tickets. Buy at the pier ticket office, including any hydrofoil supplement. Buying on board costs a small surcharge when the ticket office is open.
Day passes only pay off from around the third or fourth journey, so a simple Como–Bellagio return usually costs less on single tickets.
The last departure. In spring, autumn and winter the last boat back to Como leaves earlier than many visitors expect, and the bus becomes the safety net. Note the last two departures of each before you set off.
Check the operator’s notices on the morning you travel for strikes, works or suspended services.
For a guided cruise up the Como branch instead, compare the options in Lake Como boat tours compared or see every guided option on our Lake Como day trips page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the ferry take from Como to Bellagio?
About two hours on the slow boat, which calls at many villages along the way, or under an hour on the fast hydrofoil.
How much is the ferry from Como to Bellagio?
Fares are set by a ministerial tariff and are low by any standard, with a supplement for the fast hydrofoil. They were last revised on 1 April 2026, so check the operator’s current rates page; several third-party sites still show outdated fares.
Is there a bus from Como to Bellagio?
Yes. ASF Autolinee line C130 (formerly C30) runs along the eastern shore via Torno and Nesso in about 70 minutes, every day of the year. It’s the cheapest option and the most reliable in winter.
Is there a train from Como to Bellagio?
No. Bellagio has no railway station. To reach Bellagio by rail from Milan, take the train to Varenna-Esino and the ferry across.
What is the fastest way from Como to Bellagio?
A private boat, which goes direct. Of the public options, the fast hydrofoil is quickest, at under an hour.
Can you do a day trip from Como to Bellagio?
Yes, comfortably, if you take the hydrofoil or the bus. On the slow boat both ways you’ll spend four hours in transit.
Should I take the boat or the bus from Como to Bellagio?
The boat, if the hydrofoil times work and the weather is fine, because being on the water is the better trip. The bus if it’s winter, if it’s raining, or if you want the cheapest and most dependable option.
Ferry timetables, fares and bus numbering change through the year. The bus times above come from ASF Autolinee’s winter 2026–27 timetable and the ferry details from Navigazione Laghi, checked in October 2026. Confirm your date and the current line number before you travel.
Also worth reading: the Lake Como ferry guide for tickets and passes, Varenna to Bellagio: the crossing for the short route, the Bellagio guide for what to do when you arrive, and how to get from Milan to Lake Como for the train. Every guided option is on our Lake Como day trips page.
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