Varenna to Bellagio Ferry: Times, Tickets and the Crossing

The crossing from Varenna to Bellagio takes fifteen to twenty minutes. Boats sail through the day, you don’t need to book, and you buy your ticket at the pier.

This short hop is what makes a Lake Como day trip from Milan work. Varenna has the direct train from Milano Centrale; Bellagio has no station at all. The ferry connects the two, and it is why the Milan to Lake Como day trip guide sends you to Varenna before Como.

If you would prefer a guide to handle the trains and boats, the Lake Como from Milan: Bellagio, Varenna & Boat Tours (4.6★ from 270 reviews, from €64) is a guided day from Milan with boat time on the central lake. Despite the title, its current itinerary lists Bellano, Bellagio and Menaggio and no Varenna stop, so read the stops before you book. Check dates and prices below.

Two kinds of boat on this route

Both take roughly the same time. The difference is how often they sail and where you land.

Foot passengers can use the car ferry. Many visitors don’t know this and queue for a passenger boat when a traghetto is leaving sooner. If you’re on foot and in a hurry, take whichever goes first.

The car ferry loads and unloads quickly, and on this short route it is the boat most foot passengers end up on.

Other experiences you might enjoy

Guided days from Milan pair Bellagio and Menaggio with a boat ride, and boat tours from Bellagio head out to Villa del Balbianello. These are the ones travellers book most:

The piers at each end

This is where people go wrong.

In Varenna, the ferry area sits below the village, with the passenger pier and the traghetto pier as separate landing stages. The operator lists them as distinct stops, so check which service you’re taking before you join a queue.

From Varenna-Esino station it’s about five to ten minutes downhill. You can take the direct route down a flight of steps, or a slightly longer step-free route along the main road if you have luggage or a pushchair. Coming back is uphill, so allow more time than the walk down took.

In Bellagio, the passenger boats dock at Piazza Mazzini, in the centre among the cafés and shops. The car ferry uses its own pier a few minutes’ walk away. Both are central, but if you’re meeting someone or timing a return, know which one you need.

There’s also a stop at San Giovanni, south of Bellagio proper, where not all services call. Don’t confuse it with the main pier.

Frequency and timings

On the summer 2026 Sunday and holiday timetable (1 July to 4 October), the car ferry left Varenna for Bellagio about every 40 minutes to an hour, from just before 8 a.m. until after 11 p.m. On the autumn timetable (5 October to 1 November 2026) the gap grows to roughly 45 to 75 minutes, with a 15-minute crossing. Passenger boats on the main lake routes call at both villages as well, on their own timetable. On a summer day you rarely wait long for something going your way.

Outside summer the service thins out. Winter timetables have later first departures and much earlier last ones, sometimes finishing in the late afternoon.

Check the timetable, and check the right one. Navigazione Laghi publishes separate PDFs for weekdays (feriale) and for Sundays and public holidays (festivo), and the two schedules differ. Reading the weekday one on a Sunday is how people miss last boats.

There are several seasonal timetable periods across the year, and the changeover dates move. Third-party sites and aggregators often carry outdated period dates and fares that the operator’s 2026 tariff no longer matches. Use the official PDFs for your route and date.

Tickets

Buy at the pier. There are ticket offices at both Varenna and Bellagio, and no booking is needed: this is turn-up-and-go public transport.

Points to know:

• The crossing is inexpensive, one of the cheapest fares on the lake because it is so short.
• Buying on board costs a small surcharge when a ticket office is open. If the office is shut, you buy on board with no surcharge.
• Boarding is first come, first served. No reservations, no allocated seats.
• A day pass only starts paying off around the third or fourth journey, and a simple Varenna–Bellagio return usually doesn’t get there. See the Lake Como ferry guide.
• Keep your ticket until you’re off the boat.

Queues, and how to avoid them

Both terminals get crowded. Varenna’s is small and fills in waves as trains arrive; Bellagio’s fills with day-trippers from late morning.

What helps:

• Go early. The first hour or two of service is calm.
• Buy both directions at once. One transaction, no second queue.
• Arrive 15–20 minutes before your departure in July and August.
• Take whichever boat leaves first if you’re on foot. Passenger boat or car ferry, both get you there.
• Avoid the last boat of the day, which is often the most crowded and leaves you no fallback.

On peak summer weekends the car queue at Bellagio can back up from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. If you’re driving, allow for it; on foot it matters much less.

As part of a Milan day trip

The standard pattern works well:

1. Morning train from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino, about 65 minutes.
2. Walk down to the village, five to ten minutes.
3. Varenna first: the Passeggiata degli Innamorati and a coffee before the crowds. The Varenna guide has the rest.
4. Ferry across to Bellagio, 15–20 minutes.
5. Bellagio for a few hours: the stepped lanes, Punta Spartivento, Villa Melzi. See the Bellagio guide.
6. Ferry back to Varenna, then the uphill walk to the train.

You can add Menaggio, on the western side of the central lake, if you want a third village. It’s another short crossing and much quieter than the other two.

The last ferry sets your day, not the last train. Write down the last two crossings before you start.

If you’re starting from Como instead, the options for reaching Bellagio from there are in Como to Bellagio compared.

Accessibility, bikes and luggage

Wheelchairs and pushchairs: the car ferries load over a vehicle ramp, which is usually easier than a passenger boat’s gangway. Smaller village piers can involve steps or a steep gangway depending on the water level, so ask at the ticket office if you need step-free boarding.

Bicycles go on the car ferry. On other services, bike carriage is marked run by run in the operator’s timetable, so check the marking for your departure.

Luggage is fine on either boat. If you’re arriving from Milan with suitcases, take the step-free road route down from Varenna station and skip the steps.

When things go wrong

The car ferry keeps running in weather that stops the hydrofoil, but it can still be disrupted. Low water, for example, can lead the operator to limit how much the car ferries carry, and notices like that appear on the operator’s notices page and nowhere else.

Check the notices page on the morning you travel. Strikes are announced in advance with a guaranteed minimum service, and works or suspensions are listed by service number.

For a boat tour on the central lake instead of the public ferry, compare the options in Lake Como boat tours compared.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the ferry from Varenna to Bellagio?

Fifteen to twenty minutes, on both the passenger boat and the car ferry. A few car ferry runs go via Menaggio first and take about half an hour.

How often do ferries run between Varenna and Bellagio?

On the summer 2026 Sunday and holiday timetable the car ferry left Varenna about every 40 minutes to an hour, with passenger boats calling as well. In autumn the gap was roughly 45 to 75 minutes, and winter service is reduced further.

Do I need to book the Varenna to Bellagio ferry?

No. Buy at the pier ticket office on the day. Boarding is first come, first served.

How much is the ferry from Varenna to Bellagio?

It’s a short crossing and one of the cheapest fares on the lake. Fares were revised on 1 April 2026, so check the operator’s current rates; several third-party sites still show outdated prices.

Can foot passengers use the car ferry from Varenna to Bellagio?

Yes, and it’s often the quicker option because it may leave sooner than the next passenger boat. The only difference is that it lands at Bellagio’s car ferry pier, not Piazza Mazzini, a few minutes’ walk apart.

Which pier does the Varenna ferry leave from?

Varenna has separate passenger and car ferry landing stages below the village. Check which service you’re taking before you queue. It’s five to ten minutes downhill from Varenna-Esino station.

What time is the last ferry from Bellagio to Varenna?

It varies a lot by season, running late in summer and much earlier in winter. Check the current timetable PDF for your date, and use the Sunday and holiday version if that’s when you’re travelling.

Is the Varenna to Bellagio ferry worth it?

It’s public transport, not a sightseeing trip, but it’s fifteen minutes on open water with the mountains all around you, for very little money. Few things on the lake give you more for the fare.

Before you cross: a checklist

1. Download the right timetable: your route, your date, and the festivo version for a Sunday or holiday.
2. Check the notices page for suspensions.
3. Note the last two return crossings.
4. Know which pier, passenger or traghetto, at both ends.
5. Buy both directions in one transaction at the ticket office.

Timetables, fares and service patterns change with the seasons, and third-party sites often carry outdated figures. The frequencies above come from Navigazione Laghi’s summer and autumn 2026 car ferry timetables, checked in October 2026. Confirm with the operator before you build a tight plan around one departure.

Also worth reading: the Lake Como ferry guide for the wider network, the Varenna guide and the Bellagio guide for the two villages, Como to Bellagio compared for the longer route, and the Milan to Lake Como day trip guide for the whole day. Every guided option is on our Lake Como day trips page.