If you're flying into Milan Malpensa Airport and heading straight to Lake Como, you don't necessarily need to go into Milan first.
We've visited Lake Como twice now and have travelled between the lake and Milan Malpensa using both public transport and a private transfer.
On our most recent trip, we flew into Malpensa and travelled by train to Lecco before continuing around Lake Como and visiting Varenna. On an earlier trip, we travelled in the opposite direction from Bellano to Milan, then used a private transfer to Malpensa because we had an early flight before the airport trains were running.
The best way to get from Malpensa to Lake Como really depends on where you're staying around the lake. Como, Lecco, Varenna, Bellano and Bellagio all need slightly different routes, so it's worth working this out before you book your accommodation.
In this guide, I'll go through the easiest ways to reach the main Lake Como towns from Malpensa Airport by train and public transport, along with when I'd consider booking a private transfer instead.
Planning a bigger Italy trip? We’ve travelled around Italy loads over the last few years, mostly using trains and public transport. You can find all our Italy travel guides and itineraries here, including budget trips, where to stay and how to get around without a car.
Just a quick note before we begin. Some of the links in this guide are affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products, services and experiences we've used ourselves or genuinely believe will help you plan your trip. Thanks for supporting Build a Break.
📍 Como
🚌 Direct bus from Malpensa to Como
⏱ Around 50 minutes
🔄 0 changes
Or by train: Malpensa → Saronno → Como
⏱ Around 1 hr 20 mins to 1 hr 40 mins
🔄 1 change
📍 Lecco
🚆 Malpensa → Milano Centrale → Lecco
⏱ Around 2 hours
🔄 1 change
📍 Varenna
🚆 Malpensa → Milano Centrale → Varenna-Esino
⏱ Around 2 hrs 15 mins to 2 hrs 30 mins
🔄 1 change
📍 Bellagio
🚆 Malpensa → Como, Lecco or Varenna → ferry/bus
⏱ Around 2½ to 3 hours+
🔄 2+ changes
📍 Bellano
🚆 Malpensa → Milano Centrale → Bellano-Tartavalle Terme
⏱ Around 2½ hours
🔄 1 change
| Lake Como Base | Route from Malpensa | Journey Time | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Como |
Direct bus to Como or Malpensa → Saronno → Como |
Around 50 mins by bus 1 hr 20–1 hr 40 by train |
0–1 |
| Lecco | Malpensa → Milano Centrale → Lecco | Around 2 hrs | 1 |
| Varenna | Malpensa → Milano Centrale → Varenna-Esino | Around 2 hrs 15–2 hrs 30 | 1 |
| Bellagio | Malpensa → Como, Lecco or Varenna → bus/ferry | Around 2½–3 hrs+ | 2+ |
| Bellano | Malpensa → Milano Centrale → Bellano | Around 2½ hrs | 1 |
The route you need really depends on where you're staying around Lake Como. Como is on a different rail line to Lecco, Varenna and Bellano, while Bellagio doesn't have a train station, so you'll need to complete the journey by ferry or bus.
Getting the train from Malpensa Airport is fairly straightforward, and both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 have their own train station.
Once you've collected your luggage, follow the signs for Trains / Malpensa Express. You don't need to take a shuttle to another terminal just to catch the train.
You can buy tickets from the machines at the station or online before you travel. If you're heading towards Lecco, Varenna or Bellano via Milan, you'll want the Malpensa Express towards Milano Centrale.
If you're travelling to Como via Saronno, your route is slightly different, so check the destination and connection before getting on rather than automatically taking the first train towards central Milan.
You'll also find coaches and buses outside the terminals, including services into Milan. If you're staying in Como itself, there's also a direct Flibco bus from Malpensa, which can be quicker and easier than taking the train via Saronno. For Lecco, Varenna and Bellano, I'd generally look at the train first.
For Bellagio, there's no railway station in the town itself, so you'll eventually need to switch to a ferry or bus whichever public transport route you choose.
If you're staying in Como itself, you don't need to travel all the way into central Milan first.
The simplest option is the direct airport bus. Flibco runs from both Malpensa terminals to Como, stopping at Como Grandate and Como San Giovanni railway station. The journey takes around 50 minutes, so you can get from the airport to Como without needing to change.
You can also travel by train. From Malpensa Airport, take the train to Saronno and change there for a train towards Como. This still avoids travelling all the way into central Milan and then coming back out again towards the lake.
For most visitors staying around the centre of Como, Como Lago is a really handy station to arrive at by train. It's right by the lakefront and within walking distance of the historic centre, so depending on where your accommodation is, you may not need any further transport once you arrive.
The train journey from Malpensa usually takes around 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, depending on how long you have to wait for your connection at Saronno.
I'd compare the bus and train times against your flight arrival before deciding which works best. The bus is quicker and doesn't involve a change, but the train may work better depending on your arrival time and where in Como you're staying.
Direct bus: Malpensa Airport → Como
Journey time: Around 50 minutes
Changes: 0
Train: Malpensa Airport → Saronno → Como Lago
Journey time: Around 1 hr 20 mins to 1 hr 40 mins
Changes: 1
Best for: Staying in Como town or close to the lakefront
Lecco is the route we've actually done ourselves from Malpensa, and we found it really straightforward using the trains.
After landing at Malpensa, we followed the signs for the train station and took the Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale. From there, we changed onto a train to Lecco.
Milano Centrale is a big station, but you don't need to leave it between trains. I'd just give yourself enough time for the connection so you're not rushing between platforms, especially if you're travelling with luggage.
Once you arrive at Lecco station, you're right in the town and it's only a short walk down towards the lakefront. We stayed in Lecco on this trip and then used the trains and ferries to explore more of Lake Como, including Varenna.
The complete journey from Malpensa to Lecco takes around 2 hours, depending on your connection in Milan.
Route: Malpensa Airport → Milano Centrale → Lecco
Journey time: Around 2 hours
Changes: 1
Best for: Staying in Lecco or the south-eastern side of Lake Como
If you're planning a short stay rather than just passing through, our 2 Day Lake Como itinerary shows how we'd put together a couple of days around the lake using public transport.
If you're staying in Varenna, the journey is very similar to getting to Lecco.
Take the Malpensa Express from the airport to Milano Centrale, then change onto a train towards Varenna-Esino. Trains to Varenna travel along the eastern side of Lake Como, passing through Lecco on the way.
We've visited Varenna twice and on our most recent trip we travelled there after flying into Malpensa. We chose to stay in Lecco first rather than travelling straight to Varenna, but it's easy enough to continue on the same side of the lake by train.
Varenna-Esino station is just above the town, and you can walk down towards the lakefront and ferry terminal from there. Bear in mind that Varenna is quite hilly in places, so that's worth considering if you're arriving with large suitcases.
Once you're in Varenna, you're also in a really handy position for exploring the central part of Lake Como. Ferries connect Varenna with places including Bellagio and Menaggio, so you don't necessarily need to move accommodation to see more of the lake.
Route: Malpensa Airport → Milano Centrale → Varenna-Esino
Journey time: Around 2 hrs 15 mins to 2 hrs 30 mins
Changes: 1
Best for: Varenna and exploring the central lake by ferry
Bellagio is a little different because there isn't a train station in Bellagio, so you'll need to complete the final part of the journey by ferry or bus.
One option is to travel from Malpensa to Como via Saronno, then continue from Como towards Bellagio. Depending on the time of year and timetable, you can use the ferry or bus for the journey along the lake.
Another option is to travel from Malpensa to Milano Centrale, take the train to Varenna-Esino, then walk down to the ferry terminal and take the ferry across to Bellagio.
If I was choosing between the two, I'd definitely check the ferry timetable for my travel date before deciding. Services around Lake Como change throughout the year, and your flight arrival time could make one route much easier than the other.
We've visited Lake Como and Varenna ourselves, but haven't stayed in Bellagio, so this isn't a route we've personally used from Malpensa.
Route: Malpensa → Como, Lecco or Varenna → Bellagio
Journey time: Around 2½ to 3 hours+
Changes: At least 2
Best for: Staying in Bellagio without hiring a car
You can also travel via Lecco. Take the train from Malpensa to Milano Centrale, change for Lecco, then take the D110 bus from Lecco to Bellagio. The bus runs along the eastern side of the lake and gives you another option if the ferry times from Como or Varenna don't work well with your arrival.
Bellano is on the same train line as Lecco and Varenna, so it's another fairly straightforward option if you're travelling from Malpensa without a car.
From the airport, take the Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale, then change onto a train towards Bellano-Tartavalle Terme. The train travels through Lecco and Varenna before continuing north to Bellano.
We've stayed in Bellano ourselves as part of our 5 day Bernina Express itinerary, although we travelled in the opposite direction at the end of our stay. We took the train from Bellano towards Milan before flying home from Malpensa.
Our flight was very early the following morning, before the trains to the airport were running, so we stayed in Milan for our final night and booked a private transfer to Malpensa Airport instead.
That's something I'd definitely check if you're planning the return journey too. Getting to Bellano by train is straightforward during the day, but an early flight from Malpensa could mean you need to stay closer to the airport or arrange a private transfer for the final part.
Route: Malpensa Airport → Milano Centrale → Bellano-Tartavalle Terme
Journey time: Around 2½ hours
Changes: 1
Best for: Staying in Bellano or travelling further up the eastern side of Lake Como
If you don't fancy changing trains with luggage, or your flight times don't work well with public transport, you can also book a private transfer between Malpensa Airport and Lake Como.
This is obviously going to cost more than taking the train, but there are times when I'd consider paying the extra for the convenience, particularly for a family or group where the cost can be split between several people.
We've used a private transfer between Milan and Malpensa ourselves. On our first Lake Como trip, we travelled from Bellano back to Milan by train and had an early flight from Malpensa the following morning. The airport trains weren't running early enough for our flight, so we booked a private transfer from our hotel in Milan instead.
For daytime flights, I'd usually look at the train first because public transport around this part of Italy is really good. For a very early departure, late arrival, lots of luggage or if there are several of you travelling together, I'd compare the cost of a transfer before deciding.
If you're booking one from Malpensa, make sure you enter your actual Lake Como town or accommodation rather than simply searching for “Lake Como”, as transfer times and prices can vary quite a bit depending on which part of the lake you're staying around.
If you're doing the journey in the opposite direction, the same routes work back towards Malpensa, but I'd check your flight time before deciding where to spend your final night.
For a daytime flight, travelling from places like Lecco, Varenna or Bellano to Milano Centrale and then taking the Malpensa Express to the airport is fairly straightforward. From Como, you can travel back via Saronno instead.
The problem can be very early flights. Depending on where you're staying around the lake, the first trains of the day might not get you to Malpensa early enough for check-in.
We've actually dealt with this differently on our two Lake Como trips.
On our first trip, we were staying in Bellano and had an early flight home from Malpensa. We travelled to Milan by train the day before, stayed there for our final night and then booked a private transfer to the airport early the following morning.
On our most recent trip, we were staying in Lecco and deliberately paid a little more for a midday flight home.
Once we'd compared the cost of an early flight with either paying for another night in Milan or booking a private transfer from Lecco, the later flight actually worked out cheaper overall.
It's something I'd definitely look at before automatically booking the cheapest flight. An early morning flight might save you money on the airfare, but once you add an extra hotel night or private transfer, it can end up costing more.
For us, it's now something we'd factor into the total trip cost, rather than looking at the flight price on its own.
For me, the train would be my first choice if the timings worked. We've used public transport throughout both of our Lake Como trips and found it really easy to get around without hiring a car.
If I was staying in Como, I'd check the direct airport bus first and compare the timings with the train via Saronno. For Lecco, Varenna or Bellano, I'd take the Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale and change there for the train towards Lake Como.
Bellagio takes a little more planning because there's no train station, so I'd compare travelling via Como with going via Varenna and taking the ferry across.
I'd only start looking at a private transfer if we had a very early or late flight, lots of luggage, or the public transport timings just didn't work for our trip.
The biggest thing I've learnt from doing Lake Como twice is to look at your airport transport before choosing your flights. Sometimes paying a little more for a flight at a better time can actually save money overall once you factor in airport transfers or an extra hotel night.
If you're using Milan as your base rather than staying at the lake, we've also put together 10 easy day trips from Milan by train, including Varenna on Lake Como.
Whenever I spot great-value DIY flights and accommodation from UK airports, I share them with members of the Build a Break Travel Club. If you'd like to travel without paying package holiday prices, it's a great place to start.
Copyright © Build a Break | Website by Furness Media
