My Experience Taking the Menaggio to Varenna Ferry (Traghetto) on Lake Como, Italy

Note to my fellow wanderers: This guide was written from my first-hand experiences. I try my best not to over-glamorize any location I travel to because I want HappyWander’s content to be as authentic as possible. My goal is to provide you real information so that you can have the best possible adventures wandering the world. Enjoy!

Taking a ferry on Lake Como is a scenic and convenient way to explore the lake’s beautiful towns. The ferry ride offers stunning views of the lake and mountains, taking around 15 minutes to connect Varenna and Menaggio, two picturesque locations you won’t want to miss. Varenna is known for its charming, colorful buildings and romantic walkways, while Menaggio boasts elegant villas and lakefront promenades. The ferry service runs frequently, and tickets can be purchased at the dock (or online), making it easy for visitors to plan day trips across the lake. In this adventure, I review everything you need to know about taking the Varenna to Menaggio Ferry (Traghetto) on Lake Como, Italy.

Taking the Menaggio to Varenna Ferry FAQs

I’ll take a stab at many of the questions I had when I was researching about taking the Varenna to Menaggio Ferry, as well as some I think could be useful for you:

How Much Do Tickets Cost on the Menaggio to Varenna Ferry?

To purchase a roundtrip ticket (non vehicle), you can purchase ahead of time online. At the time of writing this blog (October 2024), a ticket from from Menaggio to Varenna cost 9.20 Euros roundtrip. One way tickets cost 4.60 Euros. Here’s the website that I used to purchase my ticket ahead of time. It’s also nice because they show you all the ferries available on the day you’d like to go, as well as if there are any strikes happening (it seems this happens quite often). I’ve also seen all day boat passes online for 15 Euros.

Just a note, if you’re jumping on the ferry with your car, you’ll need to purchase a ticket at the docking station. I would recommend getting there early, as you’ll line up 2 cars wide. If there are too many cars in front of you, you’ll have to wait for another ferry.

You can check out the Varenna to Menaggio Ferry booking site here.

How Long Does It Take To Travel Across Lake Como?

To travel from Menaggio to Varenna via ferry, it only takes 15 minutes. Similarly, to go from Menaggio to Bellagio it takes around 15 minutes if you get a direct ferry ride.

Can I Bring My Car?

Yes! You can bring your car if you take the ferry “Traghetto” option (there are regular boat transports too), which is not available for every town along the lake. But the big 3 Menaggio, Bellagio, and Varenna do have an option for car transport. As mentioned above, you’ll want to arrive early to get a spot towards the front of the line to make sure you get on at the desired ferry time. I can imagine this getting VERY busy on weekends or holidays.

How Often Do Ferries Run from Menaggio to Varenna?

Ferries run quite often (if there aren’t any strikes happening) from Menaggio to Varenna, Varenna to Bellagio, and Bellagio to Menaggio. Each day is different, there are not set amount of ferries happening. On the day that I went, the last returning ferry from Varenna to Menaggio was at around 7:15 PM. So unfortunately, this service is not super robust as to the times you can travel in the evenings.

Ferry Meeting Location in Varenna

If you’re taking the Varenna to Menaggio or Bellagio, you’ll need to navigate your way to the Varenna Traghetto dock. You can find it here:

Here is the address: 277M+95 Varenna, Province of Lecco, Italy

Ferry Meeting Location in Menaggio

Whether you’re walking over to take the ferry or driving over, you’ll need to find the right spot. Fortunately, it’s a short 5 to 10 minute walk from the main city of Menaggio. Parking is a bit sketchy around the city, but hopefully you’ll be staying in a hotel that has free parking (mine did). There is street parking in the city but it’s chaotic, depending on the time you come. Early in the morning on a Tuesday there was tons of street parking, however. Here’s the location you’ll need to go to to take the ferry in Menaggio:

Here is the address: 268P+RM Menaggio, Province of Como, Italy

What’s Menaggio Like?

Menaggio is a charming lakeside town on Lake Como, known for its scenic waterfront promenade and stunning views of the surrounding mountains. With its historic architecture, cozy cafes, and relaxed atmosphere, it offers a perfect blend of nature and Italian village charm. I stayed overnight in Menaggio, and I loved how quaint and safe it felt. Lake Como in general is truly one of my favorite places in Italy so far.

What’s Varenna Like?

Varenna is a picturesque village on Lake Como, known for its colorful houses, winding cobblestone streets, and romantic lake views. With landmarks like the lush gardens of Villa Monastero and charming waterfront cafes, Varenna offers an authentic Italian experience that’s both tranquil and full of historic charm. Varenna is quite different than Menaggio, with tight walking streets that zig zag in between buildings and along the water. It’s a stunning place to visit.

My Experience Taking the Menaggio to Varenna Ferry

In this section, I will review my experience taking the Menaggio to Varenna Ferry, from where to meet all the way to coming back to Varenna after a few hours in Menaggio. Let’s jump in:

Ferry Meeting Spot in Menaggio

The ferry meeting spot is fairly convenient to navigate to as it’s just a short walk from the main area of Menaggio. When I arrived earlier in the day around 1 PM, there was a sign that said “Today on Strike 3 AM to 5 PM”. I was pretty annoyed and disheartened as I had already bought my ticket and I thought I might miss my chance to travel across to Varenna.

I went back to my hotel room for a few minutes and researched if there were any ferries going after 5 PM. Sure enough there was one at around 5 PM, but the last returning ferry was just after 7 PM. In an adventurous mood, I definitely would take this ride even if it were just for there and back. Fortunately, I got to spend 1.5 hours on Varenna.

Riding Over to Varenna

With about 20 cars lined up and a group of people lined up in a separate line, the ferry arrived and we are off to Varenna!

Above is a video of us leaving Menaggio on our way to Varenna. Goodbye Menaggio!

It’s a short 15 minute ride across the lake until you approach the lovely Varenna:

Walking Around Varenna

Varenna is just a really cool spot to visit. I wish I had more time to explore, but i Did manage to walk about 30 minutes in 1 direction along the narrow winding streets, meet up with a few ladies for a glass of wine, and wander back to the ferry just in time to depart. Here’s one of my favorite little spots to view the city:

Farewell Varenna! You were so beautiful.

Riding Back to Menaggio

Just as easy as it was to ride the ferry from Menaggio to Varenna, the operation was also quite seamless from Varenna to Menaggio. I arrived pretty close to the time the ferry was departing. You’ll want to make sure of the last ferry time to go back. There was a bit of confusion between the time online and the ticket operators on the exact time, so it’s better to be early. If you’re closer to the front of the line, you will be able to get a “better spot” on the ferry, however, this wasn’t a problem at all when I went. On the ride to Varenna I chose to take a seat upstairs. On the way back to Menaggio, I chose to stand on the bottom where the cars were. I’d highly recommend standing, you’ll have a much better view:

One of the cool things about taking the ferry is the unique views of the towns along the way you just can’t get staying on dry land. Here is me riding into Menaggio on my way back:

I did capture the cars exiting the ferry in Menaggio so you can see how that works:

Is Taking the Menaggio to Varenna Ferry Worth It?

So is taking the ferry between towns on Lake Como worth it? Absolutely! Here are a few of my favorite parts, as well as a few of my least favorite parts.

Favorite Parts

• Unique views of beautiful Lake Como: You won’t get views of each town like you will on the water via a boat. Taking a private speed boat or yacht would be amazing, but the next best thing is a cheap ferry ride.
• Easy, cheap travel: The cherry on top of traveling on the ferry at Lake Como is how easy and inexpensive it is. You can buy an all-day pass to travel between different towns for 15 Euros, or a 2 way ticket for under 10 Euros. Driving to the other towns would take hours and cost more in parking, so the ferry option is great.

Least Favorite Parts

• The workers were on strike: The workers going on strike nearly cancelled my adventure, even though I had already purchased my ticket. Fortunately I was able to still visit beautiful Varenna.
• Unclear hours of departure: The hours were not exactly precise from the website to the actual departure, especially on the way back from Varenna to Menaggio. A little more concise times would be extremely helpful
• Last ferry just after 7 pm: For the particular day that I went, the last ferry back to Menaggio was just after 7 PM. It would be great for some later hours to enjoy more time in neighboring towns.

So is taking the Menaggio to Varenna Ferry worth it? I think so! You get to cross the beautiful Lake Como for a relatively cheap price to experience a new town! You could also take another ferry to Bellagio, but unfortunately I was on a time crunch due to ferries only operating for a few hours (on a strike) the day I visited.

Overall Score

The Menaggio to Varenna Ferry experience was great for what it was. I liked that it was super simple to just walk on the boat, find a seat or stand, and enjoy the views. I give this experience an 8.0 / 10. Later departure times in the evening and clearer hours of departure would bump this score up further.

Final Thoughts on Taking the Ferry Across Lake Como

Taking the ferry across Lake Como is a relaxing way to enjoy the area’s natural beauty while conveniently visiting multiple towns. It provides an opportunity to explore the unique charm of each lakeside destination, making it a memorable addition to any Lake Como itinerary. Thank you for reading about my adventure taking the Ferry from Menaggio to Varenna and back on Lake Como! Happy wandering!