Lake Como, Italy is situated close to the city of Milan in the northern part of this country. The lake measures 50km in length and at the southern end the town of Bellagio is located situated on the land where the lake forks. This is certainly not the largest of the lakes to be found in Italy, but is one of the deepest, both Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore are much larger in size.

This lake like many of the others around Italy have been favored places for Italians to spend their spare time ever since the Roman Empire. Today the towns which line the lakes shores are not just popular with tourists but also with walker, swimmers and cyclists.

Getting to Lake Como is not that difficult as it is part of Italy's main railway network. Train leave frequently from Milan and the overall journey from the city to the lake takes around 40 minutes. Trains leave from Milan's Central Station or Porta Garibaldi Station and arrive at the main station San Giovanni in Lake Como.

Once there you have a number of ways of getting around the lake, you can either drive, use local buses, or cycle if you wish. But the quickest way of getting from one of the main towns on Lake Como to the various resorts is using the steamers or boats. These boats and steamers offer a much more frequent service and connect all the main resorts of Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio, Tremezzo, Lenno and Villa Carlotta to each other.

The town of Commo itself is a very pleasant and lively one and is located at the southern end of the lake itself. But as well as enjoying the varied architecture of this historic town from its Gothic to Renaissance features why not take a ride on the funicular. This takes you to the top of the hill situated outside of the town and offers you spectacular views not just over Commo but also of the lake as well.

One of the more popular tourist destination points on Lake Commo is the town of Menaggio, which is located on its western shore. As well as a great range of hotels in which one can stay this town also has its own beach as well.

As mentioned above also situated at the southern end of the lake near to the town of Commo is the town of Bellagio. With its beautiful stately hotels and wonderful gardens (open to the public) this truly is what many see as a picturesque Italian town.

For those who are looking for somewhere that is a little more peaceful and relaxing then consider staying in the town of Varenna. It is a much smaller sized town than Bellagio but has some truly wonderful architecture to view and also a visit to Castello de Vezio in the town allows you to enjoy spectacular views looking out over Lake Como.

When it comes to visiting Lake Como, Italy certainly during the week is best as at the weekends it becomes extremely busy as many of the people from Milan spend time enjoying all that the area has to offer. Also if you can avoid visiting the area between July and August as this is the height of the summer season and it becomes very crowded and accommodation prices increase dramatically. If you really want to enjoy all that this part of Italy has to offer try and arrange your holiday in either the spring or autumn. The weather is very pleasant during these times of the year but also the resorts are far less crowded as well.