What makes the most sense to get from Lake Como to Venice ?

[familyof6cruisin]

We are staying in Lake Como a few days before our cruise from Venice.

 

We are leaving Lake Como the morning of the cruise to board the Star in Venice.

 

I tentatively booked a private driver who said we can stop in Bergamo or Verona for 1.5 hours on the way.

It all sounds so good but it is very expensive.

 

 

Please advise if you have taken a train or rental car from Lake Como to Venice

 

 

My concerns ;

Train - Since we do not speak Italian I am concerned that we may have some issues finding the correct train in Milan.

 

 

Rental car - difficult roads for driving and difficulty returning car and then getting to the port with all of our luggage.

 

 

thanks for any advice you can offer.

[Hlitner]

We have driven (rental car) to Como and all the way up to Bellagio. DW says I am crazy, but I do love driving in Italy where we have probably put over 10.000 miles on the odometer. Trains are fine for getting from Point A to Point B...but cars are much better if you want to be out and about and see more of the country. With a GPS (or a working cell phone) navigation is easy. There are multiple rental car agencies located at the Pizzale Roma (connected to the port via the People Mover).

 

I do not speak Italian (but can order wine, beer or ask for the WC) but have managed to get around Italy for many years. There are times when you might have to ask a few folks for help before you find somebody who speaks English, but its never been a major issue during our travels. Keep in mind that Europeans are used to dealing with folks who speak many different languages and many folks go out of their way to be helpful. Verona is along the route and one can stop with an expensive car/driver or for a lot less money by simply parking their rental car :).

 

We no longer urge folks to DIY but simply point out the options. For those who feel uncomfortable with DIY there are always very expensive private/cars/drivers/guides happy to take your Euros (and they do expect tips from Americans).

 

Hank

[marazul]

Train - the destinations and platforms are clearly marked at the station and you can ask for help.

 

Car - the only smaller roads you will encounter are a short distance from Lake Como to the autostrada. Then it is autostrade all the way to Venice. Plot your route in viamichelin.com. It will show you the route turn by turn, including pictures of the road signs you need to follow. It will also tell you the amount of tolls, places to stop, hoew much fuel you will use, etc. Don't discount driving until you check out viamichelin. You return the car in Piazzale Roma in Venice.

 

Look at a route from Como to Piazzale Roma in Venice (scroll down to see the details):

 

https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Routes?departure=22100%20Como%2C%20Como%2C%20Italie&departureTid=city-68010-ita&arrival=Piazzale%20Roma%2C%20Venezia%2C%20Italie&index=0&vehicle=0&type=0&distance=km&currency=EUR&highway=false&toll=false&vignette=false&orc=false&crossing=true&caravan=false&shouldUseTraffic=false&withBreaks=false&break_frequency=7200&coffee_duration=1200&lunch_duration=3600&diner_duration=3600&night_duration=32400&car=hatchback&fuel=petrol&fuelCost=1.477&allowance=0&corridor=&departureDate=&arrivalDate=&fuelConsumption=

 

Also, a great place to stop on the road is Sirmione at the base of Lake Garda. Much better than Bergamo. So, my suggested stops would be Sirmione and/or Verona.

 

These are not difficult roads for driving. I see you are from NJ. Are you kidding us? Do you take the GW to Manhattan? Or Rt 4 to Paramus? If you drove the Garden State down to the shore this weekend, you have nothing to fear! It will feel like a stroll in the park.

Edited May 29, 2018 by marazul

[iancal]

Train is very straightforward. Train to Milan, then to Venice. We have done this the opposite way.

 

We have also driven to Venice. No issue. The biggest thing to remember is to take the correct turn into the rental car garage just after crossing the bridge to Venice.

 

English is not an issue. We have been to Italy many times. We do not speak Italian. Never a problem on public transportation or driving.

 

It it were us, and we were simply going to Venice with no stops, we would take the train. Interestingly enough the train and the rental car return will drop you within a block of each other. We typically want to stop along the way so our choice in this case would be a car. Probably a Fiat Panda with standard transmission since we never have much luggage.

[familyof6cruisin]

Hi all

I appreciate all of your advice.

I am going to look into renting a car , I hope I can find a place in Lake Como area to rent (do not want to have to go to Milan if we can avoid it on that day )

 

 

marazul thanks for the laugh with your reference to Rte 4 in Paramus ,GWBridge and shore traffic. We deal with all of those frequently.

 

 

thanks again

[euro cruiser]

There are several rental car agencies within walking distance of the train station in Como (Avis, Hertz, Europcar).

 

I doubt that you'll have the time to worry about a stop along the way. You haven't said where around Lake Como you are staying (it's a huge lake) but wherever it is, you'll have some time involved with checking out of your accommodations and getting from there to downtown Como, then doing the paperwork and picking up the car, loading it with your stuff, getting yourself oriented, etc. before you even hit the road.

 

Once you get on the road it's a three and a half or four hour drive, plus time to fill the car with gas and the time it takes to return in and go through that paperwork, then get to the ship. With all that I don't think you can risk a stop along the way, which you would be able to do with a car and driver.

[iancal]

If you rent a car, make sure you rent with an agency that has a drop off at P. Roma -not the airport.

 

Not certain if you have been to Milan (or Veron) before but you could always train to Milan or Vernona the afternoon or night before. Spend some time in Milan the next AM, and then train to Venice.

[marazul]

Happy to entertain.

 

Eurocruiser and iancal are right about the timing. The easiest stop would be Sirmione. Look it up.

[Hlitner]

Hi all

I appreciate all of your advice.

I am going to look into renting a car , I hope I can find a place in Lake Como area to rent (do not want to have to go to Milan if we can avoid it on that day )

 

 

marazul thanks for the laugh with your reference to Rte 4 in Paramus ,GWBridge and shore traffic. We deal with all of those frequently.

 

 

thanks again

 

Many European train stations have multiple rental car agencies in or near the station. This is true for the station at Como where you can find the usual major agencies. If you are thinking about renting a car for 3 or more days you should also check the offerings from some major "consolidators" or discounters. We favor Autoeurope or Kemwel (sister companies located in New England) who wholesale rental cars from agencies like Europcar and Hertz. In the past we have found that Autoeurope has better prices with decent insurance options.

 

Hank