Como Car Rental Guide and
Driving Directions for Lake Como

When choosing between the many Como car rental agencies, you will find many of the big brand names like Europcar and Avis but not as many check-out and drop-off locations like in nearby Milan.

Smart tourists always find great deals on car rentals way before they even arrive into the town of Como, thanks to the internet and its ability to sift through the hundreds of agencies available. One such site is Auto Europe which we have used on many occasions with great success. More on that in a sec...

And if car rentals are not your cup of tea...

Click here to learn more about public transportation

Now let's begin with the driving situation in Lake Como...

Driving Directions

Getting To Lake Como

Now, you can really come prepared for any trip in the Lake Como area and even know the duration of your trip - provided you leave ample room for traffic jams during rush hours - and other details such as fuel costs!

The town of Como - the most southern town of Lake Como - is connected by two highways from Milan. The A8 highway - also called the Autostrada dei Laghi or Highway of the Lakes runs accross Northern Italy, while the A9 will then take you directly to Como. This popular route is about 50km long and takes about 40-60 minutes depending on the traffic situation.

From Bergamo, you would first have to take the A4 highway to Milan before reaching Como.

From Switzerland, you could take the road towards Porlezza from Lugano, and then the SS340 in Italy towards Menaggio.

Driving in Lake Como

One of the fastest ways to commute around the lake is to use the car ferries which link the central towns of Menaggio, Cadenabbia, Bellagio and Varenna. They are very inexpensive and can help you get from the Western towns to the Eastern towns very efficiently.

How to Get Best Deals on a Como Car Rental

In Italy, it is always a good idea to look through many rental car companies before settling down on one. Each agency has different policies concerning surcharges, taxes, insurance, and it is amazing to see the disparity in prices between agencies offering the same vehicle.

We always use Auto Europe when trying to find a Como car rental that delivers the best prices, and the conveniences we are looking for, such as having an A/C for the hot summers.

Another great thing is that all the terms of the agreement - everything from exact cost to drop-off location - are clearly spelled out in advance so there are never any unpleasant surprises upon arrival.

CAUTION: We strongly advise renting a small car as most streets in Lake Como are very narrow. Streets get wider as you go to the north past Dongo where towns seem to be more spacious.

How small is small? Click here to read about my experiences with renting a smart car

And...if you happen to prefer the convenience of renting a car right upon your arrival into Milan...

View this page about Milan car rental companies

Tourist Routes

Here are a few fun routes where you can take your family for a ride...

• A common tourist path is to go from Lugano, Switzerland through Menaggio, Italy and then follow the northern towns of Lake Como just before crossing back into Switzerland and finally reaching the ski-resort of St. Moritz. There is also a Swiss bus which runs this course on certain days of the week.

• Just above Menaggio, you could drive up to the nearby town of Breglia -following the signs toward Plesio - from which you can see beautiful panoramic views of the lake and or begin any of the numerous hiking trails.

• Following the lakeside road from Como to Domaso is a great way to see the entire western and northern legs of Lake Como. The C10 bus also takes this route. Read more about public transportation

Tunnels

Because the mountains are so steep and seem to plunge right down into the Lake, I often wondered how they were even able to build a road here in the first place. But the answer came to me right away with my first driving experience, where I had witnessed the incredible number of tunnels scattered throughout my entire journey.

The eastern towns like Varenna, Bellano and Colico have the greatest number of tunnels inter-connecting them which makes that route the least scenic of all.

However, the bright side of having tunnels is that they help you get to your destinations faster by allowing faster speed limits and having been built with two clearly-marked lanes for each direction of traffic. (It's hard to see lanes marked anywhere else because most road are so narrow!)

Sometimes the main street in towns like Lenno and Ossucio become so narrow that two buses from opposite directions cannot possibly pass each other, causing mile-long traffic delays on both sides.

It's funny though...that the beautiful views you will get from the road - of each charming town and its reflection in the deep blue waters - will always somehow make up for any stress you might conjure while driving in Lake Como.

Speed Limits

Please try not to drive like the locals who rarely obey speed limits. Most tourists who work hard to keep the speed limit but are usually surprised to see how many scooters and cars try to pass them as if they don't care about life or death!

It is also a good custom to honk your horn when approaching dangerous curves so that any oncoming vehicle from the opposite direction knows that you are near.

Has this page on Como Car rentals been helpful?...

If so, you may also be interested in Milan Car rental companies and other helpful tips on renting cars

Return from Como car rentals to Homepage