Spotlight on Como: What It's Really Like to Live on Lake Como

Lake Como has a reputation as a playground for the rich and famous, but as our founder Andrew Motiwalla and Como Community Manager Francesca revealed in our latest Spotlight on Como webinar, there's a whole other side to this Italian lake town: a walkable, welcoming, distinctly Italian community that happens to sit on one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Here's what we learned.

Meet Francesca, Your Local Guide to Como

Francesca isn't just The Good Life Abroad's Community Manager in Como—she's a lifelong local. Born just outside the city and now a working tour guide on the lake itself, she brings a real insider's perspective to the program, from the well-known villas of Bellagio and Varenna to the quieter northern and eastern branches of the lake that most visitors never see.

As Francesca put it during the webinar, Como is a place that rewards time. It takes more than a day trip to really get to know it—which is exactly why The Good Life Abroad built a two-week Short Stay around it.

Where You'll Live: The Historic Heart of Como

Your apartment sits inside the old city walls, just steps from Piazza Volta and about a 10-minute walk to the lakefront. It's the same neighborhood where locals live, shop, and eat—not just where tour buses stop. From your front door, you're within easy walking distance of the Duomo, the ferry piers, museums, and Como's two railway stations.

The apartments themselves are modern and comfortable rather than luxurious: equipped kitchenettes, a washing machine (with a drying rack, as is typical across our European locations), high-speed Wi-Fi, a smart TV, and a shared central courtyard. All Good Life Abroad travelers in Como stay in the same building, so community is built in from day one.

Community Life: The Tuesday Lunch Club and Beyond

Every Good Life Abroad Short Stay includes a calendar of optional activities woven around plenty of free time. In Como, that means a cooking class centered on the lake-and-mountain cuisine unique to the region, a dedicated day out on the water to learn the lake's history and villages, and the weekly Tuesday Lunch Club that's become a signature part of the TGLA experience in every city.

Communication happens through WhatsApp, where Francesca posts daily suggestions and meetup details, and travelers form their own interest groups—everything from solo traveler meetups to foodie clubs to impromptu hiking crews. The typical Como group runs 10 to 20 people, with an average age around 67, roughly a third of them solo travelers and the rest couples—almost all sharing a love of cultural immersion over checklist tourism.

Getting Around: Ferries, Trains, and the Road to Switzerland

Como is Lake Como's best-connected town, and Francesca spends real time during orientation teaching new arrivals how to navigate it. Ferries require a bit of advance planning—tickets are sold same-day, so an early start matters—but between the slow boats, fast boats, buses, and taxis, getting to villages like Bellagio and Varenna is entirely manageable without a car.

Como's location also makes it an easy jumping-off point for day trips. Milan is about 40 minutes by direct train, and Switzerland is closer than most people expect: Lugano is roughly half an hour away, with St. Moritz and Tirano reachable by train for a full day out (the Bernina Express included, if you're up for it).

The Best Time to Experience Lake Como

The Good Life Abroad runs its Como program in spring and fall rather than the height of summer, when the lake is at its most crowded and hottest. Spring and fall bring milder weather, thinner crowds on the ferries and in villages like Bellagio, and—depending on the year—water still warm enough for a swim well into September.

Francesca's local tip: plan village day trips on weekdays rather than weekends, when day-trippers from Milan fill the boats and towns. Based in Como, you already have a head start on anyone commuting in for the day.

What's Included in Your Como Short Stay

The Como program is a 14-night Short Stay that includes your furnished apartment, all scheduled community activities and events (the Tuesday Lunch Club, weekly happy hour, guided walks, wine and aperitivo tastings, the cooking class, and a scenic boat tour), the ongoing support of your local Community Manager, and travel medical insurance. Airfare, airport transfers, groceries, phone service, and optional weekend getaways aren't included, so you can shape those around your own interests.

As Andrew emphasized on the call, this isn't a bus tour. It's an independent experience with support built underneath it—so a comfortable amount of walking and some navigating of public transit are part of the deal, in exchange for the freedom to build your own two weeks in Como.

Ready to Experience Lake Como?

Dates for Como are open through 2028, with a $495 deposit to hold your spot. If Lake Como has been on your list, this is a good moment to take a closer look.