Itinerary · Italy
Lake Como Day Trip from Milan: Lakefront and Brunate
Lake Como, about an hour from Milan by train: picking the day, tickets, Piazza Cavour, the Tempio Voltiano, the Brunate funicular and a Navigli evening.
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A day at Lake Como from Milan: the big picture
This post covers one thing: taking a day out of a Milan trip for Lake Como. According to the Italian tourism board, Como is about an hour from Milan by train. The day is built around walking from Como San Giovanni station to Piazza Cavour on the lakefront, strolling along the lake past the Tempio Voltiano, and riding the Como-Brunate funicular up for the view over the lake.
Below you will find how to pick the day and season, how to sort out train tickets, the order of things in Como and what to do back in Milan in the evening. For the city itself, with the Duomo, the Last Supper and Brera, see the 2-night, 3-day route linked below.
When to go: choosing the day and the season
Start with the day of the week. The Tempio Voltiano on the lakefront opens Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00, while the Como-Brunate funicular runs daily. In Milan, the Last Supper and the Pinacoteca di Brera close on Mondays, so a Monday in Como avoids those closures, but the Tempio Voltiano is closed that day too. If you want to see it, go Tuesday to Sunday.
For the season, the Italian tourism board names April to the end of September as the best time for a day in Como. Normals from the WMO World Weather Information Service — Italian Air Force Department of Meteorology (Milan (WMO city data), 1971–2000) give Milan average daily highs of about 17°C in April, 22°C in May, 26°C in June, 29°C in July and August and 24°C in September. It is a day with a lot of walking, so keep the daytime heat in mind in July and August.
Check the official forecast for this year's weather before you go.
Train tickets and getting across Milan
You get to Como by train. Contactless payment in Milan works only on ATM services, not on S lines or rail services, so you need a separate train ticket for Como. Check the departure station, timetable and fares in the railway's official information before you go.
To reach the station from your hotel, use ATM's metro, buses and trams. ATM lists a 90-minute ticket at EUR 2.20 and a 24-hour ticket at EUR 7.60, and tapping a credit or debit card or phone on the reader costs no extra and applies the cheapest fare. After four journeys in a day, the daily fare applies. When paying contactless, use the same card or device for the whole journey, and on the metro always tap out even if the gates are open.
According to the City of Como, lines R17 and RE7 run from Milano Cadorna via Saronno to lakeside Como Lago every 60 or 120 minutes, while lines S11 (every 30 minutes) and RE80 (every 60 minutes) stop at Como San Giovanni. There are tourist info points in the San Giovanni station atrium and at the Broletto. Lake boats leave from the pier on Lungo Lario Trieste by Piazza Cavour; the operator advises reaching the ticket office about 20 minutes before departure and says sailings may be suspended in bad weather. Boat timetables change by season, so check official info before you go (City of Como, lake navigation operator, checked 13 October 2026).
- Train: Milan → Como about 1 hour (Italian tourism board)
- Ticket: contactless does not work on rail — get a separate ticket
- Departure station, timetable, fares: check the railway's official information
- Around Milan: ATM 90-minute ticket EUR 2.20, 24-hour ticket EUR 7.60
Arriving in Como: Piazza Cavour, the lakefront and the Tempio Voltiano
From Como San Giovanni station it is a 10-minute walk to Piazza Cavour, the centre of the lakefront. From the square you can stroll along the lake past the Tempio Voltiano.
The Tempio Voltiano opens Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00. Since the funicular runs into the night, it is easiest to see the temple and walk the lakefront first and go up to Brunate afterwards. Check the temple's admission in the official information before you go.
Up the Como-Brunate funicular for the lake view
The Como-Brunate funicular climbs 1 km in 7 minutes to views over the lake and town. The photo at the top of this post shows Como and the lake from the Brunate overlook.
The funicular runs daily 6:00-22:30, and until midnight on Saturdays and in summer. Check fares and where to board in the official information before you go.
After the view, come back down and head back to Milan in the evening. Check the times of return trains in the railway's official information before you go.
Back in Milan for the evening: the Navigli and Milanese food
When you are back in Milan in the evening, head to the Navigli. Two canals branch off from the Darsena in Porta Ticinese, and in the evening the bars and restaurants along the water fill with people out for aperitifs and music. The aperitivo is Milan's pre-dinner drink.
For dinner there is saffron risotto alla milanese, which the Italian tourism board calls a dish you cannot miss in Milan, ossobuco, traditionally served with that risotto, and cotoletta alla milanese, a breaded veal cutlet cooked in butter.
When the metro stops, night buses run within the city, and you need a Mi1-Mi3 ticket.
Checklist before you go
Here is what to check before your day in Como. For getting into Milan and the city itself, see the posts below.
- Day: Tempio Voltiano Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00; funicular daily 6:00-22:30 (until midnight on Saturdays and in summer)
- Train ticket: contactless does not work on rail; check timetables and fares in the railway's official information
- Season: the Italian tourism board names April to the end of September for a day in Como
- Around Milan: ATM 24-hour ticket EUR 7.60; with contactless, the daily fare applies from the fourth journey of the day
- Check official information for entry requirements (visas, ETIAS and so on)
- Check your government's current travel advice for Italy before you go
Plan your Milan trip
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FAQ
Can you do Lake Como as a day trip from Milan?
Yes. According to the Italian tourism board, Como is about an hour from Milan by train. Piazza Cavour is a 10-minute walk from Como San Giovanni station, so you can walk the lakefront, take in the Brunate view and be back in the evening.
Is Monday a good day to go?
The Como-Brunate funicular runs daily, but the Tempio Voltiano opens only Tuesday to Sunday. If you want to see the temple, go Tuesday to Sunday.
Can I tap my credit card to ride the train?
Contactless payment in Milan works only on ATM services, not on S lines or rail services. Get a separate train ticket for Como and check timetables and fares in the railway's official information before you go.
How late does the Brunate funicular run?
It runs daily 6:00-22:30, and until midnight on Saturdays and in summer. It climbs 1 km in 7 minutes.
Related reading
ⓘ Photo credits
- Naviglio Grande canal · FlavMi / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rio Mandracchio, Burano · Matthias Süßen / CC BY-SA 4.0