Traveling to Lake Como with a toddler doesn’t mean you can’t experience “la dolce vita.” If anything, it will make your trip even sweeter. Lake Como is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been. From the moment you catch a glimpse of the sapphire green water surrounded by lush mountains, you’ll fall in love. There’s endless amounts of family activities to indulge your little one in. Lake Como truly is a location for all walks of life. Read on for more itinerary suggestions, packing tips, and general toddler travel advice!
Lake Como with a Toddler
What’s in this post
Traveling with your little one or as a couple to Lake Como? There’s so much this Italian region has to offer! Keep on reading for recommendations on visiting Lake Como with a toddler, our 3 day itinerary, and more! Be sure to check out our Lake Como Google Map where we have saved all of our hotel, restaurant, and activity recommendations!
3 Day Itinerary
Day 1
- Arrive in Lake Como, Check-in to accommodation
- Dinner on the lake
- Enjoy gelato while strolling around town
The first day will most likely include coming in from Milan, Venice, or Zurich. If renting a car, you can drive directly to your accommodation on the lake. If coming by public transportation, you can take the ferry to any of the major towns. Try not to plan too many activities for your first day on Lake Como with a toddler. Enjoy the scenic travel and wind down with an aperol spritz 😌.
We checked into the Grand Hotel Cadenabbia after a long drive in from the Dolomites (check out “Best of the Dolomites with a Toddler” post) and kept a slow pace. After freshening up, we walked to dinner, which despite the glorious views, was not overwhelming. We always regret tourist restaurants with large menus… We finished up the evening with a sunset stroll and called it a night.
Day 2
Wooden boat tour on Lake Como
- Breakfast at hotel
- Ferry to Varenna for cooking class with locals
- Evening Wooden boat tour of lake
- Dinner
Day two was one of the best days during our time in Lake Como. It was Father’s Day and I had planned a cooking class in Varenna with some locals that was incredible! To follow, we did a sunset boat tour on a classic Italian wooden boat. Of course, we had a lovely dinner on the lake to end the evening. It was truly one of the best experiences we’ve had traveling.
Chef’s Table Experience Cooking Class in Varenna
We had a last minute family emergency with our Viator tour guide and our cooking class was sadly cancelled. Luckily, one of the hotel employees had a chef brother who hosted cooking classes in the same town! The Chef’s Table Experience (previously Ravioli & Co.) I was a little stressed about doing a cooking class in Lake Como with a toddler, but Chef Marco and Anita went above and beyond to make our family feel comfortable in their home. They were so amazing, that we actually were able to cook with Marco while Anita played with Maya. I was shocked that we completed a cooking class with an 18 month old present 😅
“The entire experience was so wonderful and we cannot recommend this class enough. This is a MUST do experience while visiting Lake Como.”
After making the most delicious ravioli, Maya ate the biggest lunch we’ve ever witnessed. Between the homemade hummus, caprese salad and all of the pasta, she crushed it all and so did we! Anita made Gregg an aperol spritz that was incredibly refreshing! Unfortunately, being pregnant, I did not partake, but he enjoyed it. The entire experience was so wonderful and we cannot recommend this class enough. This is a MUST do experience while visiting Lake Como.
Book the Chef’s Table Experience here and check out their instagram below!
Going Above and Beyond
Not only did Marco and Anita go above and beyond with our daughter, but from start to finish the experience was impeccable. They picked us up even though we missed our first ferry and were very late. Then, to make sure we arrived back to the hotel in time, they dropped us off at the port. The line was so long that we would’ve missed our boat tour, but Marco went out of his way to ask the staff to get us on the ferry that was about to leave. I’m not sure how he made it happen, but we were so grateful for his help. It made our afternoon so much smoother. We cannot recommend Chef Marco and Anita’s cooking class enough!
Boat Tour on the Lake
The next part of our day included a scenic tour in a classic Italian wooden boat around the lake. Our captain Filippo from Barindelli Taxi Boats picked us up from Cadenabbia and drove us around the bottom part of Lake Como for two hours. It was such a wonderful afternoon. After learning that we also boat frequently, Filippo even let us take the wheel and cruise around ourselves! It was such a unique experience to captain such a beautiful boat. Not to mention, he captured the best photos of our family 😬
Flippo took us around the middle and bottom portion of the lake. He explained to us facts about the lake and showed us famous villas owned by big names like George Clooney. It was nice to learn a bit of the history of Lake Como while enjoying its magnificent views. Doing water excursions with a little one is always a little intimidating. If you plan to visit Lake Como with a toddler, make sure your boat has infant life vests available. I emailed Filippo prior to booking to confirm this and I appreciated the excellent communication from the start.
If you plan to visit Lake Como with a toddler, make sure your boat has infant life vests available.
One of the best parts of doing a boat tour on our first full day was that we decided to rent our own boat the next morning and we already had an idea of where we wanted to take it. This made solo cruising around much more relaxing and enjoyable. We knew the villas to drive by and where to dock for lunch. If you’re comfortable driving a boat, we highly recommend both of these excursions in the same order.
Day 3
- Breakfast
- Self-guided boat rental (full day)
- Boat to Varenna for lunch & gelato
- Dinner
Self-guided Boat Tour
After experiencing Lake Como from the water, we decided that to fully immerse ourselves in the destination. We needed to be ON the lake for our last day. So, we immediately booked a half day (4 hours) boat from Nautic Planet rentals on our way home from the guided tour. The boat docks are in Tremezzo and a short walk from both Grand Hotel’s Cadenabbia and Tremezzo. They also have a location in Menaggio. FYI – you do not need a boat license to book. Expect to pay about 250 euro for 4 hours.
We had the best time cruising on the lake with the most perfect weather. It was nice to know where we wanted to take the boat after our tour the day prior. This made boating on Lake a Como with a toddler stress-free. Be sure to dock your boat at one of the towns for lunch and gelato! We grabbed lunch in Varenna at Caffe Varenna and walked over to a gelateria afterwards. Is there anything more vacation?
Boat Rental Itinerary
- Cruise around southern part of Lake
- Drive by Villa del Balbianello
- Lunch & gelato in a different lake town
- Jump off Ponte Della Civera bridge
- Take a dive off your boat into the crisp lake ☺️
The highlight of our day was taking turns jumping off of the boat into the lake. It was cool water, yet refreshing. Swimming in such a magnificent place with views for days was an unforgettable moment. Little things like this make vacation an adventure! Definitely don’t miss out on this incredible experience with your loved ones.
Where to Stay
Searching for a hotel in Lake Como was daunting…we’re not going to lie. Deciding which lake town to stay on was overwhelming. When visiting Lake Como with a toddler, you want to make sure you have the perfect accommodation for your needs. We wanted to stay somewhere close to the ferry docks, yet walkable and not overly touristy. This ended up ruling out Bellagio for us. Ultimately, we loved Varenna but couldn’t find a nice hotel (there’s more Airbnb’s) right on the lake. After much research, we decided to stay in the Tremezzo/Cadenabbia region.
Lake Como Hotels
- Grand Hotel Tremezzo $$$$
- Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni $$$$
- Grand Hotel Cadenabbia $$$
- Hotel Florence Bellagio $$
Grand Hotel Cadenabbia
The Grand Hotel Tremezzo was far out of our budget, but the Grand Hotel Cadenabbia was close by and a more reasonably price. Not only was it directly on the lake, but it was across from the Cadenabbia ferry dock. You could easily walk to the Tremezzo dock for more ferry time and route options. The location and cost was perfect for our family. Below are the driving distances from the nearest international airports and popular destinations.
Driving Distance to Grand Hotel Cadenabbia
- Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP): 1 hour 20 min drive
- Cortina d’Ampezzo: 5 hours
- Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE): 3.5 hours
- Zurich (ZRH): 3.5 hours
Aside from the customer service and the beautiful Italian decor, our favorite part of the Grand Hotel Cadenabbia truly was the breakfast. Let’s be real, buffets with a toddler are underrated when traveling! You never know what local dishes they’ll love or hate. Even in the land of pizza and pasta, sometimes little ones are picky when out of their comfort zone, so we appreciated all of the options.
Other than the wonderful breakfast buffet, the hotel staff were amazing, there was free parking, and cribs available. We stocked up on milk each morning from the buffet for Maya, which that alone is priceless. The bartenders were always willing to fill up our milk bottles at nighttime as well. The only downside is that the pool does not really overlook the lake. Overall, the hotel did its job in being comfortable, walkable, scenic and affordable. We would highly recommend the Grand Hotel Cadenabbia to families.
Food Recommendations
Below are some restaurant recommendations on the lake. We found that the service was a little slow when restaurants were busy, but this seems like a norm all of European countries. The Bellagio restaurants were not great, but the views were stunning. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to try La Goletta at the Grand Hotel Serbelloni, but it looked fabulous. Be sure to make a reservation at La Goletta and La Terrazza ahead of time. Fancy dinners are always challenging with toddlers, so this did not happen for our family. Honestly, sometimes we enjoy the smaller, local cafe experience more anyway. But, definitely check out those highly recommended restaurants if you can!
Recommended Restaurants
- The Restaurant La Darsena (Tremezzo)
- Caffe Varenna (Varenna)
- La Terrazza (Grand Hotel Tremezzo)
- Coffee & gelato in piazza garibaldi (Menaggio)
How to get to Lake Como
Getting to Lake Como with a toddler is fairly simple as the breathtaking scenery and uniques modes of transportation will entrance your tot. Flying into one of the previously listed international airports and then either renting a car or traveling by train is most common. We rented a car and drove from the Dolomites to Lake Como. To be honest, once we were in Cadenabbia, we pretty much didn’t use the car for the rest of our time in Lake Como. It’s very walkable and the ferries are the most convenient way to get around the lake. However, we already had the car and needed it to get back to Milan airport for an early departure.
If your family plans accordingly, you could easily travel to Lake Como with a toddler and not rent a car. Solely relying on public transportation would be our recommendation. This is simplest and will save you money in the end. Next time we visit Lake Como, we will try our best to avoid renting a car.
Toddler Advice
So, you’ve made it to Lake Como with a toddler…now what? Our biggest concerns when traveling with Maya since infancy was: Where can we find formula/milk? Where can we purchase backup pacifiers? Will there be tot-friendly food? Is there a hospital nearby in case of an emergency? These are questions I try to answer during prior research on a destination. However, sometimes you just have to wait until you arrive and ask the locals. Usually, most countries have majority of supplies at a grocery store or pharmacy. Read below for some of our recommendations.
How to ask for cold milk in Italian
This is always a joke in our family, but asking for cold milk in other countries seems to give locals confusion. Maybe Americans are the only country that serves their toddlers and infants cold milk, but we always get strange looks. So, Gregg and I try to Google the word for “cold milk” in the local language when we arrive. You will still get weird looks when you hand them a bottle! In Italian, “cold milk” translates to “latte freddo”. Usually we ask for this and hand the barista a bottle to fill so they understand and don’t charge you. If you want to avoid confusion, you can easily just ask for a cup of latte freddo, but it may not be free of charge.
In Italian, “cold milk” translates to “latte freddo”
Where to find Toddler or Baby Supplies?
The local pharmacy will have all of your common needs: formula, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, children’s medications. We’ve found this to be true pretty much worldwide, except in Japan.
Where to find the nearest hospital?
This is something you should research prior to any trip and have bookmarked. That way, in case of an emergency, you already know where to go. Depending on what part of the lake you are staying will determine which hospital is closest. We recommend googling this early when visiting Lake Como with a toddler.
A good resource when traveling to a foreign country is to also know where your local country embassy is located. Here is a link of US Embassy locations by country.
How toddler friendly is Lake Como?
Traveling to Lake Como with a toddler was one of the most incredible trips that we’ve ever been on. It was such a magnificent place, that we plan to visit again in the next couple years. We cannot recommend this part of Italy enough. It was very family-oriented, but more importantly toddler-friendly. There was nothing that we felt we missed out on because of Maya. The fact that Chef Marco and Anita made us feel so welcome during a cooking class says it all. We never thought we could successfully finish and enjoy a cooking class with our little girl present. Tot life is amazing, but damn busy! This is a trip for all walks of life, especially young families and couples!
Will the boat tours have lifejackets available for my toddler?
The simple answer is yes, they should. Both our tour and self boat rentals had infant life vests on board. It is best to contact the company ahead of time to guarantee they will have them. We would never travel with a life vest as it takes up too much space.
Our Final Recommendations
Lake Como is one of those fairytale vacations that truly feels like you’re in a movie. Paris may be the city of love, but Lake Como is right up there in terms of romance. Just because your little one is by your side, doesn’t mean you can’t soak up la dolce vita! Visiting Lake Como with a toddler (or any age child for that matter) will be an experience your family will never forget. Be sure to immerse yourselves in the full experience: cook with the locals, stroll with gelato, boat around the lake, and lastly enjoy the views with your loved ones and prepare to be wowed.
