The Shape of the Trip
Mostly relaxed, good Italian food, and every logistic handled so nobody has to think about a thing.
We land in Milan on Sunday July 26 (Aethos Milan for two nights), then take a midday car transfer to the lake on Tuesday.
The nights are now set and booked: RENZO Tuesday, Bellagio (La Punta) Wednesday, boat day Thursday
(Honey, a classic wooden boat), spa Friday (massages 3:55 pm), Al Veluu finale Saturday, and home Sunday on UA 415.
Milan — Arrival Days
Staying at Aethos Milan. Two easy days in the city before the midday car transfer to the lake.
Sun26
Arrivals — check in at Aethos Milan
July 26 · settle in
1:00 pmStan arrives — United UA416 · Chicago (ORD) → Milan MXP
Check in at Aethos Milan, then a relaxed afternoon to settle in.
~7:00 pmOptional: IYO Omakase — solo counter for Stan
Sunday is the one night the city's best sushi counter is open (closed Mon/Tue). Seatings ~7:00 & 9:30 pm — take the earlier one to be back for Alexa's arrival.
~9:15 pmAlexa arrives — easyJet U2 3674 · Santorini (JTR) → Milan MXP
Evening arrival, ~9:15 pm.
Mon27
Shopping day → wine & dinner in Brera Milan
July 27
DayShopping
Shop through the day at whatever pace feels right.
6:00 pmN'Ombra de Vin — aperitivo
Characterful Brera wine bar. No reservations — doors open at 6 pm.
7:30 pmRovello 18 — dinner
Cozy family-run Brera trattoria, a short walk from the wine bar.
Tue28
Car transfer to Lake Como Transit
July 28 · 12:00 pm pickup
12:00 pmCar transfer — Aethos Milan → Cadenabbia
~1 hr 15 min. Check in at The EDITION — the lake portion begins tonight with dinner at RENZO.
Lake Como — Five Nights
Based at The EDITION in Cadenabbia — almost everything is a short walk, taxi, or ferry away.
Every night is set, and the Thursday boat is booked.
Tue28
Arrival — stay put & settle in Relaxed
July 28 · tonight · on-site, zero logistics after the transfer
7:30 pmRENZO — at the EDITION Confirmed
Table for 2 confirmed. The hotel's all-day restaurant: seasonal sharing plates on a pergola-shaded terrace over the lake.
After a travel day, the perfect no-effort first night. Casual — just walk downstairs.
Prefer to go out? Rodrigo or La Torre San Martino in Griante — easy pizza/pasta, short stroll. (Al Veluu is closed Tuesdays.)
Wed29
Bellagio evening Scenic
July 29 · across the water · dinner 8 pm
~7:00 pmFerry to Bellagio
Car ferry from Cadenabbia (~10 min) — the plan (a private water taxi is very pricey). Leave a cushion to reach the point by 8.
8:00 pmRistorante La Punta — casual Confirmed
Table for 2 confirmed. On the very tip of the Bellagio point, water on three sides — the classic
sunset table (sunset ~9 pm). Kitchen winds down ~10 pm.
Quieter, lovelier alt: Alle Darsene di Loppia — a walled garden by Villa Melzi, just outside the bustle.
📍 La Punta ·
📍 Alle Darsene
Thu30
Boat day → easy local dinner Relaxed
July 30 · 1:15 pm boat · close to home after a day on the water
1:15 pmPrivate boat tour — Honey, classic wooden boat Confirmed
5 hours on the water (~1:15–6:15 pm) · €1,540. Back to the hotel with plenty of evening to spare.
DinnerIl Vapore — Menaggio · casual
No reservations — walk-in only, so arrive early (or have a backup ready). An Infatuation pick — charming,
affordable, "grandma's kitchen" feel on Menaggio's piazza; homemade pizzoccheri and fresh lake fish. ~6 min by taxi.
If Il Vapore has a wait —
RENZO is a walk-in downstairs at the EDITION.
Reservation-worthy alternatives:
Cetino (Mauro Colagreco's signature room, on-site at the EDITION),
Belle Île (Griante, lakeside with Bellagio views),
or
Osteria al Vecchio Bacucco (Ossuccio, terrace over Isola Comacina).
(Rodrigo is Friday; skipping La Terrazza — too fancy.)
📍 Il Vapore ·
📍 Cetino ·
📍 Belle Île ·
📍 Osteria al Vecchio Bacucco
Fri31
Spa afternoon → aperitivo, then dinner Relaxed
July 31 · massages 3:55 pm · two easy beats, both close & casual
3:55 pmMassages — the EDITION spa
6:00 pmCantina Follie — aperitivo Confirmed
Wine bar — grazing plates only, no mains. A glass of wine and a board of local salumi and cheese. ~10 min on foot.
8:00 pmRodrigo — dinner Confirmed
Confirmed via WhatsApp. Unfussy pasta-or-pizza in Griante — no dressing up, no travel.
Sat1
The finale — special, not stuffy Special
Aug 1 · 7:30 pm · a warm, romantic close to the trip
7:30 pmAl Veluu — Tremezzo Confirmed
Reservation confirmed online. Family-run since 1974, three generations cooking traditional Lake Como
dishes in copper pans, on an intimate terrace with a sweeping view. Special and romantic, but warm and personal rather
than formal. Short taxi uphill · smart-casual.
A night you'll never forget instead? Locanda dell'Isola Comacina — a private island by boat, one famous fixed
menu since 1947 + a flaming-coffee ritual.
Fully low-key: Trattoria La Fagurida (Rogaro), rustic farmhouse cooking.
(Skipping La Terrazza — been there, a touch too fancy.)
📍 Al Veluu
Sun2
Departure — home via Milan Transit
Aug 2 · 12:00 pm car transfer · UA 415 departs 3:20 pm
12:00 pmCar transfer — The EDITION → Malpensa
A slow last morning on the lake, then the midday car back (~1 hr 15 min).
3:20 pmUA 415 departs — homeward
Everything's booked. Bellagio (La Punta) Wednesday and the boat day Thursday (Honey, 1:15 pm) are
both confirmed. One note: Il Vapore takes no reservations — it's walk-in only, so we'll go early Thursday and keep a
walk-in backup near the hotel in mind.
Daytime — No Car Needed
Easy, beautiful ways to fill the days between dinners — most reachable on foot, by ferry, or a short taxi.
🌸 Villa Carlotta
Botanical gardens and an art villa essentially next door in Tremezzo — walkable from Cadenabbia. The easiest half-day win.
📍 Map
🏛️ Villa del Balbianello
The cinematic terraced gardens in Lenno (a short hop south). Go by ferry or water taxi; book the villa entry ahead in summer.
📍 Map
🌳 Bellagio & Villa Melzi
Wander the stepped lanes and the lakeside Melzi gardens. Prettiest late afternoon — pair it with the Bellagio dinner night.
📍 Map
⛵ The boat day (Thursday)
Booked: Honey, a classic wooden boat, 1:15 pm for 5 hours (€1,540). A full afternoon on the water, back by early evening.
🛍️ Menaggio stroll
Lakeside promenade, gelato, and easy shopping ~6 min up the shore — a low-key morning or pre-dinner amble.
📍 Map
💆 Just relax
Friday is spa day (massages 3:55 pm) — keep the afternoon open and the evening gentle. Some days the best plan is the pool and the terrace.
Getting Around
⛴️ Ferries. The car ferry between Cadenabbia and Bellagio runs until roughly 10–10:30 pm in summer and lands
right in Cadenabbia — ideal for the Bellagio night. The fast passenger ferries stop earlier (~8 pm). Confirm the day's timetable before heading over.
🚤 Water taxi. A private water taxi is the door-to-door luxury option, but it's very pricey — we're taking the ferry to Bellagio instead. Worth it only for a special one-off.
🚕 Taxis. Ask the concierge to pre-arrange a car for each dinner so nothing needs sorting on the night — especially the uphill run to Al Veluu.
🌅 Sunset is ~9 pm in July — build in an aperitivo (Cantina Follie or the EDITION bar) and time the Bellagio night for the golden hour.
Restaurant Directory
| Place | Where / vibe | Closed | Reach |
|---|
| Rovello 18 (Milan) | Cozy Brera trattoria · Mon dinner 7:30 | — | Milan |
| N'Ombra de Vin (Milan) | Brera wine bar · aperitivo, walk-in 6 pm | — | Milan |
| IYO Omakase (Milan) | Top Edomae counter · optional Sun solo | Mon & Tue | Milan |
| RENZO | On-site · relaxed sharing plates | — | Walk downstairs |
| La Punta | Bellagio point · scenic classic | Open daily | Ferry / water taxi |
| Il Vapore | Menaggio · casual, homey, great value · Infatuation pick · no reservations — walk-in | Wednesdays | ~6 min taxi |
| Cantina Follie | Tremezzo · wine bar / aperitivo — no mains | Tuesdays | ~10 min walk |
| Cetino | On-site · signature fine dining (Mauro Colagreco) · daily 6–9:30 pm | — | Walk downstairs |
| Belle Île | Griante · lakeside, Bellagio views | — | Short walk / taxi |
| Osteria al Vecchio Bacucco | Ossuccio · terrace over Isola Comacina | — | Short taxi south |
| Rodrigo | Griante · casual ristorante-pizzeria | — | Walk / 3 min |
| La Torre San Martino | Griante · easy pizzeria | — | Walk / 3 min |
| Al Veluu ✦finale | Tremezzo hillside · romantic, traditional | Tuesdays | Short taxi uphill |
| Alle Darsene di Loppia | Bellagio · garden by Villa Melzi, quieter | — | Ferry / water taxi |
| Locanda Isola Comacina | Ossuccio · island fixed-menu experience | Seasonal | Taxi + their boat |
| La Fagurida | Rogaro · rustic farmhouse trattoria | — | Short taxi uphill |
| Crotto del Misto | Lezzeno · better as a boat lunch | — | By boat |
| Passion Como | Como town · casual panini bistro | — | Como town (day trip) |