As someone who loves pizza, pasta, aperol spritz and of course, fashion, it's almost criminal that it's taken me until now to visit the land shaped as a boot... Yep, that's right, even amidst all of the covid-19 drama I finally managed to tick italy off my travel list!
Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely be going again - there are so many places that I still need to see; Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Florence, Venice... Mamma Mia! I'm excited just thinking about it. But this trip was less about the hustle and bustle of a big city or the popularity of alcove beaches with Insta famous views (Positano I'm coming for you one day!) and more about a little down time and togetherness. Given the current situation of everything we wanted to go somewhere that would be relaxing without being a beach trip, quiet without being boring and indulgent without breaking the bank... Hello, Lake Como.
It was everything we hoped for and so much more. Read on for all the details of our most recent trip!
Like with most of our holidays, we booked our trip last minute - and I mean last minute; we booked it at 9pm on Wednesday and left at 9am on Thursday. Good job I had all of the washing up to date and a Pinterest board of holiday outfit inspiration at the ready... Okay, okay I'd been planning to get away for weeks, months even, but at least I was prepared! We booked the whole thing through BA.com, who I can't recommend enough (not an AD - but a girl can dream!) and it honestly couldn't have gone smoother.
So I bet you're wondering what it was like to travel during a global pandemic, right? I bet you have one of these solid opinions; "Gosh I wish that was me" or "Gosh how stupid to go away on holiday during a time like this".
Well to be honest, during the last few months I've shared both of those opinions and we thought long and hard about whether or not to actually go abroad. Earlier in the year, when the rules eased, and we were allowed to travel again, we did a Scottish staycation and it was lovely - in all honesty, not that different to Como, but there's just something about boarding a plane and going to another country - you can't beat that feeling! We monitored the daily cases, reading every article and news feed available on which country might be next on the quarantine list, and when push came to shove we evaluated our options, planned our timings around when any announcements on changes to guidelines might be, and ultimately, just went for it!
Surprisingly, I've never enjoyed an airport experience more. It was bliss! No queues, no tensed up staff (no hot food at Heathrow, but that's another story), just wear your mask, keep your distance, fill out a few extra forms and pretty much, just be sensible. British Airways were fantastic. They've got the whole situation down to a fine art; boarding and departing passengers by seat rows, handing out sanitising wipes and gel upon entering the plane, giving each passenger a little goodie bag with water and snacks and ensuring that everyone kept their mask on when they weren't eating or drinking. Now I know what you're thinking, and yes, the planes were pretty much full, and we were sat with three of us in a row, but everyone followed the rules and I must say I never felt unsafe.
We chose to limit the amount of public transport that we used, so booked a private taxi to meet us at the airport and take us straight to our hotel - we flew into Milan Malpensa Airport, which is a simple 2-hour flight from Heathrow Airport. The driver wore a mask the whole journey, as did we, and in around 40 minutes we'd arrived at our destination.
Although I had been optimistically planning a getaway for the last few months, we'd originally planned to go to Greece, but when it got added to the quarantine list that idea was quickly dropped and with the uncertainty of where could be added next I decided not to get too set on a destination, just in case a trip anywhere was a write off, so Como was a very spur of the moment decision! With that in mind, we probably could have done a little more research into the area before we set off, for starters I didn't realise the actual size of the lake and the vast amount of stunning little towns positioned up and down it. We stayed in Como itself, situated at the South of the Lake, at the Hilton Lake Como hotel. If you're thinking of visiting Como, then I'd definitely recommend staying there! The rooms are beautiful, their Covid-19 procedures and cleanliness levels were top class, and the views from the roof top pool and terrace restaurant... WOW, WOW, WOW! We had an amazing stay, and until the day that I can afford to stay at The Grand Hotel Tremezzo, or to rent out one of the stunning - and gigantic - villas along the lake side, I'd very happily visit again.
what to see and do?
There is so much that you could do here that you could fill a long weekend, a week or a fortnight long getaway! You can make your stay action packed or chilled out, I don't think anyone could visit this beautiful part of the world and not enjoy it.
For us, the trip included a lot of walking around the local area, stopping in little cafes for a coffee, a gelato here and there, a day on the lake and even a morning adventure into Milan. My top recommendations for things to do would be:
- Hire a boat - The best money we have ever spent for 2 hours feeling like James Bond. We used rentfunboats.com
- Take the ferry to visit the other towns on the lake - Less glamorous than hiring your own boat, but the best way to see all the wonder that Lake Como has to offer. Look out for the celebs too while you pass George & Amal's house, Richard Branson's and a few other landmarks you might recognise from some of your favourite films
- Explore the little streets of Bellagio - one of my favourite spots, the beautiful town of Bellagio offers stunning views and the cutest hidden streets paved with beautiful shops selling everything from leather shoes to jewellery, pizza cutters to limoncello
- Rent a bike - If taking to the water isn't your scene then renting a bike is another great way to get around Como. Bikes were available from daily hire from our hotel, but I did also notice several bike shops around the town.
- Indulge in all the carbs - You can't really go to Italy and not fully immerse yourself in the Italian experience; I'm talking Pizza and Pasta! I could list off the restaurants that we went to, but to be honest I'm sure you could go to any of the beautiful eateries the line the shores and get something utterly delicious.
- Go alternative - If after a few days you're looking for something other than the national delicacies, then I highly recommend Shabu sushi restaurant. Good food, good wine, good value for money - all you can ask for!
- Visit Milan - Easily accessible by train from Como San Giovanni Station and for less than €10 return, a day trip into Milan is definitely worth adding to your itinerary. We only visited for a few hours, just enough time to have lunch overlooking the Duomo and browse the stores in the stunning Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The list could go on, but I'll leave the rest for you to discover!
I'd love to hear your travel stories if you've been to Lake Como, or if you are thinking of going - let me know in the comments!
A x
