Two Very Different Lakes
Lake Como feels enclosed and intimate. Mountains rise steeply from the water, villages like Bellagio, Varenna and Tremezzo cling to narrow strips of shore and the lake rarely looks more than a mile or so wide. The mood is old-world: cypress gardens, wrought-iron balconies and wooden boats gliding past villas.
Lake Garda changes character as you travel along it. The southern end is wide and open, ringed by vineyards, castles and lively resort towns. The western shore around Gardone Riviera and Gargnano is quieter and elegant. The north end, near Riva del Garda, is a dramatic trench between peaks where the wind blows almost daily, which sailors and windsurfers love. Olive trees and old lemon houses grow along the shore, a surprise this close to the Alps.
Como is the lake you look at from a terrace. Garda is the one you swim in, sail on and bike around. Both are beautiful, in different ways.
Arriving From the US
Lake Como is the more direct trip. Milan Malpensa (MXP) has nonstop flights from several US cities. A private transfer reaches Cernobbio or Moltrasio in about an hour. Bellagio and Tremezzo take closer to an hour and a half. Trains run from Milan to Como and up the eastern shore to Varenna.
Lake Garda's closest airport is Verona Villafranca (VRN), about 30 to 45 minutes from the southern shore. Most US travelers connect through Europe to reach it, or fly nonstop into Milan or Venice and drive about one and a half to two hours. High-speed trains on the Milan to Venice line stop at Desenzano and Peschiera, right on the lake.
On arrival, Como is easy without a car thanks to ferries and hydrofoils. Garda has a good ferry network too, but a rental car helps if you want hill villages, wineries and the twisting Strada della Forra. Summer traffic around Garda can be slow.
Swimming, Sun and Seasons
Both lakes are at their best in May, June and September. Both also see many hotels, restaurants and ferries close or cut back from about November to March. April is lovely on each, with villa gardens in bloom.
Garda is the better swimming lake. It is warmer and sunnier, with clean water from around June to September, plus pebble beaches, grassy lidos and resort pools. Sirmione's thermal pools at Aquaria, fed by warm springs under the lake, work even on a cool day. Como's water is comfortable from late June through early September, mostly from hotel docks, platforms and a few small lidos.
July and August are busy in both. Como gets crowded ferries, a packed Bellagio at midday and the occasional mountain thunderstorm. Garda fills with European families on holiday and its shoreline roads slow down, though summer is also opera season in Verona. October brings golden light and quiet villages to both, though the water cools.
Hotels and Where to Base Yourselves
Lake Como's hotels are the reason many couples choose it. Our two picks sit on the southwestern shore. Villa d'Este in Cernobbio is a 16th-century cardinal's villa with a pool floating on the lake and about 25 acres of gardens. Passalacqua in Moltrasio has just 24 rooms in a late 18th-century villa with terraced gardens. It feels like a private house party. The central lake around Bellagio and Tremezzo has grand Belle Epoque hotels too.
Lake Garda has fewer famous names. On the western shore, Grand Hotel Fasano is a former royal hunting lodge right on the water. Lefay Resort and Spa in Gargnano is a contemporary wellness resort in the hills. Villa Feltrinelli is a lavish historic villa with a handful of rooms. Sirmione suits couples who want spa time and a castle town, while Malcesine and Bardolino on the east suit couples who like walking to dinner.
On both lakes, your choice of shore shapes the whole stay.
How You Will Spend Your Days
Como is a lake of gardens and boats. Book a late-afternoon ride on a vintage wooden Riva past villas and waterfalls. Tour the terraces of Villa del Balbianello near Lenno, see Villa Carlotta in spring and wander the lakeside paths of Villa Melzi in Bellagio. Ferry-hop to Varenna, ride the funicular from Como to Brunate or hike the trails above Tremezzo.
Garda has more range for active couples. Ride the rotating cable car from Malcesine up Monte Baldo for views over the whole lake, then walk the ridge paths at the top. Soak at Aquaria in Sirmione, explore the Roman villa ruins of the Grotte di Catullo at sunset and visit the Vittoriale, the poet D'Annunzio's eccentric estate with a warship set into the hillside. In summer, spend a night at the opera in Verona's Roman arena. Couples who like sports can bike, hike or sail.
If you want one beautiful thing a day, choose Como. If you want options, choose Garda.
Food, Wine and Cost
Both lakes cook lake fish well. On Como, the signature is risotto topped with butter-fried perch, with Valtellina bresaola, buckwheat pizzoccheri and Nebbiolo reds from nearby terraces. Garda has perch risotto too, plus lake trout, whitefish and its own protected olive oil. Its wines are a bonus: fresh Lugana whites on the south shore, light Bardolino and pink Chiaretto on the east, with Valpolicella and Amarone in the hills near Verona.
Cost is where Garda pulls ahead. Prices there tend to be gentler, especially for lakeside hotels with pools. Lake Como's grand hotels charge high-season rates to match the Amalfi Coast, although small hotels in Varenna and Menaggio cost much less. Treat any rate you see as an approximate figure that climbs in July and August.
If the budget is fixed, Garda gets you more space and a pool for the money. If you are saving up for one grand splurge, Como is where to spend it.
Can You Combine Them?
Yes, with a car or a train in between. The two lakes are roughly two hours apart by road. Both connect to Milan, which makes a simple route. Fly into Milan Malpensa, spend three nights on Lake Como, then head east to Garda for three nights with an evening in Verona. From there, Venice is an easy train ride for a city finale before flying home.
For most honeymoons we would pick one lake and give it four nights rather than rushing both. Two lakes in a week can feel repetitive, since the rhythm of ferries, lunches and sunsets is similar. If you do combine them, give each a different job: Como for the grand hotel and the villas, Garda for swimming, sports and wine.
Garda also pairs well with the Dolomites to the north, while Como pairs neatly with Venice, Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast for a classic two-center Italy trip.
