Venice, Lake Como and the Cinque Terre in 10 Days

Canals, a lake villa and a cliff village, linked by train and no car at all

10 days3 stops

Original illustration

At a glance

Three nights in Venice, three on Lake Como and three in a Cinque Terre village, all connected by train. It suits couples who want water views at every stop and would rather not drive in Italy. Go in May, June or September, when the lake is warm enough to swim, the trails are dry and Venice is pleasant after dark.

By the Honeymoon Huts editors · How we research

This is the northern Italy honeymoon for couples who want water at every stop and no rental car. You start in Venice, where the streets are canals and the city goes quiet after the day visitors leave. A train carries you west to Lake Como for villas, gardens and an evening boat ride under the mountains. A second train takes you down to the Ligurian coast and the five cliff villages of the Cinque Terre, where you hike between harbors and swim off the rocks.

Each stop gets three nights, enough for two full days and one slow morning. The transfers are all by rail and none takes more than half a day. Fly into Venice Marco Polo (VCE) and home from Pisa (PSA) or Milan Malpensa (MXP) on an open-jaw ticket, so you never double back.

The trade-off is luggage. Venice has bridges with steps, Lake Como's villages are hilly and many Cinque Terre rooms sit up long staircases. Pack one medium bag each and this route is easy.

The route

Best months: May, June and September
Trip length: 10 days
Budget: About $400–900 a night for two in good mid-range to luxury hotels, more for Venice and Lake Como's grand addresses (approximate)

Day by day

Days 1–3: Venice

Land at Venice Marco Polo (VCE) and take a private water taxi across the lagoon, about 30 minutes, straight to your hotel's door. It is one of the great arrivals in travel and worth the cost on a honeymoon. Spend the first evening walking with no plan. Venice is at its most romantic after dark, when the only sounds are footsteps and the lap of water on stone.

On day 2, be in St. Mark's Square early, before the crowds, then visit the Doge's Palace or book the Secret Itineraries tour of its hidden rooms. In the afternoon take a boat to Murano to watch glassblowers and on to Burano for its painted houses. Back in town, book the gondola for sunset and ask for the quiet back canals. Agree on route and length before you set off. That ride is the romantic moment of the stop.

Keep day 3 loose. Do a cicchetti crawl through the bacari of Cannaregio, with small plates and an ombra of wine at each. Art lovers can spend the morning at the Accademia while the other partner explores Dorsoduro's lanes. If you can get tickets, dress up for an evening at La Fenice.

Days 4–6: Lake Como

Take a morning train from Venezia Santa Lucia to Milano Centrale, about two and a half hours on high-speed services. From Milan, trains run to Como in under an hour, or to Varenna on the eastern shore in about an hour, with ferries across to Bellagio and Tremezzo. Arrive by mid-afternoon, then sit on a lakeside terrace with a spritz as the mountains turn pink.

Day 5 is a ferry day. Hop between Bellagio, Varenna and Tremezzo, visiting Villa Carlotta's gardens and Bellagio's lanes early or late, when day trippers thin out. In the afternoon take a boat or walk to Villa del Balbianello near Lenno, whose terraced gardens and loggia hang over the water. Check opening days before you go.

Make day 6 the slow day. Swim from your hotel's lido or float in the pool. Then, at golden hour, take a private tour on a vintage wooden motorboat past the villas, chapels and waterfalls of the western shore. It is the defining Lake Como experience and the best place on this trip for a toast. Book it in advance for June and September.

Days 7–10: Cinque Terre

Leave the lake on day 7 and take the train from Milan toward La Spezia, roughly three hours on the faster services, then a local train for the last few minutes to your village. Allow four to five hours door to door. Check in, swim off the rocks and find the harbor at Manarola or Riomaggiore for sunset drinks as the houses light up.

On day 8, start early. Hike the Blue Trail from Vernazza to Monterosso, about two hours with a steep climb out of Vernazza and the classic view back over its harbor. Wear real hiking shoes and check the national park website for closures first. Reward yourselves with focaccia and a swim at Monterosso's sandy beach, the only real one on this coast.

Day 9 is for the sea. Walk the Via dell'Amore from Riomaggiore to Manarola at your booked time slot, then hire a small boat with a local skipper in the late afternoon to cruise past all five villages, with a swim stop in a cove. That is the romantic moment of the Cinque Terre. On day 10, take the train to Pisa, roughly an hour and a half, for your flight home.

Getting Between Stops

Every transfer on this route is by train, which means no parking, no ZTL fines and no driving after a wine-heavy lunch. Venice to Milan takes about two and a half hours on high-speed trains. Milan to Como or Varenna takes about an hour. Milan to La Spezia takes about three hours on the faster services, with local trains from there to each of the five villages.

Book the long legs in advance once you have dates; regional trains along the lake and the Cinque Terre coast do not need reservations. The Cinque Terre Card bundles trail access with unlimited local trains, which is worth it for a three-night stay.

Fly into Venice and home from Pisa or Milan Malpensa (MXP). Pisa is roughly an hour and a half from La Spezia by train. Malpensa is more convenient for nonstop flights to the US but takes longer to reach from the coast.

Where to Stay

In Venice, stay overnight in the city itself so you see it early and late. Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, sits on the tip of Giudecca facing St. Mark's Basin, with a launch across and a pool, a rarity here. Dorsoduro and Cannaregio have smaller boutique hotels for less.

On Lake Como, decide between the southern shore and the central lake. Villa d'Este in Cernobbio and Passalacqua in Moltrasio are the two grand honeymoon choices, both closer to Como town. Bellagio, Tremezzo and Varenna put you in the middle of the scenery with easy ferries.

In the Cinque Terre, Monterosso has the most hotels and the beach. Manarola and Riomaggiore have the best evening views. Vernazza is the most photographed and the busiest by day. Most rooms here are small guesthouses and apartments rather than full-service hotels, which is part of the charm.

When to Go

May, June and September are the best months. Venice is warm but not steamy, Lake Como's gardens are lush and the sea on the Ligurian coast is swimmable by June. Lake Como is comfortable for a swim from late June. April brings azaleas and camellias to the lake gardens, though evenings are cooler and the sea is cold.

July and August are hot and crowded at all three stops. Venice is humid, Bellagio is packed with day visitors and the Cinque Terre trails fill between late morning and late afternoon. If summer is your only option, sightsee at dawn and dusk and rest through the middle of the day.

October can be lovely in Venice and on the lake, but Liguria gets heavy autumn rain and trails sometimes close after storms. Many lake hotels close from November to March.

Budget and Booking

Plan on roughly $400–900 a night for two in good mid-range to luxury hotels, with Venice and Lake Como at the top of that range. The grand villa hotels on Lake Como and Venice's palazzo hotels can run well above it. Cinque Terre rooms are often simpler and cheaper, though the best sea-view rooms sell out early. All figures are approximate.

Book your Cinque Terre room first, since the good ones are few, then Lake Como and Venice. Reserve the Lake Como boat tour, the Via dell'Amore time slot and any after-hours St. Mark's visit before you leave home.

Other costs: the airport water taxi in Venice, train tickets, the Cinque Terre Card and a nightly tourist tax at each hotel. Venice also runs a day-visitor access fee on certain dates; check the calendar and register for any exemption your hotel tells you overnight guests need.

Make It Shorter or Longer

For a week, drop the Cinque Terre and give Venice three nights and Lake Como four. Fly into Venice and home from Milan Malpensa. You lose the sea but gain an extra slow day on the lake.

With 12 days, add a night to each stop. The extra Cinque Terre day can go to the ferry to Portovenere, a colorful harbor town with a cliff-top church, or to a vineyard walk to one of the sanctuaries above the villages.

With two weeks, add two or three nights in Portofino between Lake Como and the Cinque Terre. Santa Margherita Ligure is on the same rail line, so it is an easy extra stop. Another option is to finish with three nights in Tuscany, picking up a car in Pisa after the Cinque Terre and flying home from Florence or Rome.

Honeymoon Tips

Pack light and in soft bags if you can. Venice bridges have steps, Lake Como villages are hilly and many Cinque Terre rooms have no elevator or road access. Porters exist in Venice, but you will usually carry bags at least part of the way.

Wear hiking shoes on the Cinque Terre trails, not sandals. The Blue Trail is narrow and rocky in places and rescue teams are called out every summer for walkers in flip-flops. Carry water and start before 10 a.m.

In Venice, St. Mark's Basilica requires covered shoulders and knees for both of you. Book La Fenice, private tours and special dinners well in advance. On Lake Como, check villa opening days, since some close on certain weekdays. Mosquitoes can be lively in Venice on summer evenings, so pack repellent.

FAQ

Planning this trip

Can we do Venice, Lake Como and the Cinque Terre without a car?

Yes. It is the better way. Trains link all three stops in half a day or less, ferries handle Lake Como and local trains run between the five Cinque Terre villages every few minutes in season. A car would be a burden in all three places, with no driving in Venice, tight parking around the lake and villages closed to traffic on the coast.

Is three nights in Venice too long?

Not for a honeymoon. The day trippers leave in the evening and Venice is at its best early in the morning and late at night, so you want at least two nights. A third gives you time for Murano and Burano, a cicchetti crawl and a gondola at sunset without rushing. Couples who prefer nature to cities can trim it to two nights and add one to Lake Como.

Where should we stay on Lake Como for this route?

If you arrive by train from Venice, the central lake around Varenna, Bellagio and Tremezzo is the most scenic and has ferries in every direction. Varenna is on the rail line, which makes arrival and departure simple. Cernobbio and Moltrasio, home to Villa d'Este and Passalacqua, are closer to Como town and easier for the onward train to Milan.

Which Cinque Terre village is best for couples?

Manarola and Riomaggiore have the most romantic evening views and a more local feel. Monterosso is the largest village, with the only sandy beach and the widest choice of rooms, which suits couples who want easy swimming. Vernazza is beautiful but busy by day. Corniglia is quiet and high on a ridge, with stairs up from the station.

What is the best way to fly in and out?

Book an open-jaw ticket into Venice Marco Polo (VCE) and home from Pisa (PSA) or Milan Malpensa (MXP), usually with one connection. Venice has seasonal nonstop flights from some US cities. Malpensa has nonstops from several US cities year-round but is farther from the Cinque Terre, so allow a full morning to reach it by train.

Stops on this route

Italy

Venice

Italy

Lake Como

Italy

Cinque Terre

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