Every January, we have a tradition where in the depths of a cold and depressing London winter, we start researching where we want to travel over the summer. One country that keeps pulling us back is Italy, not just because of it’s natural beauty, and amazing food, but because of the warmth of the people, especially when traveling with kids.
This summer for our long awaited break, we headed off to Northern Italy, with our goal to visit Lake Como, Lake Garda and Milan. This is a very doable itinerary if you have a week or more, with short drivable distances – the longest being Lake Como to Lake Garda.
We landed in Milan’s Linate airport, and from there picked up our rental car and drove just under an hour to our hotel, The Sheraton Lake Como. Como is on the southern part of the lake, so very accessible to get to – while not as touristy as Bellagio or Varenna, it makes for a very easy transportation point if you are looking to explore other regions of Italy.
Map of the Italian Lake region in Cernobbio
Como itself is a bit underwhelming, but the Sheraton does have a shuttle bus that will take you from the hotel to the center of town. We preferred exploring the town just north of Como, Cernnobio which was a quick 10 minute walk from the hotel. It is an absolutely charming village of about 7,500, most of whom live there year round which gives it a real community feel. There was also an excellent playground near the marina which we made use of multiple times!
While we had a car, the best way to get around is by taking a boat, and we worked with Lake Como Holidays and Tours to organize a private tour around the lake. This was definitely the highlight of the trip, we love boating and sailing and it was so fun to see all of the beautiful villas and learn about the region. Our captain even took us to a small island (the only one on the lake!) where we could go for a dip – much needed in 90+ weather!
The food in Como was really exceptional and I can’t rate Trattoria Nisciolano highly enough – hidden on a back street in a residential area of Ceennobio, this was the best Italian food we had on this trip, with homemade pasta and Florentine Steak. The playhouse and trucks in the back garden also kept the kids entertained, which was another win! This restaurant is walking distance from the Sheraton Lake Como and authentic and traditional northern Italian cuisine.
Someone can’t get enough of the lemons!
We stayed at: Sheraton Lake Como
We ate at: Ristorante Inriva, which was great for a causal lunch next to the lake, and Trattoria Nisciolano in Cernnobio, as well as Ristorante Cervo and The Touring Caffe in Como
We rented a boat from: Lake Como Boat Tours
Recommend: Walking around the quiet village of Cernnobio
Next Time: I’d love to see Bellagio and Ravenna, to see what all the buzz is about!
