Lake Como & Alpine Railways
Travel your own way
We work in partnership with over 250 trusted travel providers, offering an extensive choice of holidays to suit every traveller’s needs. Speak to one of our experts today and tailor your ideal break with Inspire.
Highlights
- Enjoy the magic of Italy's romantic lake
- Ride on the historic Como-Brunate funicular
- Journey on the Bernina Express from Tirano to St Moritz
- Discover lakeside Como Town
Inclusions
- Five nights' half-board or all-inclusive accommodation at your chosen three-star hotel
- Return flights to Milan
- Rides on the Brunate funicular and Bernina Express
- A visit to Como town
- Coach travel and transfers throughout
- Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager
Day 1
Fly to Milan or Bergamo, and transfer to Lake Como and your hotel. Meet your Tour Manager, settle into your surroundings and enjoy your first dinner.
Day 2
On today’s included tour you’ll journey to the lake’s main town (also called Como). Here, the shore-side Piazza Cavour is surrounded by shops and cafés, and leads through to an old town of narrow streets lined with shops and artists’ studios, and crowned by a majestic cathedral. A highlight of your day will be a ride on the historic funicular (first opened in 1894) that climbs the 1600 feet to the mountain village of Brunate. The seven-minute journey in modern, air-conditioned and heated cars offers wonderful views of the lake below, and on clear days spectacular vistas that stretch to the snow-capped Alps beyond. Wander Brunate’s cobbled streets, take in the views and perhaps visit the public viewing gallery, which showcases the railway’s haulage mechanism. You'll return to Como and head back to the hotel this afternoon, for the chance to relax before dinner is served.
Day 3
Today brings the chance to join a wonderful optional excursion to the Swiss resort of Lugano, a stylish, elegant town idyllically set on the lake of the same name. The town will be brought to life with a ride on its Red Arrow tourist road train, and there will also be a chance (payable locally) to climb aboard one of the resort's two funiculars, San Salvatore south of the town, or Monte Bre above the picture-book village of Gandria, both of which offer exceptional views. Those choosing to stay on Como's shores for the day might take a lake cruiser to Bellagio, at the tip of the Lario peninsula that juts into the southern end of the lake, one of Italy's most sparkling jewels and home to some exquisite villas and glorious gardens (a limited wintertime service operates – check timetable at the hotel).
Day 4
Another day to rest and relax, to enjoy the lake and its surroundings or perhaps to join our optional excursion to historic, stylish Milan. Highlights of an introductory tour, here, will include the vast breath-taking Gothic Duomo cathedral that survived World War Two largely unscathed, the great La Scala opera house (one of the world’s most important concert venues) and the arcades of the famous shopping Galleria. Enjoy the pleasures of the city, which include watching Milanese life go by from a seat in a café, visiting one of its countless museums or galleries, and – of course in Italy’s fashion capital – shopping or window-shopping.
Day 5
Today's unforgettable included excursion sees you journey to Tirano to board the famous Bernina Express train. The train will carry you from the Lombardy town, through the countryside of south-east Switzerland, the Italian-speaking Ticino, crossing bridges and viaducts including Brusio’s famous spiral, and across the Bernina Pass (which tops out at 2253 metres) to St Moritz. One of the world’s most celebrated mountain playgrounds, especially for winter sports, this town is tucked away in the Upper Engadine Valley, and offers stylish shops and stores against the background of some of Switzerland’s finest scenery. Window-shop, or enjoy a coffee in a choice of cafés, before returning to Como by coach, arriving in time for a last dinner at your hotel.
Day 6
Bid “Arrivederci” to your hosts and transfer back to the airport to board your flight home at the end of a wonderful break in one of Europe’s most beautiful corners.
Hotel Bazzoni, Tremezzo
This welcoming hotel, under new ownership since 2018, sits on the lakeside promenade, offering wonderful views from the newly refurbished public areas.
Hotel Lario, Mezzegra-tremezzina
Offering an enchanting view of Como's waters, this welcoming and comfortable three-star hotel is a short distance from the lake itself.
Further Information
Hotel transfer times
The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 90 minutes from Milan Malpensa and two hours from Milan Bergamo
Combining hotel transfers
We sometimes need to combine transfers to and from your hotel. We always try to keep any wait to a minimum, but you may be asked to wait at the airport for up to an hour, while other incoming flights arrive, before the transfer to your hotel. Similarly, we may need to transfer you back to the airport up to three hours before your flight home departs.
Italian hotel room tax
Some regions of Italy have introduced a room tax of between 1€ and 3€ per person per night, payable directly by the guest to the hotel on check-out. You will be advised by your Tour Manager in resort if a particular hotel is implementing this charge.
Special requirements
If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.
Itinerary changes
Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.
Foreign Office travel advice
Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.
Entrance fees
Since some attractions visited offer free admission to visitors at certain times of year, we do not include entrance fees. These will be payable locally where applicable. This applies to excursions that are included in the price of your holiday and to excursions booked as optional extras.
Disabled access
The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Travelling to Europe after Brexit
New rules apply when travelling to European Union countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The following are useful guidelines which will help you prepare for your next adventure. Note that these new rules do NOT apply when travelling within the United Kingdom or to the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland. You do require government issued ID when travelling by air though. Passport - British passport holders need to have at least six months validity left on their passport and it needs to be less than ten years old; passports which have a longer validity than ten years are not valid for travel once the tenth anniversary of issue has passed. These rules do not apply to travel to Ireland where you can continue to use your passport as long as it’s valid for the length of your stay. Visa - If you’re a tourist, you do not need a visa for short trips to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You’ll be able to stay for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. Different rules will apply to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania; if you visit these countries, visits to other EU countries will not count towards the 90-day total. Travel to Ireland will not change and stays there will not count towards the 90-day total. European Travel Information & Authorisation System (ETIAS) - Towards the end of 2022, it is likely that non EU citizens will be required to apply online for an authorisation to visit most European countries. The current details suggest there will be a charge of €7 per person and the authorisation will be valid for all trips made to the EU in a three year period from issue. We will advise you of confirmed details prior to your tour’s departure. Border Control - At border control, you may need to show proof of your return journey - your travel documentation issued by us will be sufficient for this. You will also need to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens if manual checks are required. Healthcare Cover - You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you go abroad which covers pre-existing conditions. You should understand the terms and conditions of your travel insurance and be happy with its cover for healthcare and travel disruption. Newmarket sell a comprehensive travel insurance policy. Ask our travel consultants for more information. You should also apply for a UK Global Heath Insurance Card (GHIC) which lets you get urgent state healthcare in Europe at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. Note GHIC is only valid in EU countries and not in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Mobile Roaming - Roaming charges have been re-introduced by some UK providers when visiting the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Prior to travel, please do check with your phone operator for the most up to date information.
Terms and conditions
10% discount applies to specific holidays and tours only. The 'Reconnect with the World offer applies to new bookings only for 2022 and 2023 departures booked between 4th January and 28th February 2022 inclusive. The Offer does not apply to holidays with late availability pricing and excludes Ocean Cruise, River Cruise, Andre Rieu events, Lapland and Wimbledon. This offer cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other discount, promotion or concession. When booking a holiday as described above, prices shown will automatically have the 10% applied on our website. The discount applies to the tour price (excluding extras and holiday insurance) at the time of booking. The Offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.