Airport options

Milan-Malpensa Airport (MXP): Best for reaching Como and the western side of the lake. It offers a shuttle to downtown Milan and the Malpensa Express train to Como. 

Milan-Linate Airport (LIN): Best for visiting the city of Milan before heading to Lake Como. It offers shuttles to Milan's central station and a direct train to Como.

Depending on your arrival day / time, enjoying Milan for a night before your arrival to Lake Como might be a nice way of breaking up your travel day(s). Whatever you choose, please arrive to Grand Hotel Victoria no later than 5pm on August 31. Otherwise, you risk missing the boat to the rehearsal dinner.

Transfer via private car service (recommended)

Your driver will be waiting for you at your arrival gate with a vehicle that specifically suits the size of your arriving party, a luxury saloon, mini van or coach. Direct transfer to Grand Hotel Victoria, travel time is ~1h20m. Can book at: https://www.lariobus.com/en/

Taxi service (recommended)

Taxis should be available from just outside the airport doors. Coach and bus transfers are also available at each of the airports. Please note that service information changes regularly so checking details right up to and on the day of your travel to Italy is advised. Direct transfer to Grand Hotel Victoria, travel time is ~1h20m.

Car rental

Car rentals are available, and can be a great way to explore the surrounding areas. Grand Hotel Victoria has free on-site parking available. Public parking is available in many of the larger towns but this can be both extremely limited and expensive. Traffic is also very much present throughout Lake Como, if you opt to drive, budget for extra extra travel time. Please note that when finding parking on Lake Como, blue lines are paid parking, white lines are free parking, and yellow lines are residential parking. We’d recommend keeping 1-2€ coins on hand to pay for parking, however, there is an app called EasyPark, which can now be used in many parking areas. Crossing the lake will require use of a car ferry. Avis & Europcar are good rental options. And as a general rule…*please do not leave valuables in your car unattended.

By rail

Malpensa airport is the only Milan airport linked to the lake by rail. Firstly take a train from the airport to Milan Central station (terminate and change train) then continue your journey by rail to Como (not Lecco). You will then take a taxi about 45min to Grand Hotel Victoria. Please note this is the most complex and time-intensive of all travel options.

Post-arrival travel during your stay

We are covering all transportation over your 3 days but should you look to travel outside event hours: road taxi’s are not as readily available as you may be used to back home, and very rarely pass by empty looking for a fare, so pre-booking a service is highly recommended. Our hotel should be able to arrange one for you on any day. Water taxi’s are located at recognizable boat docks along the shores of the lake and are readily available to use up until the hours of sundown. If you want to use a water taxi after this time then you may be able to negotiate and secure a late evening service at one of these ranks earlier in the day.

Weather

Summers are usually warm with temperatures between 18- 30 °C (65-85 °F). Winters are mild with temperatures ranging from 0- 15°C (32-60°F). In early September, we would advise light jackets in the evening, otherwise temps should be warm.

Attire! What to wear?

You can find the Pinterest inspiration boards linked for each event on the home page. Since the wedding size is small, we are offering guidance to help you choose your outfits so that we can achieve a cohesive look during each event. Thank you in advance :)

…and finally, why Lake Como?

The Rapazzini family originated from Como, Italy. With Alex’s family ties to the region, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome you to this very special part of the world!