Lake Como is a wonderful location to take a bit of time to explore on your own. You’ll have a private car at disposal from Milan to Como town for a day of exploring the lake. While Como itself is situated at the southern tip of the lake’s western branch, it’s possible to jump on one of the public ferries and spend the day exploring some of the other wonderful lakeside towns. We recommend exploring Como town or visiting the middle of the lake and the picturesque towns of Menaggio, Varenna or Bellagio. All are relatively short ferry rides from each other and about an hour by fast ferry (hydrofoil) from Como.  You can also choose to take the hydrofoil out into the lake to explore some of the central towns of the lake. In order to cover the distance, the faster hydrofoil ferries are highly recommended (marked in red on the ferry timetables that you will find at the tickets office), which take around an hour, rather than the standard ferry services, which can take it up to three. It’s also very important to be aware of the ferry times so that you don’t miss the hydrofoil that will ensure that you return to Como in good time to meet your driver. The ferry times to each of the towns will vary depending on the time of year. Ferry tickets cannot be bookable in advance so make sure you arrive in plenty of time to buy your one-way, round-trip or day tickets. Departing by hydrofoil, you may find that seats on the boat are limited. There is no standing space on board so make sure you arrive in time so as not to miss out and be prepared to pay a small supplement for the faster service.