When my sister-in-law asked to do a tour of Lake Como, Bellagio and Lugano, Switzerland from Milan,…read morethis looked like a perfect fit. A bus ride to Como with guided tours and two boat rides on Lake Como. Plus, a discount for booking early. Count me in!
When we arrived at the pickup spot by 7:40 as instructed, there were a lot of buses, but there was no guide and no labels on our tour bus. Spoke to the tour bus driver who confirmed that we were in the right spot but had to wait for the tour guide who was running late. The driver was amazing!
When the tour guide Luigi (GG) finally arrived, he seemed confused. Was this his tour? He fidgeted with his information. As our party of five was first in line next to the bus door, we watched and heard everything. As this chaos was happening, a young man slid through the eager crowd. We thought that he was trying to cut in front of us, but he was actually delivering a bag filled with what looked like green earpieces that were promised in the details of the tour. They stayed in the bag the entire 11 hours and were never used. Apparently, GG never uses headsets.
After a lengthy delay, GG finally found his list. He roll-called guests. People answered, but did not move until he explained. I call your name. You get on the bus. So much for getting a seat near the front, but I felt worse for a lady who was told to give up her window seat to accommodate a couple that arrived quite late for the tour. He also did not know if the WC on the bus worked or didn't work.
The information given along the drive to Como was promising. GG was knowledgeable. He shared was interesting information, but the chaos continued throughout the tour. At Como, our first stop, he gave two different times and meeting places which caused confusion. Initially, he said to meet back at the bus on the side of the road but then added second meeting place. A family arrived late to the bus. He set the ground rules not to be late, or he would leave without you and your family, yet he himself arrived late for two of the stops (Bellagio and Lugano).
We then walked to the cathedral following his very thin metal pointer that was hard to see. Many in the group of 40ish people could not see or hear him, but he informed us that he does not like to use earpieces despite the tour description. The information about Lake Como, the cathedral, the Roman walls, Volta and modern architecture was interesting, but you needed to be nearby to hear him.
When we got to Argegno, the delay with the public ferry was not communicated well to our tour group. We rushed to use the bathrooms, grab a cappuccino and a pastry from the cafe and bar across the street. GG said to listen if he yelled to come back when the ferry finally arrived. In reality, we had plenty of time as we waited on the street for 32 minutes for the ferry to arrive.
You would think that in 32 minutes, GG would have explained what was happening with the next part of the excursion, but no. We were given a ticket and then herded like cattle onto the public ferry. Our group scrambled to find a place to stand. There were no seats until some locals disembarked halfway into the ferry ride. We were literally scattered all over the boat, with no information given along the way including where to get off. Fortunately, I had looked at the timetables and reviews, so I knew not to get off until we reached Bellagio. The cruise took us along the lake with stunning views, and we guessed what we were seeing using our mobile phones or asking locals.
About ten minutes before getting to Bellagio, GG located most of our group on the deck. He gave some information and let us know to get ready to disembark. Once back on terra firma, he pointed to a different meeting point near an orange sign and cautioned us not to be late. Again, he was late and as other members that we recognized arrived, we hoped that we had found the right spot.
Bellagio apparently was free time for GG, so other than a recommendation to visit a Japanese garden, we received no information about this stop. Again, GG was one of the last ones to reach the appointed time to get on the next ferry. He was late, but he managed to come back eating a gelato.
The ferry from Bellagio to Cadenabbia was very short, but scenic. Again, no information.
Once in Lugano, we stopped at a museum to use their bathrooms. At this point, we lost GG. Using a better means like a flag or an umbrella or using the earpieces would have helped. Fortunately, he had pointed to the square from the moving bus where we would be meeting later in the afternoon. We did see him briefly at a beautiful church and then saw him again when he arrived later than most of our tour group.
The tour was interesting, but so disorganized. Lake Como, Bellagio and Lugano in one day. So beautiful! Five stars for the itinerary, but many missed opportunities along the day. Had our guide followed the tour description, it should have been a five-star tour.
