This is the stop you want to reach the ferry to Bellagio which is just across the lake. Inside the…read morestation is a small bar that seems to be where some locals hang out and has all the beverages you could want (coffee, beer, cocktail, cola) and a few snacks. [Just fyi, to reach the ferry, walk down the hill, take the steps to the right, walk toward the lake and turn left. You can't miss the ticket office. To visit Varenna (which is lovely) continue past the boat ramp, follow the waterside walkway and take a Contrada up to the main square or stay on the waterside to enjoy the shops and cafes there.] The train station is older and has 2 tracks. We take the regional train from Milan which returns on track#2. If you get to the station early there is a small indoor waiting area off the main platform with seats and arrivals board, or sit outside on the few benches available there. You could also enjoy a beverage in the bar but we aware: the bathroom, located in a separate building, is not a place for a lady. Bring your own TP and sanitary hand wipes and be prepared to hover. Honestly, the train bathroom is a better choice.

Arrival @1423 on Friday 06MAR2020…read more Cute. Has a small snack bar with friendly staff. You can buy tickets here. Clean and tidy. Departure @0000 on Monday, 09MAR2020 [insert text here]

do NOT use this site. I made reservations online thinking I…read morewas booking DIRECTLY thru the hotel, which I always do, and the hotel told me they CANNOT REFUND me and CANNOT CANCEL my reservation because it's a 3rd party reservation!! The hotel gave me "Olympia Viaggi". of course it's all in Italian! The hotel manager said the online booking LOOKS like you are booking directly, but is deceiving. He said he gets at least 2-3 calls a day regarding this. SO how am I supposed to get my refund?? Looks fishy to me....

Does anyone know the connection between Olympia Viaggia and Cancelon. Cancelon is a booking service…read moreon Expedia, That has now filed for bankruptcy in Israel. What is SUPER SHADY is that Olympia Viaggio canceled my reservation at the hotel without notifyIng me, five days before Cancelon filed for bankruptcy. I had a $375 posit that is now in the ether. How does Expedia not do a better job of vetting a booking agency on their website. And how is Olympia Viaggio the one making the cancellations when they are still a solvent company? Somebody needs to do some investigating.

As we got off the ferry to Lugano, right across the street is the tourist office. So in we went,…read moreand happy we were. The lady in the office spoke great English, immediately understanding our interests and limited time in Lugano. She pulled out English writeups on major sites, marked them on a map, and did everything she could to help us. Fabulous friendly attitude. Definitely worth a few minutes to get good guidance.

This small Train Station has no staff, a small waiting room, and stand-up restrooms (the women's…read moreside was much cleaner). This is where we arrived from and departed to Milan (and on Italian time). You can also go North and towards St. Moritz (yes Switzerland is close by). Tickets are best bought ahead of time and if you're short on these after arriving in Varenna, you can buy them at a Travel Agency (next to Albergo Beretta) a block away or Barilott further into town. As for in Town transportation, we walked here. It was a bit of a hike including some shared streets and a bit of an uphill at the end. For those not so athletically inclined, there's a taxi stand at the house next to the Station.

This tour company has numerous travel plans you can choose from, which last from half day to a…read morewhole day. Their pickup and drop off locations are easy to navigate. The tour guide was very friendly, although didn't really share much about the history, rather more on celebrity and paparazzi stories, and mostly self guided tours without too many instructions.

**Bernina Express & St Moritz from Milan**…read more LONG day out but so worth it! Meeting time is 7am. Anna was our tourguide. Big group was divided into 2 buses: English and Italian-speaking... Bus left Milan at 7:20am, WiFi in the bus not reliable. The drive is 2.5 hours from Milan to St Moritz (bring passport). We were given 2.5 hours to walk around and take pictures of the frozen lake and watch the cross-country skiers. After a quick grocery store lunch, we boarded the red Bernina train for the most gorgeous train ride to Tirano. We felt like Anna and Elsa in winter wonderland. Every turn of the train provided gorgeous postcard-like scenery. Both bus and train rides were comfortable, there were multiple bathroom breaks and a ton of great memories. So glad we did this organized tour. Arrived back in Milan at 8pm.