· · 7 min read · by Salimar Boat Tour
Varenna to Bellagio: ferry, car ferry or boat tour (2026)
Every day in season a few thousand people stand on the pier at Olivedo looking at Bellagio across the water and wondering how to get there. The honest answer is that it is one of the easiest hops on the lake: fifteen minutes on a public ferry that runs all day. This page gives the 2026 times and fares from Navigazione Laghi, the state operator, plus the car ferry, the day ticket and the alternatives when the timetable does not suit you. Map pins: Varenna pier (Olivedo) and Bellagio pier.
The ferry: times and frequency
Navigazione Laghi runs a loop between Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio and Cadenabbia with two kinds of boat: the traghetto, a car ferry that also takes foot passengers, and the battello, passengers only. For you it makes no difference: both take about 15 minutes to Bellagio and about 15 to Menaggio.
| Route | Time | Weekday departures (summer 2026) | First / last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varenna → Bellagio | 15 min | 23 | 6:45 / 23:20 |
| Bellagio → Varenna | 15 min | 21 | 6:05 / 23:05 |
| Varenna → Menaggio | 15 min | 18 | 6:40 / 19:50 |
The 2026 calendar: summer 2026 timetable valid 1 July to 4 October; winter timetable from 2 November 2026 to 14 March 2027. In winter the boats run all day too, but less often and with an earlier last departure: check the current PDF on navigazionelaghi.it before planning an evening in Bellagio. Sundays and holidays have their own timetable. Current timetable: navigazionelaghi.it, fares: official price list.
2026 fares
Fares depend on distance bands, not on zones. Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio and Cadenabbia all fall in the same short band, so every hop between them costs the same.
| Ticket | Adult | Child 4–11 |
|---|---|---|
| Single Varenna–Bellagio (or Menaggio, Cadenabbia) | €5.50 | €2.80 |
| Return | €11.00 | €5.60 |
| Day ticket, free circulation between the three villages | €17.50 | €8.80 |
| Car up to 3.5 m on the car ferry (driver included) | €10.10 | – |
- Children under 4 travel free if they do not take a seat (up to three per paying adult)
- Over-65s pay the reduced fare on weekdays only
- Buy at the pier ticket office, online or with a contactless card at the NaviTap readers; buying on board costs €1.00 more if the office at your pier was open
- Bicycles are not allowed on the fast service; on the other boats they are carried when there is room
The day ticket pays for itself from the fourth hop, which is exactly what a Varenna–Bellagio–Menaggio–Varenna day looks like. The car-ferry prices above come from a secondary source because the official vehicle table was not readable online when we checked: verify them at the pier if you are driving.
Where the boats leave from
In Varenna the passenger pier is at Olivedo, at the northern end of the Lovers' Walk, ten minutes downhill from the station; the car ferry uses the separate pier next to it. In Bellagio the passenger landing is on the main lakefront in front of the hotels, and the car ferry has its own ramp a little further along. Menaggio works the same way.
Bellagio to Varenna: the return
Same boats, same fares. The last departures from Bellagio in summer were at 23:05, so an evening in Bellagio with a return to Varenna is possible in high season; in winter it is not, and a water taxi is the only way back after the last ferry.
Varenna to Menaggio
15 minutes, €5.50, 18 crossings a day in summer 2026, the last one at 19:50. If you are heading to Menaggio with a car, this is the crossing to use: the car ferry runs between Varenna, Bellagio, Menaggio and Cadenabbia and saves the long drive around the lake.
The boat alternative: the 2-hour tour from Varenna
The ferry is transport: it crosses, it stops, you get off. If you would rather see the villas on the way, our RIB leaves the lakefront walkway at Olivedo at 13:00, passes Villa del Balbianello, Villa La Cassinella and Isola Comacina with the skipper telling you what you are looking at, stops for an hour of free time in Bellagio and brings you back to Varenna. Two hours in all, €54 per person, prosecco on board, maximum 12 people. The same tour runs in the other direction from Bellagio, with the hour in Varenna.
| Public ferry | Salimar 2-hour tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 15 min | 2 hours (1 hour of villas, 1 hour in Bellagio) |
| Price per adult | €5.50 | €54 |
| Departures | 23 a day in summer | 13:00 |
| Best for | getting across, any budget | when the crossing is the excursion |
So: if you are staying in Varenna and want to go to Bellagio for dinner, take the ferry. If you have one afternoon on the central lake and want the villas, Bellagio and the ride back without a timetable, the tour is the right tool. Free cancellation up to 12 hours before departure.
Getting to Varenna first
Spending the day in Varenna? Here are the things to do in Varenna.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book the ferry?
Can I bring my car from Varenna to Bellagio?
Is there a ferry after midnight?
Varenna to Bellagio: ferry or taxi boat?
Times and fares updated on 8 November 2026 from the Navigazione Laghi price list in force from 1 April 2026 and the summer 2026 weekday timetable (1 July – 4 October). Winter 2026/27 timetable in force from 2 November 2026 to 14 March 2027. Check navigazionelaghi.it before travelling.
