Day Trips from Milan: Lake Como, Bergamo or Pavia?

Which day trip from Milan suits you?

The train ride is short for all four. What separates them is what you do on arrival and how late you can get back. The table uses Trenord's route pages for journey times and the last direct train back to Milan.

If your free day is a Monday, drop the Certosa. If you have only an afternoon, Bergamo or Como fits best. If the lake is the reason for the trip, accept the longer ride to Varenna, because that is where the mid-lake ferries run.

How long are the trains and what do they cost?

Trenord runs the regional trains on all these routes. Each route page gives a typical journey time, a frequency and a second-class single fare "from" a starting price. Treat the fares as minimums, not the price of every train.

Sources: Trenord route pages for Pavia, Como S. Giovanni, Bergamo, Como Lago and Varenna Esino, checked 3 October 2026. Some pages show two figures. The Bergamo page headlines EUR 6.30 and 48 minutes but its FAQ says EUR 6.00 and 50 minutes. The Como S. Giovanni page headlines EUR 5.40 but its FAQ says EUR 5.20. Check the price when you buy.

Varenna and the mid-lake ferries

Varenna Esino is on the line from Milano Centrale, with the first train at 06:20 and the last at 21:20. Coming back, Trenord lists direct trains from Varenna Esino from 05:35 to 21:35. With about 16 trains a day, roughly hourly, a missed train can cost you an hour.

From Varenna, Navigazione Laghi's ferry links Bellagio, Menaggio and Cadenabbia. Its autumn weekday ferry timetable for 5 October to 1 November 2026 (Monday to Saturday) gives these crossing times:

• Varenna to Bellagio: 15 minutes, or 30 minutes on runs via Menaggio
• Varenna to Menaggio: 15 minutes
• Varenna to Cadenabbia: 30 minutes, with only six departures

On that weekday sheet, ferries from Varenna to Bellagio run from 06:45 to 22:20, and from Bellagio back to Varenna until 22:00. So on weekdays the boat is not your limit; the 21:35 train is. Aim to be back on the Varenna side with time to spare. Sundays and holidays have a separate sheet.

Boat fares depend on how many fare bands your trip crosses. The tariff in force from 1 April 2026 charges an adult single from EUR 3.00 (band 1) to EUR 14.50 (band 8). Returns cost double, and rapid-service runs add a supplement of EUR 1.50 to EUR 5.50. If you plan three or more crossings, compare the singles with the one-day pass in the FAQ below.

Como: which station should you use?

Como has two stations served from two Milan terminals, and the tickets are not interchangeable.

• Como Lago is reached from Milano Cadorna in about an hour, from EUR 5.40. The return page lists trains back to Cadorna every 30 minutes, from 05:46 to 22:16. That is the latest return of the four trips.
• Como S. Giovanni is reached from Milano Centrale in about 40 minutes, from EUR 5.40 (the FAQ says EUR 5.20). The last train to Como listed on that page is 21:43.

Pick the station that matches the Milan terminal nearest your hotel, and come back from the same station unless you buy a new ticket. Como suits travellers who want the lakefront without depending on a boat timetable. For the mid-lake villages, Varenna is the better base.

Bergamo and the funicular

Bergamo is about 48 to 50 minutes from Milano Centrale, with about 15 trains a day. For the return, Trenord's pages list the last direct train from Bergamo as 21:02 on one page and 21:12 on another, so plan for about 21:00 (Bergamo - Milano Centrale, checked 3 October 2026).

The city funicular climbs to Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe in the upper town, Città Alta. It covers 240 metres with an 85-metre rise (Visit Bergamo, City Funicular, checked 3 October 2026). Visit Bergamo lists going up from about 07:00 to 20:20 on weekdays in school terms. On Saturdays in term time and on weekdays outside term, it runs 07:00 to 01:15, and on Sundays and holidays 07:40 to midnight. Hours can change around holidays.

If you are flying into Milan Bergamo airport rather than starting in Milan, see Malpensa, Linate or Bergamo: getting into central Milan before you build Bergamo into your arrival day.

Certosa di Pavia

The Certosa is not in central Pavia. It is at Viale del Monumento 4 in the separate town of Certosa di Pavia. The Provincia di Pavia's Certosa page says you can reach it by train on the Milan-Pavia line, at Certosa di Pavia station. Trenord's Milano Centrale-Pavia page does not list intermediate stops, so check that your train stops there.

The same page, checked 3 October 2026, says construction began in 1396 under Gian Galeazzo Visconti. The complex and museum open Tuesday to Sunday, with summer hours of 10:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:30) since 29 March, and are closed on Mondays. Admission costs EUR 10, and a visit is no longer based on a free offering to the monks. The page does not publish winter hours, so check before travelling late in the season. State museums are free on the first Sunday of the month.

Pavia itself is about 32 minutes from Milano Centrale, with the first train from Milano Centrale at 05:25 and the last at 22:25 on Trenord's page. A Certosa visit plus a few hours in Pavia makes a full day; Pavia alone is more of a half-day.

After a lake or Bergamo day, you will likely be back in Milan around aperitivo time; Milan aperitivo: what you pay for explains what the price includes.