Zurich Airport to Lake Como.
From the arrivals hall at Zurich to your hotel on Lake Como, through the Gotthard and across the border into Italy, with one chauffeur the whole way.
Landing in Zurich, staying on the lake.
Lake Como trips start at Zurich when the long-haul flight lands there, or when the holiday opens with a few days in the Swiss mountains before heading south. From the terminal, Como is about three and a quarter hours by road, Bellagio and Varenna closer to four. The luggage goes into the car once, at the airport, and comes out at your hotel.
The villages are spread around the lake, and the drive is different for each. Como and Cernobbio sit at the southern end, a few minutes past the border. Tremezzo and Menaggio are on the western shore, Bellagio stands on the point where the lake divides into its Como and Lecco branches, and Varenna faces it from the eastern shore. We drive to all of them, and to any private address on the lake.
Lakeside hotels and villas are not all easy to reach by car. Give us the name of the property and, for a private house, the road-access address: several entrances on the lake cannot take a large vehicle, and parking is restricted. If the last stretch is by boat, write it in the booking notes so the handover at the jetty can be arranged with the property.
You see the fixed price before paying, with tolls and airport parking in the quote. If you already know when you are flying home, ask for the return to Zurich Airport in the same quote.
The Gotthard, then the road to your shore.
From Zurich Airport the motorway runs south past Lucerne, through the Gotthard road tunnel and down through Ticino to Lugano. For Como and Cernobbio it continues to the border at Chiasso, and the lake is a few minutes beyond. For Menaggio and Tremezzo the shorter way leaves the motorway at Lugano and follows Lake Lugano to Porlezza, crossing into Italy on the lakeside road.
Bellagio and Varenna take longer. Bellagio is about 30 km up the narrow lakeside road from Como, around 40 minutes on its own, or a short car-ferry crossing from Menaggio or Cadenabbia. The drive to Varenna, on the eastern shore, changes with the season: in summer one road comes over the Splügen Pass to Chiavenna and down the eastern shore. The Splügen is closed in winter, and then the drive goes via Como and Lecco, about 300 km, or crosses by car ferry from Menaggio.
The Gotthard is the variable on every leg. Queues build at the tunnel on Friday afternoons, Sunday evenings and in Swiss and Italian holiday periods. The office checks traffic before departure and, when the tunnel is congested, sends the chauffeur over the San Bernardino. You are told in advance, and the price you approved does not change.
- Distance
- about 245 to 280 km
- Driving time
- about 3 h 15 to 4 hours
- Via
- Lucerne, Gotthard tunnel, Lugano
- Border
- Switzerland to Italy
- Pick-up
- Zurich Airport arrivals hall
| Destination | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|
| Como and Cernobbio | about 250 km | about 3 h 15 |
| Tremezzo and Lenno | about 255 km | about 3 h 30 |
| Menaggio | about 245 km | about 3 h 30 |
| Bellagio | about 280 km | about 3 h 45 |
| Varenna | about 265 km | about 4 hours |
Vehicles for three to four hours to the lake.
All vehiclesTwo or three people with normal luggage travel well in a Standard Class or First Class saloon, each taking 3 passengers and 3 bags. On the longer drives to Bellagio and Varenna, after a night flight, the rear screens and tinted windows of the First Class are worth having. A family with large suitcases, or anyone crossing the Alps in winter, is better off in the SUV, with 5 seats, 5 bags and all-wheel drive.
For groups there is the Van First Class, 6 passengers and 6 bags, with four seats facing each other around a table. The Van Standard takes 7, and a 12-seat van or a 14-seat minibus carries a wedding party or a company offsite; larger groups travel in two vehicles.
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Standard Class
Mercedes E-Class or similar
3 passengers · 3 bags
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First Class
Mercedes S-Class or similar
3 passengers · 3 bags
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SUV
Range Rover, GLS, X7 or similar
5 passengers · 5 bags
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Van First Class
Mercedes V-Class or similar
6 passengers · 6 bags
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Van Standard
Ford Tourneo, Vito or similar
7 passengers · 7 bags
Included in every transfer to the lake.
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Met in arrivals, after customs
The chauffeur waits in the arrivals hall at Zurich with a tablet showing your name or your company logo. You receive the chauffeur's contact details before you land.
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Your flight, followed
Give us the flight number and the office follows it. If you land early or late, the pick-up moves with you, and the chauffeur goes to the arrivals exit your flight uses.
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60 minutes at Zurich, 15 at the hotel
At airports, ports and train stations, drivers wait up to 60 minutes in case of delays beyond the scheduled arrival time, at no extra charge. At hotels, offices and private addresses, 15 minutes of waiting are included. For extended delays, our team will assist you in finding the most suitable solution.
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Skis, golf bags, big suitcases
Declare them in the booking and the office assigns a vehicle with the right boot, an SUV or a van.
Zurich to Lake Como, the questions we hear.
How long does the drive from Zurich Airport to Lake Como take?
Between about 3 h 15 and 4 hours with normal traffic. Como and Cernobbio are the closest, Bellagio and Varenna the furthest. On Friday afternoons, Sunday evenings and holiday weekends, allow extra time for queues at the Gotthard.
Which villages on the lake do you drive to?
All of them, on both shores: Como, Cernobbio, Laglio, Argegno, Lenno, Tremezzo, Griante, Menaggio, Bellagio, Varenna and Bellano, plus any private address on the lake. Give the exact property when you book.
Do we cross a border on the way?
Yes, the Swiss-Italian border, at Chiasso or on the road along Lake Lugano depending on your village. Each passenger carries the travel documents required for their nationality.
Is Milan Malpensa closer to Lake Como than Zurich?
Yes, much closer: Bellagio and Menaggio are about 85 km from Malpensa, around an hour and a half by road. Zurich makes sense when your flight lands there or your trip starts in Switzerland, and we drive from both airports.
Can I book the return to Zurich Airport at the same time?
Yes. Add the return leg when you request the quote and both journeys are confirmed together. On the day, the chauffeur arrives at your hotel at least fifteen minutes before the pick-up time.
Can I cancel?
Free of charge up to 24 hours before the pick-up, from your account. Closer than that, contact support.
Are child seats available?
Yes, free of charge, added in the second step of the booking. Write the child's age and weight in the notes.
More routes from Zurich Airport.
From Zurich arrivals to the lake.
Enter your flight and the name of your hotel: the fixed price appears before you pay, and the return can join the same quote.