Italy
Como
Away-day guide
unverified draftComo is the away day the rest of Europe will be jealous of — a small lakeside city under the Alps, forty minutes by train from Milan, with a ground that sits on the waterfront. The city is tiny by top-flight standards and the football infrastructure with it, so plan the practicalities carefully and enjoy the rest.
🚺 To Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia
The ground is on the lakefront at the western end of the promenade, a ten-minute walk from Piazza Cavour and two minutes from Como Nord Lago station — which makes the train from Milano Cadorna the easiest approach. From Como San Giovanni it is about 15 minutes downhill on foot.
- Nearest stop
- Como Lago railway station
- Lines
- Trenord trains to Como Nord Lago; ASF buses along the lakefront
- Walk from centre
- 10 min
- Parking
- Lakefront parking is metered, limited and full in summer — arrive by train.
Public transport
You will walk. The old town inside the medieval walls, the lakefront, both railway stations and the stadium are all within fifteen minutes of each other. City buses cover the hillside suburbs at around €1.50 a ride, bought from tabacchi before boarding and validated on board. The funicular from Como Lago up to Brunate takes seven minutes and gives you the postcard view over the lake. Lake ferries run from the piers on Piazza Cavour to Bellagio, Varenna and the rest — slow, cheap and the best half-day in the region.
Typical prices
- Beer (0.5L)
- EUR 5.5
- Coffee
- EUR 1.5
- Meal, mid-range
- EUR 28
- Taxi from airport
- EUR 90
- Single transit ticket
- EUR 1.5
✈ Airports & cheaper alternatives
- Milan Malpensa MXP primary 40 km A direct shuttle coach runs Malpensa–Como in about an hour; otherwise take the Malpensa Express to Milan and a train back out to Como San Giovanni. A taxi is €80–110. The main international airport for the region and the most convenient for Como despite not being the closest in a straight line.
- Milan Bergamo (Orio al Serio) BGY alternative 80 km Airport bus to Bergamo or Milan, then a train to Como — around two hours in total. Ryanair's Italian stronghold and usually the cheapest fare from the UK and Ireland; the transfer is longer but straightforward.
- Milan Linate LIN alternative 55 km Metro M4 into Milan, then a train from Cadorna or Centrale to Como — about 1 hour 30 minutes. Closest to central Milan and useful if you are basing yourself there rather than on the lake.
- Lugano Airport LUG alternative 35 km Bus or taxi into Lugano, then a Swiss train south to Como San Giovanni in about 40 minutes. Just over the Swiss border with very few flights, but worth a glance if you are coming from a hub that serves it.
🍺 Supporters' pubs
Como 1907
Home fans: Como's support drinks along the lakefront and around Piazza Duomo before games — with the ground a ten-minute walk from the old town, the pre-match is simply the town itself rather than any dedicated club pub.
Away fans: Everything in the centre is neutral and used to visitors; the bars away from the water are cheaper. Como is a small, calm place and away fans attract no hostility.
Back in the top flight and in Europe after decades away, with one of the most photogenic grounds in football — but a small one, so check the venue for the tie before booking.
Sourced from supporters' forums — always follow your club's and police advice for the fixture.
Nightlife
Modest, and that is the point. The bars around Piazza Duomo, Via Vitani and the lakefront do a proper Italian aperitivo — a spritz and a plate of food thrown in — from about six, and a handful stay busy until one. There are no big clubs; for a real night out, people take the train to Milan. In summer the lakefront bars and the Brunate terraces are where everybody ends up, and the whole thing is more pleasant than raucous.
Food & drink
Lake food: perch risotto (risotto con filetti di persico), missoltini — sun-dried and salted shad — and lake trout, alongside Lombard staples like pizzoccheri and polenta. The Valtellina wines and Franciacorta sparkling come from up the road. Coffee is drunk standing at the bar for €1.20 and gelato is compulsory on the passeggiata along the water. Aperitivo hour is the cheapest way to eat in Italy if you order carefully.
Cheap eats & beer
Pizza al taglio and focaccia from a bakery is €3–5 and the standard walking lunch; a trattoria menu with a carafe of house wine comes to €20–25. Aperitivo at €8–10 usually includes enough food to skip dinner. A half-litre of beer is €5–6 on the lakefront and less in the back streets, and a supermarket bottle is €1.50. Anywhere with a view of the water charges for it — walk two streets back and the same meal costs a third less.
Staying safe
Como is safe, wealthy and very touristy in summer, so the risks are pickpockets on the crowded lakefront and around the stations, and the usual Italian caution about paying for a table service you did not want. Take a licensed taxi or a pre-booked transfer rather than an unmarked car at Malpensa. In July and August the town is heaving with day-trippers from Milan, so trains and ferries fill; book the Milan connections rather than turning up.
On matchday
Como play at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, a 1927 ground right on the lakefront and a ten-minute walk from Piazza Cavour and from Como Lago station. It holds only around 13,500 and its suitability for UEFA competition has been under discussion, so check where the tie is actually being staged before you book — Como's European home games could be moved to a larger ground elsewhere in Lombardy. Away allocations are small either way. Italian grounds require a named ticket matching photo ID, so bring your passport, and expect thorough checks on the way in.
This city guide is still being fact-checked — some details may be inaccurate.