lake como :: arriving in Dervio

27 August 2014

I am so excited to finally start posting about our holiday in Lake Como - having too many things you want to blog about is a problem I'm more than happy to have, but it does mean that things can get pushed back a little bit. I hope you don't mind!

We spent a good while at the beginning of the year to try and decide our holiday location. We kind of knew we wanted Italy, but Italy alone is so full of amazing places - Amalfi coast? Tuscany? Lake Garda, Lake Como, Lake Maggiore? And that's after we ruled out the most popular cities, as we wanted a bit more of a scenic escape.

Having asked tips from native Italians, seasoned travellers and fellow wanderlusters, we ended up choosing Lake Como, and we are both incredibly happy that we did!






The other winning decision we made was to book an apartment on AirBnb. I'm sure everyone knows about this site, but just in case you don't, it's a place where you can find private rooms or entire apartments to rent all over the world. It's generally cheaper than a hotel, very convenient and comfortable (provided you check out reviews and make sure you're choosing somewhere good!), and you really get a sense of having your own home away from home.

We rented a lovely and modern attic apartment in the town of Dervio, North East of the lake. The apartment was spotlessly clean, very cosy, lots of natural light and more than spacious enough for two. You can check it out here - their prices start at 25 pounds a night which is ridiculously good value! It was located right by the train station, the supermarket and a few minutes walk away from the lakefront and ferry dock. I'm just recommending this place for anyone who might be interested, as we had such a good experience there - we had everything we could possibly need, including a coffee machine with free capsules, a well-equipped kitchen, very good wi-fi, tourist info... pretty perfect.

Back to the day we arrived.

Our train journey from Milan airport was a bit of a nuisance, as Italian trains are not the most reliable and there is usually no staff around to help you out! A cancelled train, a near-miss connection and a few hours later, we made it to the quiet and quaint little town of Dervio.

Being one of the less touristy towns around the lake, in my opinion it was an ideal place to stay - we felt like locals, walking along the edge of the water while actual locals chatted to each other and brave, greying men geared up to wind surf and others fished peacefully.

The day we arrived, we walked around the town, took in the stunning views, had cocktails and pizza at a restaurant overlooking the lake, and talked about the places we'd visit in the upcoming days.


















A wonderful start to a wonderful trip!


10 comments:

  1. This is lovely! The light in the last few photos is incredible :) Can't wait to see more photos! xx

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  2. I went to Italy a few years ago for a week we stayed in Rome, Florence and Venice and stopped off in Pisa. We did it all by train and it was a bit of a nightmare! The worst part was when some guy scooped up our suitcases and ran on to the train with them, first we were worried he was stealing them, then we were thankful he was just helping us, then we were annoyed he wanted us to pay him Euros for it!

    Your photos are beautiful, it looks like you found a perfect spot. It's so nice going on holiday somewhere a little quieter away from other tourists, you get a real feel for what a place is like.

    Chloe x
    newgirlintoon.co.uk

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  3. Airbnb is a game changer - we've used it about 12 times in the past 2 years and never been disappointed. In fact, each and every time we've been amazed at the quality, price and awesome hosts/owners. Only way to holiday now!!

    Rosie xx

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  4. I'm Italian and I hope you have had a good time in my country :)
    Mikixx

    pusuingadreamcalledlife.blogspot.com

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  5. I love that you 2 picked a less touristy place :P
    Dervio is lovely! And it seems really quiet and
    peaceful as well c: Sorry to hear about the
    hectic traffic at Milan :c luckily you manage your
    way. I just went to check out your 25 buck
    condo and it looks really reaaaally not bad!
    Xx

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  6. definitely looks like a wonderful place. and heard so many good things about airbnb. we were going to use them for our japan trip but we're no longer going due to our house. but we're definitely keeping it in mind for the future for any destination in our books!

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  7. Absolutely divine. I'm jealous you live in Europe and can bop around to incredible places. You're just as gorgeous as the surroundings :] The colors in the sky and clouds are STUNNING, I'm in awe. And the mountains too. And I need that pizza in my belly haha.

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  8. Wow, I'm so jealous looking at these photos! Really really want to visit Lake Como after seeing your photos. Those last three pictures have the most wonderful blue-tinged mountains! Definitely a very romantic location; you and E chose exceptionally well! Can't wait for the next few installments! Cocktails and pizza should be mandatory for starting any Italian voyage...x

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  9. I love using Air BnB as well. I've had good luck with them so far and we certainly plan to use them more in the future. And wow that pizza!

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