A few chapters from the road that led Chad and Nadine to the lake.
Slide through the prints — tap one to see it larger.
the Weekend
Two days on the lake — an evening on the water, then the day itself. Every time on this page is Italian local time (CEST, UTC+2).
Sat17October
aPre-Wedding Evening on the Water
A boat on Lake Como · Saturday, October 17
Boarding5:00 pm — Piazza Risorgimento, Cernobbio, the square on the water that everyone here calls la Riva. Be there by 4:30, so a little traffic can’t hold the boat
From the hotelsSheraton 1 km · Villa Flori 1.6 km · Hilton 3 km — three to ten minutes by car
Hotel busesFrom the Hilton at 4:15 pm, from the Sheraton at about 4:30 pm; back to both hotels from 8:15 — nothing to book
Getting thereStaying elsewhere? There is no parking at the pier on a Saturday — book a transfer there and back
On boardAppetizers, pasta and cocktails
Back ashore8:00 pm — same pier
DressCocktail attire (dressy casual if it rains) — and a warm layer for the water
Sun18October
the Wedding at Villa Erba
Villa Erba, Cernobbio · Sunday, October 18
Arrival3:50 pm — guest arrival & welcome drinks
Ceremony4:30–5:00 pm
Cocktails5:00–6:30 pm — cocktail reception
Dinner7:00 pm
Cake9:00 pm — cake cutting, followed by the wedding party & dancing
DressFormal — black tie optional
Hotel busesFrom the Hilton at 3:25 pm, from the Sheraton at 3:35 pm — nothing to book
Getting thereDriving? The car park is a ten-minute walk from the villa, with vans running to the door — see transfers & parking
pre-wedding event RSVP
You are already on the guest list for Sunday — no need to reply again. This is only for the pre-wedding evening on the water, Saturday, October 17.
the Wedding Day
Villa Erba — a 19th-century lakeside villa in Cernobbio, once the summer home of film director Luchino Visconti.
AddressVilla Erba, Largo Luchino Visconti 4, 22012 Cernobbio (CO), Italy
Google MapsApple MapsThe interactive map is Google’s — it loads only when you ask, and Google may set a cookie or two when it does.
transfers & Parking
Cernobbio is a small town, and parking here is limited. On Saturday 17 a car has to be booked in advance to reach the boat. On Sunday 18 a car park is set aside for wedding guests, so you can drive — vans then run from the car park to the villa.
Saturday 17
book a transfer
No parkingVilla Erba does not open its car park on Saturday, and Cernobbio’s own spaces go early on a weekend — driving to the pier is not a plan
What to doAt the Hilton or the Sheraton? A shuttle bus takes you, see below — nothing to arrange. Anywhere else: book a car or a private transfer to bring you and take you home, and book it in advance. The drivers are listed further down; a Saturday evening on the lake thins them out, so expect to try more than one
Hilton busLeaves at 4:15 pm for the pier — three full-size buses, so there is room for everyone
Sheraton busLeaves at about 4:30 pm for the pier — one bus
At the pierBe at Piazza Risorgimento by 4:30 pm. The boat still leaves at 5:00 — the half hour is slack, so one late car doesn’t keep everyone waiting
Going backAshore again at 8:00 pm. The hotel buses leave from 8:15 — the first to the Sheraton, then the rest to the Hilton. If you booked your own car, book it for 8:15 or later
In a pinchUber is a backup, not a plan — nothing like Uber in America: only a few cars around Como, so one may simply not come. Besides Black & Van, the app can now also call a local taxi, and it has become a little more reliable lately
Sunday 18
nothing to book
ParkingVia Regina 2, Cernobbio — free for wedding guests, about a ten-minute walk from the villa. Put that address in the sat-nav, not the villa’s own
VansTwo minivans run between the car park and the villa all evening for anyone who’d rather not walk it — no booking, no list, just step on
Hilton busLeaves at 3:25 pm for the villa — three full-size buses, so there is room for everyone
Sheraton busLeaves at 3:35 pm for the villa — one bus
TimingDoors open at 3:50 pm and the ceremony begins at 4:30 — leave a few minutes for the walk or the van
Going homeLeaving early? From 10:30 pm to midnight a van runs to the car park, the Sheraton or the Hilton — those three stops only. From midnight the buses take everyone back to the two hotels, and vans run to the car park
In a pinchUber is a backup, not a plan — nothing like Uber in America: only a few cars around Como, so one may simply not come. Besides Black & Van, the app can now also call a local taxi, and it has become a little more reliable lately
Who to book with
A private driver — NCC in Italian — is how people actually move around this lake. Any of these work the Como shore and know Cernobbio; prices and cars vary, so it is worth a call or two.
Taxis are a distant second here: there are only a handful, none can be flagged down in the street, and the company takes a booking only in the two days before the ride — not earlier, not later. So for Saturday the 17th, call on the 15th or 16th; for Sunday the 18th, on the 16th or 17th. Radiotaxi Como is +39 031 261515.
getting To Como
You’ll land at Milan Malpensa (MXP) or Linate (LIN); the lake is about an hour away, whichever way you go. One thing worth knowing: the wedding is in Cernobbio, a village five kilometres up the shore from Como — very close, but not the same place, so say “Cernobbio” when you book a car or a taxi. And Como has no metro: it’s walked, bussed, or sailed.
Rental car
our recommendation
At MalpensaRental desks one floor below arrivals (−1) in both T1 and T2
At LinateDesks on the ground floor of arrivals
Mind the ZTLComo’s old town is a restricted-traffic zone, cameras on 24/7 — park at Autosilo Valduce, Centro Lago, San Giovanni or Valmulini and walk in
Train
easy without luggage worries
From MalpensaMalpensa Express toward Milan, change at Saronno for Como Lago — about 1h15–1h30
Via MilanMilano Centrale → Como San Giovanni, 40 min from €5.20 · Milano Cadorna → Como Lago, 60 min, €4.80
From LinateMetro M4 into the city first, then either Milan station
From MalpensaFlibco shuttle to Como San Giovanni, about 50 min, from €9
From LinateNo direct bus — two legs via Milan. First the Linate Shuttle (Air Pullman, €7) or the Autostradale bus (€5 online) from outside arrivals to Milano Centrale: about 25 minutes, roughly every half hour. Then a FlixBus to Como from the stop beside Centrale (Piazza Luigi di Savoia) or from Lampugnano — about six a day, from around €6–9, 40–60 minutes. Honestly, from Centrale the train is the easier second leg
Around ComoASF line C110 (Como–Cernobbio–Menaggio) and city line 6 stop at Cernobbio Mazzini; Sundays roughly hourly, first 07:34, last 20:44 — pay contactless on board · asfautolinee.it
Taxi & transfers
always book ahead
Radiotaxi Como+39 031 261515, or the InTaxi app — taxis are genuinely scarce here
Private transferAirport to Como runs about €130–135 — local drivers are listed under parking & rides
UberIt is a backup, not a plan — nothing like Uber in America: only a few cars around Como, so one may simply not come. Besides Black & Van, the app can now also call a local taxi, and it has become a little more reliable lately
where To Stay
Cernobbio and the Como lakefront keep you closest — everything below is a short drive or boat ride from Villa Erba. If you book somewhere else, aim for Cernobbio or that stretch of shore: the rest of the lake looks close on a map and isn’t.
A block of rooms is held for wedding guests. The group booking is built into the link below, so there is no code to type.
Check-in / outIn from 3:00 pm, out by noon — early arrival or late check-out can only be confirmed by the front desk on the day
ParkingUnderground garage, €21 per car per day
Book aheadThe hotel’s restaurants, bars and Eforea Spa fill up in October — reserve before you arrive. Taxis too: at busy times even the concierge struggles to find one
Not staying hereYou’re welcome in the hotel’s common areas. The one exception is the rooftop pool: it needs the front desk’s approval in advance, depends on availability, and costs €60 per person per day
The lake’s most famous address, ten minutes along the shore from Villa Erba — splendid, and priced to match.
Simpler, and easier on the wallet both in Cernobbio
Albergo San Giuseppe — family-run for over fifty years, five minutes on foot from the village centre and the water. Via Cinque Giornate 31 · +39 031 511288.
Look in Como’s old town, Borgo Vico / Tavernola (between Como and the villa), or Cernobbio itself. Skip Brunate — it’s a funicular ride up the mountain, awkward late at night.
hair & Make-up
Should you like a hand getting ready, PrimaClasse Atelier — hair salon and beauty studio under one roof, at Via Cinque Giornate 30, Cernobbio — is looking after Chad and Nadine’s guests, at prices set aside for the wedding.
To book, call the salon+39 031 7185689By appointment only — book as early as you can, and say you are a guest at Chad & Nadine’s wedding on October 18: the prices below are tied to it.Prices are indicative. For times, details and anything else, the salon is the one to ask — by phone, or on Instagram.
At the salon
Make-up€50 per person
Blow-dry€45 per person — styled and finished
Updo€80 per person
Make-up + updo€130 per person
Where you’re staying
Make-up & hair€200 per person — the team comes to your hotel or apartment
eat & Drink
Places we’d send friends to — book dinner ahead, October weekends fill up.
Making a long weekend of it? The lake rewards every extra day.
Ride the funicular to Brunate— seven minutes up, the whole lake at your feet
Boat to Bellagio, Varenna or Tremezzo— the classic mid-lake day out
Villa Carlotta— botanical gardens across the water (check autumn hours)
Villa del Balbianello— the one from the films; closed Mondays & Wednesdays
Como’s Duomo & old town— silk shops, marble, and very good coffee
Villa Olmo’s lakeside park— the villa interior is closed for restoration, the park is the point
Tempio Voltiano— a neoclassical temple to Alessandro Volta, Como’s own
Fly the seaplane— Aero Club Como takes off from the water, as it has since 1930
Walk the Greenway del Lago— an easy 10 km amble through lakeside villages
Day-trip to Milan— 40 minutes by train
Lunch in Lugano— Switzerland is 5 km away; bring your passport
the lake In October
Mid-October on Lake Como is mild and golden — jacket weather, with a real chance of a shower.
DaysAround 16 °C / 61 °F
EveningsDown to 9 °C / 48 °F — bring that layer
SunsetAround 6:32 pm over the water
Saturday, October 17
The evening on the water
16° / 9°C
61° / 48°F
≈ 28% chance of rain · sunset 6:33 pm
Sunday, October 18
The wedding day
16° / 9°C
61° / 48°F
≈ 28% chance of rain · sunset 6:32 pm
Seasonal averages for now — the live forecast appears here about two weeks before the weekend.
the FAQ
What should I wear?
Sunday at Villa Erba is formal — black tie optional. Saturday on the water is cocktail attire, or dressy casual if it rains. October evenings on the lake are cool either way, so bring a layer you can throw on.
What will the weather be like?
Mid-October on the lake is mild by day and cool once the sun is down — jacket weather, and a layer you can throw on for the evening on the water. For the actual numbers, the weather section carries the live forecast for both days, refreshed every time you open the page.
What about gifts?
No gifts, please — having you with us on the lake is the whole point.
Where do I park?
On Sunday, park at Via Regina 2, Cernobbio — free for wedding guests, about a ten-minute walk from the villa. Drive to that address rather than to the villa itself; vans shuttle between the car park and the door all evening, so there is nothing to book and no need to walk it.
On Saturday the villa’s car park stays closed and Cernobbio’s own spaces fill up early, so don’t plan on driving to the pier: arrange a car there and back, and book it in advance. The whole picture is under transfers & parking.
What time should I arrive on the wedding day?
Doors open at 3:50 pm with welcome drinks, and the ceremony begins at 4:30 — plan to be at the villa by 3:50, and at the car park a little before that.
little things About Como
Small things that make Italy easier — and Como more fun.
Volta was born here. The volt is named for Como’s own Alessandro Volta — hence the lakeside temple.
Silk city. Como wove silk for the world’s fashion houses; a scarf is the souvenir.
The lake is an upside-down Y. Como sits at the tip of the western branch; Bellagio at the fork.
Coffee at the counter. Espresso standing at the bar costs less than sitting at a table — that’s normal, not a scam.
The “coperto”. A euro or two per person on the bill is a standard cover charge, not an error.
Aperitivo hour. Roughly 6–8 pm; your drink often comes with snacks.
Tap water is fine. So are the public fountains — refill freely.
112 is the emergency number for everything.
Plugs are type L (and F). Bring an adapter; hotels rarely lend them.
Validate paper train tickets in the small machines before boarding — fines are real.
Don’t drive into the old town. The ZTL cameras never sleep; park outside and walk.
Switzerland is 5 km away. Passport in pocket, and lunch can be in another country.
Tax-free shopping. Non-EU visitors can claim VAT back on bigger purchases — ask in the shop.
