Maddalena House

Great location and the owner was very helpful and even picked us up from the station and returned there

Unfortunately the stairs to our apartment were very steep and difficult to manage with baggage

Guests should come with a reasonable expectation of what it means to stay in a home and village that is centuries old. - It means stairs to get to your apartment - It means smaller rooms than you might have in your own home - It means hearing the normal sounds of a town's piazza, including the local church bell in the morning But if you are looking for an excellent location and a clean place to stay close to Lake Como, this is the right apartment. The host is easily reachable and responsive. She gave excellent recommendations on places to visit and see. The host, Marilena, if she is available, may even pick you up or drop you off at the train station!

Truthfully, if you are looking for a modern apartment, you should stay in a major city. But if you are looking for a clean and comfortable apartment close to Lake Como, in a town with history, with easy access to train and ferry, this is the right apartment.

Just the perfect spot for a family in Varenna. Location couldn't be better, just steps from the central piazza and we were able to do plenty of walks and even visit Villa Monasterio twice. Evening aperitif in the gardens there was a highlight of the trip. We stayed with two kids aged 2 and 3, and she provided a nice travel crib for the two year old at no additional cost. It was very quiet and just the right amount of space for our family. The decor was classic Italian, it felt like a very local experience.

Just to be aware: there is one flight of stairs to manage if you have mobility issues. It was no problem for us, we were able to keep the stroller in storage at the foot of the stairs.

The property had a full kitchen and lovely balcony and newer bathroom- location was very central!

Contrary to other reviews we had a problem initially as I’d contacted Marilena a few days earlier to ask what time it would suit her to arrive and after 2.00pm was suggested- I then phoned that morning about time as train was not running from Bergamo and we needed to catch bus then 2 different trains- we missed 1st train as was bus late continued on and literally had to push in as standing room only on a very busy train- we arrived after 2.00pm and contacted- Marilena who said she was busy cleaning - then appointment and she’d be 1 hour so we said no problem we’d walk - she then contacted Booking.com and we had a msg saying check in was 5.00pm- where in the world is checkin after 5.00pm? We walked stored our suitcases at the Victoria Grill opposite square ( staff were amazing). We were eventually greeted- the stairs are 2 floors and short/steep steps up so if you can’t carry cases up could be difficult. Unit is in historic building and don’t mind old but magazines from 2019, 2017 & 1998 are really old news! The town square under our bedroom window had a loud birthday party and noise till late into night. The pillows were awful but found better ones in wardrobe which were ok. There was instructions for everything so we followed and left unit clean. It has great restaurants, cafe and grocer with fresh produce close by and close to ferries. Marilena took us to station last day which was appreciated- we were happy to leave as our worst experience in 60 days of travel!

Location, clean,

NA

A fully furnished apartment. It’s like stepping into your nonna’s house. It had everything you needed. The location is within a short scenic walk to the ferry dock. The host provides transportation to and fro the train station which is a special benefit. She provided us with a detailed orientation of the apartment to make our stay comfortable. The bathroom had recently been renovated with nice big shower.

Perfectly located. Host was very accommodating. Varenna is the perfect place to relax, peaceful and beautiful.

It is just good exercise to me, but you will need to be able to climb a couple of flights of stairs. If you can’t handle that, you should not be staying in Varenna anywhere.

A complete, well decorated apartment, very clean and feel like new. Fully equipped kitchen . Sitting room well furnished and decorated like a home. Owner is very friendly, very helpful, ensures communication so she can pick us up at train station upon arrival. Punctual to send us to train station in early morning for departure.