Life without a car becomes more complicated when my desired destinations are further than I can walk or bike. Luckily I live in a location that is a hub for public transportation. Como has several train stations all of which are within walking distance of our apartment. Stazione San Giovanni is where the national and higher speed trains stop. We can take a train from there to Milan and connect with the Eurostar and FrecciaRossa lines which travel at high speeds between major European cities. The fares are higher (about 85 euros roundtrip to Venice) but the cars are clean and quiet with large, comfortable seats. FrecciaRossa even has wi-fi and coffee/wine service.
Como Nord Borghi stazione is only about a 7 minute walk for us and that is where we can take the regional train to various stations in Milan or to Malpensa, the international airport. There is frequent service to Milan through the day for about 10 euro round trip. The trains are generally fairly full and our fellow passengers polite; but it can take a while to figure out the nuances of buying and validating tickets. It is a little confusing because reservations made online don't need to be validated before boarding but tickets bought at the window do. On one trip, I had to try and talk my way out of a "multa" which is a fine for not validating one's ticket prior to the train departing. A kind Italian man came to my assistance and I was allowed to just buy a ticket on board to avoid the 50 euro fine. We are also learning to be more relaxed about delays; it just allows time for another cup of coffee!
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| Italian high speed train |
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| San Giovanni station |
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| Como Nord Borghi station |
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| Milano to Venezia (photo by Laura Lentz) |
Towns along the shore of Lake Como are connected by a narrow, busy road along the shoreline. There is bus service between towns but the road becomes very congested, especially during the tourist season. Luckily, most of the towns are also stops along the ferry route. There has been public boat service on Lake Como since 1826 and it continues to be the best way to efficiently get from Como to the villages and harbors on up the lake. Many people in the region use the boats to commute to jobs in Como and they are popular ways for tourists to explore the area. The fare for the slower boat to nearby towns is between 3 and 6 euro while the fare for the high speed hydrofoil to Bellagio (45 minutes) is about 15 euro.
I frequently use the boat to meet up with friends for hiking or walks in the towns northeast of Como. Some mornings this past winter, I was the only person boarding the boat to go north after the morning commuters disembarked. I felt so lucky to be able to enjoy the morning solitude and the spectacular views. It is such a new experience for me to not feel like I have to be in a hurry to get somewhere.
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| Early morning departure |
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| Rain or shine, generally on schedule. |
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| Million dollar view |
I said at the beginning of this post on living car-less that I am coping MOST days without a car. I have to admit that there have been some situations in which I have truly missed the independence of having my own vehicle. As I have developed more of a life here with activities and invitations to explore the area, I have wondered if I should consider leasing or buying a small used car. Just as I began to seriously think about the potential cost and details of that, I came upon the perfect alternative. Como has just begun offering a service of eco-friendly car sharing. There are small electric cars available to use within a 100 km radius for the fee of 5 euro an hour. I registered for the service and this morning Dave and I went through the high-tech process of using my smart phone to reserve and "unlock" one of the cars. We went on a two hour test ride and it actually seems a little too good to be true. The car was fun to drive and had plenty of zip. At least for now, it gives me a great option so I can continue with my car-free Como life style.
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| Como car sharing service (photo by David Hoopes) |
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