For centuries, this pristine lake and its surrounding mountain peaks have been a prime holiday spot for Italians. Residents of Milan only need to drive an hour to reach Lake Como’s shores. Summer is high season and the water is packed. But in winter, when crisp temperatures drop, so do the prices.

Affordable ski holidays

There are numerous ski towns and resorts in this mountainous area connecting Italy to Switzerland. Costs for a full-day entrance with a ski pass vary from €25-37 per adult. When compared to prices on the slopes in the US that can easily top out at over $100, the Italian Alps offer a pretty affordable skiing option.

Beginners can hire an instructor for the day, and full gear is easily rented in shops near the lifts.

Madesimo will have you flying high with low rates for the ski slopes. Photo: Matteo R

The top three ski resorts in the area are:

Madesimo
Cost: €27 for a half-day pass

The most accessible from Lake Como, it only takes an hour to reach. At 138km from Milan, this idyllic ski resort in Sondrio province is filled with hotels and ski schools. Enjoy 50 kilometers of ski runs, a friendly, laid back atmosphere, and English-speaking instructors.
Click here for more ticket info. 

Bormio
Cost: €20 for a 4-hour pass

About a two-hour drive from Lake Como, you’ll find this pretty town with its historical center and access to the lifts. The restaurants in town are good quality and not too pricey for local standards. It’s more rustic compared to other alpine resorts, and you’ll love walking around its historical town.
Click here for more ticket info.

Livigno
Cost: €32 for a half-day pass

Get great value for your euros here. It’s a tax-free zone where the winter season starts earlier than most places (November till May). Sometimes called “Italy’s Little Tibet” because of the beautiful mountains and nature reserve, you can also hike 20 km of Nordic walking paths. Get a natural high at an altitude of 1,815 m; the highest lift reaches over 5,000 ft.
Click here for more ticket info.

Other Active Adventures near Lake Como

For the active traveler, this part of Italy is a world of endless choices and chances to try new things.

Besides skiing, what else can you do in winter?

• Go ice-skating in Chiavenna (45min drive from Lake Como)
• Rent and ride horses in Colico (a town on the eastern side of the lake with direct train connection from Milano Centrale) or Bormio (also a ski resort)
• Learn to drive a husky-drawn sled in Arnoga, Alta Valtellina (Winter courses start in November and end in April)
• Go boulder-climbing or hiking in gorgeous Val Masino (free, but for safety, rent a crashpad for €8 a day)

Best-Value Thermal Baths

For a relaxing holiday, dip in the famous healing waters that flow down directly from alpine springs. Many resorts have thermal baths and pools for swimming. In Italy, many outdoor springs are free… but what about during winter?

While high-end hotels include private spas and pampered seclusion, the budget traveler should hit the Bormio Terme for a thermal bath experience. Outdoors, you get a gorgeous view of snow-capped Alps while soaking in bubbly hot Jacuzzis. Indoors, a sauna and steam room are connected to the family-friendly pools.

On Wednesdays and Fridays, the water park stays open until 9:30 p.m. with a happy hour buffet included at the on- site bar and bistro. A discounted price is offered for night swimming from 7:00 pm.

Low season price per adult: €17 day pass or evening pass €12 (from 5 pm). Children under 6 years old are free.

Where to stay

To find a budget-friendly place to rest up at the end of a long day, check out the small, family-run one- and two-star hotels in Como, Bellagio, Menaggio, and Lecco.

The post Lake Como in Winter: Budget tips for an Italian Alps holiday appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Why, you ask? Allow us to demonstrate photographically what happened on a recent journey when we overlooked this critical step. Come, Cheapos, let’s take a ride…

Step 1: Fill ‘er up

Unleaded? Diesel? Who cares! Just fill ‘er up. In our case, we filled up a diesel-only car with unleaded gas.

Step 2: Hit the beach

Drive (a short distance) to a picturesque location and park the car. For us, it was Lake Como, Italy, where we spent the day swimming and frolicking, nary a care in the world.

Step 3: Try to start car and panic

When the car doesn’t start and you realize that you didn’t use diesel, go ahead and briefly freak out, perhaps for three or four minutes. Then, if you don’t speak Italian, do your best mime routine to the locals and hitch a ride on the back of their ninja motorcycle.

Step 4: Back to the beach

After repeating your mime act at the gas station – much to the delight of both yourself and the assembled audience – hop in a car with the head mechanic and drive back to your stranded car. (Preferably, your car ride should follow directly behind a circus trolley that is inexplicably carrying the head mechanic’s children.)

Step 5: Get towed

Watch with embarrassed relief as your car is hoisted onto the back of a flatbed truck to take you to the gas station.

Step 6: Say goodbye to paradise

Snap a photo and wave goodbye to Lake Como from inside the car (there’s not enough room in the truck’s cabin, natch) as you make your way to the gas station.

Step 7: De-gas and re-gas

Hang around the gas station and watch all the “bad gas” get sucked out of your car’s tank. Try not to concentrate on how much the gas originally cost. Pose confidently for a photo.

Step 8: Learn your lesson

Swear you’ll never do this again. Yet allow yourself to appreciate the experience you just had.

The post What happens when you put unleaded gas in a diesel rental car? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.