Milan to Lake Como and Back: A GT Day Loop Through Lombardy's Best Tarmac
This route starts from a quiet Porta Nuova handover before morning traffic builds, threads north on the A9 to Como, then follows the SP583 lakeside road where the driving actually begins. Plan for a full day — roughly 200 km round trip — and choose a weekday if you can. Weekend traffic on the lakeside stretch between Cernobbio and Bellagio turns a flowing drive into a procession.
Behind the wheel
- 01
Porta Nuova — Vehicle Collection, Early Morning
We arrange kerbside handover near the CityLife or Porta Nuova towers before 07:30, when the business district is still quiet and Area C cameras are easy to avoid on exit. The Ferrari Roma Spider or a BMW 430i Cabrio both suit this route well — the Roma for the lakeside tunnels, the 430i if you want four seats and a less conspicuous profile for village stops. Confirm your handover slot the evening before; fashion week or Salone weeks can shift logistics significantly. Head northwest toward the A9 — you'll clear the Milan ring road in under twenty minutes at this hour.
- 02
Cernobbio to Argegno — SP583 Lakeside, Mid-Morning
Exit the A9 at Como Nord and pick up the SP583 heading along the western shore. This is the stretch that justifies the whole day: single-lane tunnels carved into rock, tight switchbacks opening to sudden lake views, and short straight sections where a GT's mid-range torque actually matters. Between Cernobbio and Argegno — roughly 15 km — the road narrows through Brienno and Laglio. Drive alert: oncoming coaches use every centimetre of their lane. There's a small parking area just past Argegno's ferry dock if you want to stop and reset before continuing north.
- 03
Bellagio — Lunch and the Promontory, Early Afternoon
Continue on the SP583 through Menaggio, then take the ferry across to Bellagio — or drive the longer eastern route via Lecco if you'd rather keep the wheel. Bellagio sits on the promontory where the lake splits into its two southern arms. Park in the signposted lot below the village centre; street parking for anything wider than a sedan is unrealistic. Lunch at one of the terraced restaurants along the waterfront, then walk the steep lanes up to Punta Spartivento for a clear sightline down both branches of the lake. Allow at least ninety minutes here — rushing Bellagio defeats the purpose.
- 04
Return via Lecco and the A4 — Late Afternoon
Rather than retracing the western shore, take the SS36 south from Lecco back toward Milan. It's faster, less scenic, and that's the point — by late afternoon the SP583 fills with return traffic and the tunnels become tedious in both directions. The SS36 feeds directly onto the tangenziale, giving you a clean run back to the city. If you're returning the car to Malpensa instead of central Milan, peel off onto the A8 west of Monza — we can arrange a terminal-side collection at MXP so you avoid parking fees entirely. Full-tank return is expected; the last reliable fuel stop is the Agip station at the Lecco junction before the autostrada.
About Milan
Malpensa sits roughly 50 km from the centre, a 45–60 minute drive depending on traffic, which is why business arrivals there usually book a chauffeur-driven executive sedan rather than a fixed self-drive pickup. Linate, only 8 km out, suits a quicker self-drive collection for guests heading straight into town or on to a Porta Nuova meeting. For a Lake Como weekend the better choice is a self-drive GT or convertible, since the SP583 lakeside road narrows through tunnels and hairpins near Bellagio and Menaggio where a chauffeur schedule adds little.
Handover in the centre is arranged at a hotel or a suburban point rather than inside Area C, since the congestion charge and camera zones make city-centre drop-off impractical for both supercars and executive sedans. Underground garages around Duomo and Brera take most sedans and SUVs, but a supercar needs its height clearance confirmed before booking one for the stay. Clients continuing beyond Lombardy toward St. Moritz, or further north via the A4 and A22 into the Dolomites, should settle the cross-border terms and the deposit briefing before departure rather than at the roadside.