Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2027. Arrive by private boat, with the car waiting at the jetty.
Three days in May at Cernobbio, where the finest cars in the world are judged on a lawn beside Lake Como, and the only road in is a narrow nineteenth century one shared with buses.
The weekend
Villa d'Este 2027 at a glance
- DatesFriday 21 to Sunday 23 May 2027Judging across the weekend, with the public day at Villa Erba on the Sunday.
- WhereCernobbio, on the western shore of Lake ComoVilla d'Este for invited guests, Villa Erba next door for the wider event.
- Nearest cityComo, about ten minutes awayMilan is an hour or so south, depending on the road and the hour.
- Arriving by airMilan Malpensa or LinateMalpensa is roughly 60 km away, Linate roughly 70 km. Lugano sits just over the Swiss border.
Dates as published by Villa d'Este and the organisers. Access to the Villa d'Este grounds is by invitation and ticket, not something we can arrange.
Why it needs planning
One lakeside road, and everyone on it
The road along the western shore is the old Strada Regina. It is narrow, it hugs the water, and it carries local traffic, delivery vans, coaches and every visitor to Cernobbio through the same few bends. There is no bypass and there is no widening it. On Concorso weekend, with the hotels full and the public day at Villa Erba drawing thousands, a journey that takes fifteen minutes in April can take three times that.
Parking at Villa d'Este is very limited and guests are expected to be dropped rather than to park, which is exactly what a car and driver are for. We arrange cars on Lake Como through operators we know, briefed on where they may stand and how long they may stand there, so that the car is not circling the lake while you are waiting at the gate.
The elegant answer, and often the fastest one, is water. Cernobbio has a landing stage, and private boat transfers run between Como, Cernobbio, Moltrasio, Bellagio and Tremezzo in a fraction of the road time and with a considerably better view. We arrange the boat alongside the car, with the driver meeting you at the jetty at each end.
Journey times
Getting to Cernobbio
| From | Typical time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Milan Malpensa | 50 minutes to 1 hour 15 | About 60 km, mostly motorway, then the lakeside road |
| Milan Linate | 1 hour to 1 hour 30 | About 70 km. The Milan ring roads decide it |
| Milan city centre | 1 hour to 1 hour 20 | Longer on a Friday evening in May |
| Lugano, Switzerland | 40 to 55 minutes | Over the border at Chiasso. A small airport with limited capacity |
| Como town | 10 to 20 minutes | Or ten minutes on the water from the Como jetties |
| Bellagio, by road or by boat | About 1 hour by road, 30 to 45 minutes by fast boat | The boat wins on a busy weekend, and it is much the nicer way |
Editorial ranges from mapping and local operators, not measured times. Concorso weekend adds to all of them.
What clients usually book
A car held, and a boat when it helps
- A car and driver for each day, dropping at the gates and waiting somewhere legal and reachable
- A private boat transfer between Como, Cernobbio and the villas further up the lake
- Collection at Malpensa or Linate, with the flight tracked and the driver at the private terminal
- A second vehicle for luggage when guests arrive straight from Milan with a week's worth of it
- Dinner up the lake at Tremezzo or Bellagio, with the return arranged before you sit down
- Onward travel to Milan or Monza, which are both an easy morning away
A typical plan
London to the lawn at Cernobbio
- 01
London
One of our own chauffeurs collects you and drives to Luton, Farnborough, Biggin Hill or London City.
- 02
Italy
Under two hours in the air to Linate or Malpensa, handled at the private terminal.
- 03
The lake
A car we have arranged locally for the run north, or a boat from Como if the Regina road is solid.
- 04
The weekend
A driver on call for the villas, dinner and the lake road, with one contact at Odyssey throughout.
Book early
Como in May is full
The Concorso weekend coincides with the start of the lake's season. Hotel rooms at Villa d'Este and along the western shore go a long way ahead, and so do the good local drivers and boats. Tell us your dates as soon as you have them.
Around the weekend
Related pages
Northern Italy
Other Italian weeks
Start planning
Tell us where you are staying
Which nights you are on the lake, how many of you, whether you want a boat as well as a car, and whether you need the flight into Milan. We reply with a plan and a clear price. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About travel to Villa d'Este
Do you have your own cars in Italy?
Our own cars and chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, and a trusted global network covers everywhere else. On Lake Como we arrange cars through operators we know, to the same brief, with one contact at Odyssey throughout.
Can we arrive by boat?
Yes, and on a busy weekend it is often quicker as well as better. We will arrange the boat and have the car meet you at the jetty.
Where will the car wait?
Somewhere legal and close, agreed in advance. Parking at Villa d'Este is very limited, so the pattern is to drop, stand nearby and return on a message.
Can you get us into the Concorso?
No. Entry to Villa d'Este is by invitation and the public day at Villa Erba is ticketed by the organisers. We arrange the travel around it.
Is Malpensa or Linate better?
Malpensa is nearer to the lake, Linate is nearer to Milan. We will advise once we know where you are going after the weekend.
Are you an official partner of the Concorso?
No. We are an independent company arranging travel to and from the event.
One contact, wherever you are