Taxi & Transport Scams in Lake Como, Italy

How it works

Private water taxi (taxi boat) operators at Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio dock areas aggressively solicit tourists with offers of private lake crossings, quoting ambiguous prices that can be €200–400 for routes where the official Navigazione Laghi passenger ferry (battello) costs €5.20–11.20. While legitimate licensed water taxis exist and charge €80–150 for the same routes, unlicensed operators and even some licensed ones exploit tourist ignorance of official ferry prices. Confusion between the car ferry (traghetto) and the passenger boat (battello) is also exploited — drivers sometimes claim the cheaper public ferry 'doesn't run' to push tourists toward paid private services.

How it works

Unlicensed drivers position themselves inside the arrivals halls at Milan Malpensa (MXP) and Milan Linate (LIN) airports holding signs for Lake Como destinations, targeting travelers who have not pre-booked transfers. They charge €200–350 for a trip that licensed operators complete for €90–120, and the vehicle may be uninsured. Some drivers quote a price and then claim it was per person upon arrival at the destination. The journey from Malpensa to Como or Bellagio takes approximately 60–90 minutes depending on traffic.