Historic Como & Villas Ride
A short guided ride through Como's piazzas, lakeside promenade and villas, with stories about local history and culture and a view of the lake from Brunate. A relaxed first taste of the city.

Small-group guided e-bike rides with a local guide, from the streets of Como to the viewpoints above Bellagio.
Why go
Freely offers guided e-bike tours around Lake Como, led by a local guide on electric-assist bikes. The idea is simple: you pedal without effort, skip the traffic and the map-reading, and follow routes chosen for their views, villas and quiet villages.
The founders grew up on the shores of the lake and started out riding its hidden roads on a scooter, Edoardo and Ilaria among them. Today they share those places with visitors, on guided rides or on a bike or scooter you rent and ride yourself.
Main services
Services from the official website.
A short guided ride through Como's piazzas, lakeside promenade and villas, with stories about local history and culture and a view of the lake from Brunate. A relaxed first taste of the city.
A longer ride on the scenic roads above the lake around Bellagio, looking out over its three branches and stopping in small villages along the way. For riders who want panoramas and photo stops.
The full-day option away from the crowds, following forests, riverside paths, hidden valleys, waterfalls and traditional mountain villages. Suits nature lovers who want a more adventurous, authentic side of the lake.
A route planned around you with Freely, with optional extras such as wine and cheese tasting stops, a professional photographer, or hotel pick-up and drop-off. Good for couples, families and small groups.
Rent an electric-assist e-bike to ride the lake paths and hillside villages on your own, with a helmet, charged battery and lock included. No driving licence is needed, and delivery to your hotel is possible.
Services and facilities
Gallery
Practical information
Via Fratelli Cairoli 2, 22100 Como CO
Getting there
On foot: 180 m, about 3 min walk.
About 24 km in a straight line: by car, bus or ferry.
About 27 km in a straight line: by car, bus or ferry.
Straight-line distances from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors); road distances are longer and walking times are approximate.
Around the area
City Guide · Things to do
Lake Como villas, villages and viewpoints with their own Holiplanet page, nearest first.
Como's lakeside living room and the walk to Villa Olmo
A marble façade and Juvarra's dome, minutes from the lake
A neoclassical rotunda for the inventor of the battery
Como's Romanesque gem, with a choir unique in Italy
Roman grid, medieval walls and Porta Torre in 1.5 hours
Seven minutes from the lake to the balcony of the Alps
Como's Romanesque masterpiece, with twin towers and frescoes
Neoclassical villa and free lakeside park near the centre
Ten rooms tracing silk from worm to printed cloth
On the Lake Como map
City Guide · Where to eat
Lake Como restaurants with their own Holiplanet page, nearest first.
Como
Apulian family recipes and fresh fish, served in the centre of Como a few steps from the lake.
Como
A first-floor restaurant with a panoramic terrace right on Lake Como, serving revisited Mediterranean cooking with Lariana traditions.
Como
A rooftop restaurant and lounge bar at Hilton Lake Como, open all year with a glass-walled greenhouse and views over the lake.
Como
A seafood restaurant in an old Como silk mill, where the day's catch meets an open grill and a warm family welcome.
Brunate
A mountain restaurant above Lake Como where polenta is stirred in a copper pot and served steaming at the table.
Como
A Como restaurant serving the traditional dishes of its own land, with a large wine cellar and two welcoming dining rooms.
Como
A Como restaurant, pizzeria and wine bar with an open kitchen, a short distance from the centre and the lake.
Bellagio
A stone-and-wood chalet at 1,012 metres, serving polenta with a view over Lake Como and the Alps.
Bellagio
A family-run trattoria in the woods above Bellagio, with a terrace view over the lake and the Prealps and a menu rooted in Lombard tradition.
On the Lake Como map
City Guide · Where to stay
Hotels, resorts and villas with their own Holiplanet page, nearest first.
Piazza Volta, historic centre
A three-star hotel in a neoclassical building on Piazza Volta
Como
A design hotel in the heart of Como, in a Terragni-era building
Piazza Cavour
A city-centre hotel on Piazza Cavour, right by the lake boats
Lakefront, historic centre
A Liberty-style palazzo on the lakefront in the historic centre of Como
Lungolago, historic centre
A grand Liberty-style palazzo in Como's historic centre
Como Old Town
A design boutique hotel in Como's old town, in renovated clerical buildings facing the Cathedral
Historic centre
A family-run 15th-century palazzo in Como's old town
Como
A hotel in the historic centre of Como with 27 rooms
Brunate
A small Art Nouveau hotel and family-run restaurant beside the Brunate funicular
On the Lake Como map
City Guide · Experiences
Boat tours, seaplane flights, cooking classes and wine tastings with their own Holiplanet page.
Como
Private boat tours on Lake Como with an English-speaking captain, from a two-hour cruise to a full day on the water.
Como
Small-group fresh pasta classes and cooking demos in Beatrice's home, a few steps from Como Cathedral, ending with a shared meal.
Como
Guided and self-guided eBike rides around Como, led by a local team based a few minutes from Como Lago station.
Como
Take off from the water of Lake Como with an instructor and see the lake from the cockpit of a seaplane.
Moltrasio
Private boat tours on Lake Como, from one to four hours, starting in Como or Cernobbio and passing the lake's best-known villas and villages.
Argegno
Private boat tours on Lake Como with a local captain, from a base in Argegno, with itineraries shaped around your group.
Bellagio
Private boat tours on Lake Como with a professional captain, leaving from Bellagio and tailored to your pace.
Bellagio
Guided kayak and stand-up paddle tours on Lake Como, starting from the Pescallo hamlet beach in Bellagio.
Bellagio
A restored 18th-century stone cellar in Bellagio where sommeliers guide you through local and Italian wines with cured meats and lake fish.
On the Lake Como map
Holiplanet Journal
Stories and practical guides about Lake Como and Milan.
Holiplanet Journal
Holiplanet Journal
Holiplanet Journal
Holiplanet Journal
Holiplanet Journal
Straight-line distances from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Questions
Tours run from about 2.5 hours to a full day of 8 hours. The three listed rides show durations of 2, 4 and 6, and each tour page has its exact timings.
Easy to moderate. The electric assist makes hills feel flat and you can choose how much motor support to use. Basic cycling skills and balance are enough.
No. E-bikes are electric-assist bicycles under Italian law, so no licence, permit or registration is needed.
With light rain Freely provides ponchos and the tour goes ahead. In heavy rain or unsafe weather, you are offered another slot.
Groups are kept small, typically 6 to 10 people, so the ride stays sociable and personal.
After you book, you receive an email confirmation with the booking and meeting point details. Freely's base is in Via Cigalini in Como.