Como or Salerno?

Como's swimming is a summer extra. You use lidos with lawns and pontoons, such as the one by Villa Olmo, or small pebble jetties up the lake, and there is hardly any sand.

Salerno is a real beach base. Its grey-sand city beaches are fine for a quick dip, and the long sandy shore towards Paestum, with lidos and pine woods, easily fills a whole day. The clear pebbly coves of Vietri, Cetara and the Amalfi Coast are a ferry ride away.

Salerno eats better and more widely. Buffalo mozzarella from the plain towards Paestum, colatura from Cetara, wood-fired pizza, fried seafood and lemon pastries make even casual meals memorable, and the old town is full of friggitorie and trattorias.

Como's Lombard lake cooking, such as risotto with perch, missoltini and polenta, is distinctive but limited in range. The aperitivo around the cathedral is a pleasure, but lakefront terraces often charge for the view rather than the cooking.

The two are close in depth but different in character. Como suits architecture lovers. It has a Gothic-Renaissance marble cathedral, the Romanesque churches of San Fedele and Sant'Abbondio, and Terragni's Rationalist Casa del Fascio, plus the Volta and silk museums.

Salerno's heritage is medieval and southern. It has the Norman cathedral with Saint Matthew's crypt, the medicinal Giardino della Minerva tied to Europe's first medical school, and Arechi Castle above stepped lanes. Either town is covered in a day or two.

Salerno has more life after dinner. On weekends and summer nights, young crowds fill the squares around Largo Campo and Via dei Mercanti until late, and the seafront promenade keeps going well into the evening.

Como winds down early. There are a few wine and cocktail bars around Piazza Duomo and a lakefront stroll, but neither city has a club scene to speak of, so for a big night you take the train to Milan or Naples.

Both are superb for the outdoors, and the difference is lake against sea. Como offers a narrow glacial lake under wooded mountains. You can take the funicular to Brunate for ridge walks, follow the Greenway del Lago, enjoy Alpine views from Monte Bisbino, and ride the cycling climb to Ghisallo.

Salerno offers limestone cliffs and lemon terraces. There are the Path of the Gods and the Valle delle Ferriere in the Lattari mountains, Cilento's gorges and headlands to the south, and kayaking or boat trips along the coast. In both places spring and autumn suit hiking best.

Both make excellent bases, and Salerno has the slight edge for range and weight. Paestum's Greek temples and Pompeii are each about half an hour by train, the ferries reach Amalfi and Positano, and Naples, Herculaneum and Caserta are easy days.

Como's list is long too. It has the lake villas of Bellagio, Varenna and Tremezzo by boat, Milan's Last Supper about forty minutes away, and Lugano and Bergamo close by. The appeal is gardens and cities rather than ancient ruins.

Salerno works a little better with children. Its long car-free seafront has playgrounds and gelato, the shallow sandy beaches to the south suit small swimmers, and the Luci d'Artista lights make a winter treat. Its steep old town and winding coast roads are the drawbacks.

Como gives children boat rides, the funicular and summer paddling, but little else is made for them. It suits a slow, outdoorsy family stay more than an action-packed one.

Both centres are compact and walkable, so the difference lies beyond the centre. Como links well by train to Milan and Lugano, but the lake ferries are slow to go far north and the shore roads clog in summer.

Salerno has direct regional trains to Naples, Pompeii and Paestum and a short metro line. Along the Amalfi Coast the ferries beat the packed buses. In neither city do you need a car unless you head for the mountain villages or the Cilento.

Neither is a shopping destination, and each has one local speciality worth seeking out. In Como it is silk: scarves and ties from old-town specialists and mill outlets, plus a short run of boutiques.

Salerno's buys come from its neighbours: Vietri's hand-painted majolica, limoncello and Cetara's colatura, alongside the chain stores of Corso Vittorio Emanuele. For serious fashion, Como has Milan on its doorstep and Salerno has Naples.

Salerno is much easier on the wallet. Hotels cost far less than in the coastal cliff villages, and food and transport are priced for locals, though summer ferries, lido sunbeds and the big archaeological sites add up.

Como is expensive, especially in July and August when lakeside hotels and villa rentals are in demand. Staying back from the water, eating in old-town or hillside trattorias and visiting in spring or autumn bring the cost down.

Salerno has a bit more to offer. Its gilded Teatro Verdi, modelled on Naples' San Carlo, runs a respectable season, and in summer the Ravello Festival's cliff-top concerts are within reach for a memorable evening.

Como's Teatro Sociale mixes shared opera productions, concerts and theatre, moving to the open-air Arena in summer. It also has chamber music in churches and villas, but the calendar is quiet on many nights and most music lovers head to La Scala.

Como is the more restful choice. The spas of its grand villa hotels, still water, lakeside gardens and slow ferry rides create a calm that suits a gentle break, best in spring or autumn.

Salerno's calm comes in moments, such as sunset walks along the palm-lined promenade and quiet morning lanes, but it is a noisy working port. Its nearest thermal pools are about an hour inland at Contursi Terme.