Table of Contents:
Climate and weather of Lake Garda
Public transport to Lake Garda
Why to go to Lake Garda
Lake Garda is one of the largest lakes in Europe, a popular beach and excursion resort with many attractions and entertainment. Atmospheric resort towns are scattered along the shore like “pearls”; they offer developed touristic infrastructure, warm and sunny weather, stunning natural landscapes and a lot of historical and architectural attractions. In addition, Lake Garda is surrounded with beautiful mountains.
After some research, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to organize a holiday on Lake Garda. I figured out how to get to the local resorts, where to stay & what to do there. I really hope this detailed information will help you plan your trip to Lake Garda.
The swimming season on the lake lasts from June to September; the rest of the time the resort is also popular. In the off-season, tourists often come here for excursion purposes, since the towns of Garda have preserved many historical and architectural monuments, and the nature of the lake is famous for its beauty all year round.
In summer, you can engage in various types of water sports, including such extreme ones as windsurfing, for example. You can also try boat trips around the lake. There are well-equipped beaches in almost every lake town. On the eastern shore of the lake there is the Gardaland Water Park. I think, it is a nice entertainment for the whole family. While on Lake Garda, you can also take day trips to larger cities in Northern Italy, such as Verona or Brescia.
The mountains attract travelers to Garda region as much as the lake. Here you can go rock climbing, hiking, or simply use the ski lifts to get to the top and see the natural beauty of the region from a bird’s eye view. In general, I can say that Garda enjoys stable interest among tourists, and there are many reasons for it, ranging from natural attractions and beach relaxing opportunities to different kinds of entertainment, including excursions, cafes, bars, restaurants of local cuisine, etc.
Climate and weather of Lake Garda
As I did some thorough research, I can say that the climate of Lake Garda is mild continental. From the north, the region is sheltered from the winds with the Alps, so sudden weather changes are not typical for Garda, and this applies to any time of the year. In summer, the weather on Lake Garda is sunny, precipitation is insignificant, the air temperature ranges from +22 to +26 С (from 71 to 78 F), rarely higher. Temperatures may drop as you ascend into the mountains; it is recommended to wear long sleeves when going to the mountains.
The swimming season opens in June and gradually ends in September. September and May are ideal months for active hiking and excursions. April and October can be quite rainy here, but this is perhaps the only period when the weather on Lake Garda is characterized by precipitation.
In winter, Garda is dry, the temperature usually ranges from +5 to +10, +12 C (from 41 to 53 F). On rare days, the temperature can drop below 0 C (32 F), usually in mountainous areas. Precipitation in winter on Lake Garda is rare. It is mostly dry, sunny or sometimes cloudy weather. Winter is also great for active excursions around the lake. Water navigation on Garda is open in winter, but the number of boat trips slightly decreases.
How to get to Lake Garda
Where do you fly into to get to Lake Garda? The cities with international airports closest to Garda are Verona, Milan, Venice or Bergamo. All the cities mentioned above have direct flights from different cities around the world, but Milan takes the most of them as Milan Malpensa Airport is the main international air hub in Northern Italy. Flights are operated by various companies, including Italian ones. You can choose from various European airlines as well. You can find out the current flight timetable to these cities, as well as book a ticket in advance via different online services, for example, via Aviasales and other similar services. I often use this service as it helps me a lot to compare different flight options and choose the optimal one.
You can get to some of the Garda towns from Milan, Verona, Venice or Bergamo by train; Thus, Desenzano del Garda and Peschiera del Garda have their own train stations. The travel time from Milan is approximately 1 hour, from Verona is about half an hour. You can check the current train timetable at the Raileurope service. It is one of my favourite online services for planning trips around Europe as it has a very convenient search so I can totally recommend it.
Other towns on the lake don`t have train stations so tourists need to use local buses or to take a taxi. As an option, travellers can hire a car to travel around the lake on their own.
You can order a taxi in advance using various transfer services, for example:
Kiwitaxi is a system for ordering taxi transfers from airports, train stations and hotels around the world;
Intui.Travel is a system for self-booking tourist transfers to/from hotels via the Internet.
Transfer services are especially convenient for those who travel with a lot of luggage or fly into Italy at night when public transport is not available. Based on my research, these online services have a lot of positive reviews that is why I can definitely recommend them.
Public transport to Lake Garda
As it has been mentioned above not all of Garda towns are accessible by rail. You can only get to the southern shore of the lake (Desenzano resort) or the eastern shore (Peschiera resort) by train. To get to more remote resorts, you need to use the local public transport system, namely buses or boats (in the summer).
- The bus schedule can be checked on the official website of the Arriva bus carrier;
- The boat timetable can be checked on the Navigazionelaghi website.
Timetables are seasonal and subject to change, please, check them for current updates. The resorts of Lake Garda, such as Limone sul Garda, Riva del Garda, Malcesine, Gardone Riviera, can only be reached only by buses or boats (in summer), or by car.
Car rental on Lake Garda
One of the most convenient ways to explore Lake Garda shore is to travel around it by car. Renting a car in major Italian cities such as Milan or Verona or Venice is common. To register car for renting, you need to have a passport, a driver`s license and a bank card to pay for the services. It is also recommended to book a car in advance as this option is very popular among travellers. You can book a car in advance via various online services. I can recommend these ones as I use them a lot when planning my own trips:
Discover Cars is a service for searching, comparing and booking cars for renting;
Economybookings is search service for cheap car rentals around the globe.
Milan and the resorts on the southern shore of Garda such as Desenzano/Sirmione are connected with motorway No. A4 (see on the map). From Verona you need to follow the A4/E70 motorway to reach Lake Garda (see on the map). Please note that some roads in Italy are toll highways.
Towns of Lake Garda
All the towns located on the Garda shore are small, but charming and very romantic. To my mind, each of them has its own unique attractions, so choosing just one to travel to can be rather difficult. Take a brief look at the most popular travel destinations on Lake Garda and the reasons why it is worth visiting them.
Desenzano del Garda is the southern “gateway town” to Lake Garda, because the railway station is located exactly here. Desenzano is a rather cozy resort where you can stroll around and explore the old part of the town with its towers, churches and palazzos. It is suitable for beach holiday as well because there are various available beach areas such as Desenzano Beach, Spiaggia d’Oro and Porta Rivoltella Beach;
Sirmione is one of the most visited towns on Lake Garda. Such famous attractions as the Scaliger Castle and the Grottoes of Catullus are located exactly here. Among other things, Sirmione is also a thermal resort; there are several thermal complexes here called the Baths of Catullo, the Baths of Virgilio and Aquaria. Some local hotels also offer thermal spa services. I visited some thermal spas in Europe and I can definitely recommend such a nice activity to try;
Peschiera del Garda is the eastern “gateway” to Lake Garda, because the railway station is located exactly here. As I see it, the main attraction of the resort is the Gardaland Amusement Park, so it would be quite fair to call Peschiera a family resort. Gardaland offers attractions for both children and their parents, so almost everyone can find something to do here. In addition to the park, several interesting historical buildings have also been preserved in Peschiera. Excursion boats along the Eastern shore of the lake also depart from here. The beaches in Peschiera del Garda are small-pebble;
Limone sul Garda is one of the most picturesque towns on Lake Garda, located on its Western side. The main feature of Limone is that the town is hidden on the slope of a steep cliff. A small and cozy beach can also be found here. The town is quite small; there are only a few historical monuments and open-air greenhouses. Residents of the town also consider Limone as the place of origin of lemons, so you can see bells in the form of this fruit on the doors of residential buildings. In my opinion, it is one of the most charming small towns on Lake Garda;
Riva del Garda is a town located on the Northern side of the lake. Getting here can be quite long, but Riva is worth it. Here, for example, you can see the La Rocca fortress, built back in the 12th century, the 34-meter Torre Apponale tower and several elegant palazzos. There is also the famous Cascata di Varone waterfall – another beautiful natural attraction of the region. It is located 3 km from Riva;
Malcesine is a small but very colorful town on the Eastern side of the lake. You can get here by bus from the southern side, or by boat from Limone. Once in Malcesine, you will immediately be enchanted by the medieval streets, elegant buildings decorated with flower pots, and the massive Scaliger Castle. Also, in Malcesine you can take the funicular to the beautiful peak of Monte Baldo with a panoramic observation deck;
Gardone Riviera is a resort on the Western side of the lake. Gardone Riviera has a developed touristic infrastructure that allows you to relax and enjoy your holiday. Gardone Riviera has a beautiful Andre Heller landscape park and the Vittoriale palace complex, interesting local villas, as well as the tower of San Marco, which you can climb and overlook the lake.
In addition to the towns located directly on the Garda shore, in my point of view, it is also worth visiting the historical towns located within close distance. These include, in particular, Verona and Brescia.
Verona is not only the place of the famous “Romeo and Juliet” play, but also a fabulously beautiful city with a lot of historical and architectural sights. When coming to Verona for just one day, you should definitely see the Arena di Verona, the Lamberti Tower, Castelvecchio Castle, and the Giusti Gardens. If you wish, you can visit Juliet’s house, but do not forget that this place is fictitious.
Brescia is a purely historical city. The number of architectural and historical monuments here is simply off the charts. Among the main buildings of the city are the Duomo Vecchio Cathedral, the Duomo Nova Cathedral, the ancient Roman Pantheon, the Broletto Palace, the Brescia Castle, the Monastery of St. Julia, the Pinacoteca Martinengo and much more. This list is quite extensive, but the historical center of the city is compact, therefore, with the exception of the Brescia Castle, everything else can be seen by moving from one attraction to another.
Thermal springs on Lake Garda
You can find several thermal complexes on the southern shore of Garda Lake. They are concentrated in the resort of Sirmione. You can get to Sirmione with a short change in Desenzano from almost any major city in Italy. The most famous thermal spring in Sirmione is the Boiola spring, which has a whole range of beneficial properties. The waters of this particular spring are used in the thermal complexes of Catullo, Virgilio and Aquaria. Also, using these waters, spa treatments are carried out in some 4* and 5* hotels in Sirmione.
The Baths of Catullo and the Baths of Virgilio are known for their wide range of medical procedures, including inhalations, hydromassages, and mud baths. The Aquaria Thermae is more of a spa area with 3 swimming pools, a sauna, a relaxation room, and massage treatments. According to my research, all Sirmione baths are open year-round, so you can use the services of thermal complexes regardless of the season. Many tourists specifically come to Sirmione during the “low” season (from November to March inclusive) precisely for relaxing in thermal complexes.
Beaches on Lake Garda
The beaches of Lake Garda are quite different – sandy, small pebbles or large pebbles and rocky. It all depends on the specific resort and its distance from the mountains. In some places, instead of beaches, you can find special stone stairs or platforms where you can plunge into the lake.
The swimming season on Lake Garda lasts from June to September. The water warms up quite well in the summer months, even though Garda is one of the largest and deepest lakes in Europe.
I examined a lot of information to find out the best beach areas on Lake Garda and here what I discovered:
In Desenzano, popular beaches are Desenzano Beach, Spiaggia d’Oro and Porta Rivoltella Beach. The advantages of these beaches are that they are sandy. In Sirmione, the beaches are mostly small-pebble, but also suitable for families. The beaches of Santa Maria di Lugana and Spiaggia Porto Galeazzi are in demand here. Between Sirmione and Peschiera del Garda there is an equally popular holiday destination called Spiaggia Punto Gro beach with pebble surface. Spiaggia Punto Gro is equipped with everything you need and there is also a free parking area.
As for the northern shore, the local beaches are surrounded with beautiful mountains and forests, which adds additional vibes to the area. One of the most picturesque beaches here is the so-called pine beach in Riva del Garda. It got its name because a few meters away from it a pine forest is located. The beaches of Sabbioni and Miralago are also popular in Riva.
Limone sul Garda also has several small beach areas (Spiaggia Tifu, for example), but you need to know that the town is located at the very foot of the mountain, so the beaches here are pebbly. In Malcesine there are no beaches at all, only stone platforms to dive. Tourists also swim here, but entering the water is not always convenient. As for Gardone Riviera, a few kilometers from the resort there is a wonderful equipped beach called Lido di Fasano. This beach is public.
What to see on Lake Garda
In addition to architectural and natural attractions, Lake Garda also offers a variety of entertainment options for the whole family. These are amusement parks and water parks that will diversify your stay on vacation. I figured out the list of top parks here:
◊Gardaland is, perhaps, the largest amusement park in the Garda area. Local attractions are divided into different categories from the simplest to the truly extreme! The place is perfect for a family holiday. Each attraction is unique;
◊See Life Aquarium is located not far from Gardaland. This aquarium contains not only the inhabitants of the lake, but real sea animals and fish. The aquarium is quite extensive; tourists often combine visit to Gardaland and the Aquarium;
◊Movieland Studios is also an amusement park, but based on famous action films. Here you can learn about the “kitchen” of filming. The park is so interesting that you could spend the whole day here! By the way, it’s definitely worth staying here until the evening, because you can see a beautiful firework show;
◊Jungle Adventure Park is a popular high ropes park in a wooded area that allows you to experience the true spirit of adventure. Routes are available for both adults and children;
◊Sigurta Park and Natura Viva Safari Park are mostly walking parks with amazing natural landscapes and local inhabitants. You can walk here all day long, and you still won’t be able to cover the entire territory. As far as I know, in Sigurta Park you can also move around with the excursion trains, and in Natura Viva Park with special off-road vehicles like a “safari tour”. In Natura Viva Park, in addition to the zoo, there is also a botanical garden and a dino park;
◊Caneva Park is one of the largest water parks on Lake Garda. It is located near Movieland (you can buy a combined ticket for entry to both amusement parks). Here you can find rides such as Splash, Kamikaze, Wind Lagoon, Raging River, Typhoon, Twin Peaks, Black Hole and much more.
Where to stay in
I did some research and I can say that tourists can find a lot of different accommodation options to stay here. Accommodation on Lake Garda is very diverse. These can be standard hotels, B&B`s, apartments (or apart hotels), guest houses, and holiday homes. The price range also varies greatly depending on the star rating of the hotel and the services offered. It should be noted that there are virtually no all-inclusive hotels on Garda; food options are most often only breakfast, but this is typical for all of Italy, and not just specifically for holidays on Lake Garda.
Since the resorts of Lake Garda are usually small towns, I would recommend booking accommodation in advance, so you can find the best available options. Early booking is best to make at least 2-3 months before the start of the high season. When choosing a hotel, pay attention to such parameters as location, availability of a private beach area, type of food, availability of parking (if traveling by car).
Take a note! When going on a trip to Germany, do not forget to take out a travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerged medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase an insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: Pixelteufel
Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more…