"A lake as beautiful as the beginning of creation”  - DH Lawrence

My Short Guide to Lake Garda, Italy

This is my very short guide to visiting Lake Garda, Italy. We only visited for one day, so this is no way a comprehensive report of all things Lake Garda. If you do plan to take a trip to the southern end of the lake for the day, you may find it useful.

We caught the train from Verona Porto Nuova station which cost 4.05€ per person, each way, which is a bargain. Tickets can be bought from machines at the station. The journey took around 30 minutes and the trains were every 45 minutes or so. Just Google the timetable before you go.

Peschiera Del Garda

There are two train stations in Lake Garda (this is south of the Lake, the nearest to Verona). The first is Peschiera Del Garda, which is the one we got off at. The other stop is Sirmione, which is a little way up the coast and is home to Sirmione Castle. I will come to this later.

When leaving the station at Peschiera station, head straight forward along the road in front of you and then follow the road as it veers to the left. Keep walking and eventually (after about 10 minutes) you will cross over the river and through the main gate to Lake Garda. If you continue straight through the gate and follow the path round to the left along the banks of the river, you will eventually get to a pretty canal-like area with cafes and restaurants on either side. We stopped here for a pleasant cup of tea and in the hubster’s case, a massive ice-cream sundae.

Moving away from the canal, there is an area with more restaurants and shops, which has much more of a summer holiday vibe. Across the (very busy) road from this area is the lake itself, spreading out before you in all its Garda glory. Here is a small harbour where ferries and tour boats are moored. This is also where you buy your tickets if you fancy a trip out on the water.

We took a peaceful walk along the left side of the lake, where a stone path takes you past some grand Lake Garda properties, to the nearest beach and beyond. Here we found a lovely restaurant with a view of the lake to have our pasta lunch.

After lunch, we took a wander around the fort walls and happily found a bar at the top to indulge in an afternoon beer with another view over the water.

Messing About on the Water

While we were visiting the lake, it seemed rude not to take a boat ride. So, at just after 4pm we were racing across the lake in a motor boat, competently driven by the Cap'n at Navicharters.

From the boat, there are wonderful views of the lake and the Dolomite Mountains beyond. The boat sailed up to Sirmione Castle (Castello Scaligero Sirmione) so we did get to this spectacular building from the water, even if we didn’t get to walk around it. I understand this is near to where the second train station is, if you prefer to get off here instead of Peschiera. Another option is to take one of the boat trips that stops at the castle for an hour to have a look around. We wished we had done that, but it was a little late in the day when we decided to book.

Before returning to Verona, we stopped at the Pavilion Restaurant Cafe, a pleasant bar on the other side of the canal, for a glass of Pinot Grigio in the sun. We had a very pleasant time, topping up on free bar snacks, while listening to so pop songs reimagined in the style of easy jazz. It was surprisingly very chilled and a lovely way to end our day at the lake.

We travelled to Lake Garda for the day from Verona. I spoke to a chap who travelled there by bus instead, so that is also an option, depending on what’s most convenient to your hotel. The bus station is situated right opposite the train station.

The boat trip we took was courtesy of Navicharters. Tickets can be bought at the kiosk by the dock. It was a small boat with just 4 other passengers and it lasted about 1 hour. We paid 25€ per person.

There are other longer trips available, and also short trips along the canal.

Thank you for reading my Short Guide to Lake Garda

If you are planning to visit Lake Garda, I hope you found this useful, and I hope you have a great time.

If you enjoyed reading my account and would like to read about my other trips away, check out my other Short Guides, such as my Short Guide to Verona, Kaunas or Athens.  For more photos of the places I talk about, follow me on Instagram at ameliashort_writer. 

And if you just like reading about faraway places, you might like to try one of my books such as A Place in Greece, available on Amazon. Head back over to my website to find out more.