Summer vacation at Lake Garda

Hello,

We're planning to visit Lake Garda from August 10th to 24th with our 4-year-old daughter. We’d stay for 15 days. We’ll be arriving at Verona Airport. We don’t know the area at all. We were thinking of staying near Malcesine. Do you think we should plan for two accommodations to explore the lake? We’d prefer to avoid crowded spots, even though I suspect it might be tricky in August. If you have any great tips or recommendations within a budget of up to 150 € per night, that would be amazing! Do you think a car is essential, or can the lake be easily explored by ferry and bus? For a 15-day stay, would you recommend staying around Lake Garda or visiting one or more other lakes as well? We’re looking for activities suitable for our 4-year-old daughter.

Thanks so much for your help. I

We’re planning to visit Lake Garda from August 10th to 24th.

We’d prefer to avoid really crowded spots, even though I know it’s probably going to be tricky in August…

Hi there,

I’d recommend booking as soon as you can—it’s likely to be packed since your stay overlaps with Ferragosto (August 15th), which is a big week for Italians to head to the coast or lakes.

I was there in 2021 when COVID restrictions were still in place, and on top of Italians, there were quite a few German and Dutch tourists too.

Other than that, I can’t give much advice since I didn’t actually stay at Lake Garda—I just visited for the day from Verona.

Hi Clothilde,

Do you think we should book two accommodations to visit the lake?

No, there’s a boat system that lets you move from one spot to another. That also answers your question about renting a car, by the way: in my opinion, it’s much nicer to sail on the lake than to spend hours in traffic on the roads around it. It’s a packed area in August, especially with German speakers.

https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/biglietti-e-orari-lago-di-garda/

For a 15-day stay, would you recommend staying around Lake Garda or visiting one or more other lakes?

Hard to say. It depends if you’re the type who likes to relax or go sightseeing non-stop. By visiting one or two ferry stops a day, you can easily fill ten days. Then you could spend a day in Verona, one in Trento, and one at Gardaland (the highlight! For kids, but parents have fun too. Not sure about a 4-year-old, though). With a car rental? I’m not sure about public transport options off the top of my head.

Malcesine is a good choice. No accommodation suggestions from me—I’ve always just visited for the day.

Happy planning!

Catherine