How we spent two days in Lake Garda

We spent two days in Lake Garda after our trip to Milan. We found it was the perfect place to relax after spending a few days in the busy city. You can easily take a day trip to Lake Garda or Lake Como from Milan but we were glad we spent a little longer in this peaceful and relaxing area.

Here’s what you need to know about planning a two night trip to Lake Garda.

How to get to Lake Garda

Whether you’re flying into Italy to visit Lake Garda or you’re already in the country, the best starting point for the trip is Milan. From here you can easily get a train from the central station to Desenzano del Garda. It takes less than an hour and costs about €10 each way.

There are also buses and coaches, private tour groups, and you could hire a car. Although the roads and car parks in the Lake Garda area get very very busy so we were glad not to have to deal with that.

If you take public transport to get to Desenzano del Garda you can then catch the bus or ferry to other nearby towns like Sirmione, Garda, and Bardolino.

Where to stay in Lake Garda

We stayed in Sirmione which was the perfect location for us. The town is small but lively and has plenty of places to eat and drink. It’s on the ‘neck’ of land that juts into the lake in the south, not far from Desenzano. So it’s easy to reach from the train station by bus or ferry. We also caught ferries easily to other towns around the lake.

We stayed at Hotel Miramar which had a pool and garden and was right on the lakeside, which was perfect for us. If you’re driving they also have car parking.

What is there to do in Lake Garda?

There’s a lot to see and do in Lake Garda, depending on where you’re staying. Despite being a quiet and relaxing spot with a luxury reputation, a trip to Lake Garda isn’t all about sitting by the water with a glass of wine (although it is about that too!)

These were our favourite things to do in Lake Garda:

Explore the castle and small beaches in Sirmione
Wander the colourful streets of Bardolino
Walk along the coast to Lazise
Relax by the water and watch the world go by
Take a day trip to Verona

Where to eat and drink in Lake Garda

There are a lot of places to eat and drink in Lake Garda but we mostly ate in Sirmione as that’s where we were based. It feels like every building in this small town is a restaurant or souvenir shop, but not all of them are highly rated and many are very expensive. These were our favourite places to eat in Lake Garda that were worth the price tag:

Barracuda, Sirmione
L'Arcimboldo Ristorante, Sirmione
MANO, Sirmione
La Locanda, Bardolino

Is Lake Garda expensive?

Lake Garda is more expensive than a lot of other destinations in Italy, including Rome, Venice, and Napoli. Like Lake Como, it has a reputation as a luxury destination – although Lake Como is generally the more expensive of the two.

Food and drink are expensive, especially when you consider that it often isn’t as good as the food you’ll find elsewhere in Italy! But we were able to find good accommodation for a fairly affordable price, and travelling around the area using public transport is very affordable. Hold off on the tourist trap souvenir shops and more luxury restaurants and you can have an affordable trip to Lake Garda.

Lake Garda or Lake Como?

We chose Lake Garda largely because of what I said above… it’s a beautiful destination that lives up to its upmarket reputation if you want it to. But it also feels more relaxed and slightly more rugged.

On the other hand, Lake Como is a better choice if you’re looking for a luxury getaway with more manicured views (and don’t mind paying more for them!)

What to pack for a trip to Lake Garda

We spent two nights in Lake Garda in May and were lucky to have beautiful weather throughout our trip. This is what I packed for a trip to Lake Garda:

A vest top
A t-shirt
A linen shirt
A summer dress
A pair of Converse
A pair of sandals
A bikini
Sunglasses
A scarf or cap as sun protection
A shoulder bag
A towel for the pool/beach
A water bottle
Daily toiletries + SPF
A book
EU plug adaptors
Passport

Find out more about how we spent two weeks in Italy here.