Bardelino, Malcesine or Limone on Lake Garda?

With a week, you could split your locations. Both ends of the lake have several different water sports. Only you can decide on whether you want to change locations. We loved Riva del Garda and Malcesine.

Check this out for more info.

https://lakegardatravel.net/lake-garda-water-sports/

You will need water shoes.

If you don’t stop in Lucerne, consider flying Paris Orly-Venice.

Thanks - we're not into watersports or flying (as i say we're coming by train form London), but appreciate the input!
Boat rentals maybe and ferry trips to other towns certainly.

I was going to suggest Malcescine on your other thread, until you mentioned you had looked at Garda and didn’t think it would have the right “Swiss feel”. I am not sure what you mean by that—alpine scenery? Swiss food? Cows dotting the meadows? Swiss prices? (Just kidding).

If it is German language you seek, you can definitely find that in the towns of northern Lago di Garda. It is so popular with German tourists that when we were there 20 years ago German seemed the dominant language. It was the first language of our hotel keeper, and the menus in all the cafes and restaurants we passed were in those two languages. I assume now many have English as well.

We loved our previous visit there and planned to return in September, until British airways changed our flights and shortened the time we had to stay there by a day, so we could not meet the 3-night minimum at our chosen hotel. But I still want to include it in our next trip if I can.

The town has a lovely cobbled “old town” area, a picturesque ruined castle, and a mountain that rises 5000 feet above the lake, with a rotating cablecar to the top.

https://www.visitmalcesine.com/en

More photos:

https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/malcesine

The town is very outdoor-oriented, particularly toward water sports like windsurfing and sailing, but also mountain biking and hiking on Monte Baldo.

Neither Malcescine, Bardolino, nor Limone is served by train. The only towns on the lake that have train service are Desenzano and Peschiera at the far south end of the lake. These are on the train line between Milano Centrale and Verona. You can reach the other towns by ferry, or maybe bus, from either Desenzano or Peschiera.

But there is another option—-our hotel in Malcescine was going to provide shuttle service from the Verona train station. Scroll down to Services on this page and you will see this service listed. You can also be picked up at the stations at Peschiera or Rovereto, or the Verona airport.

https://www.hotelvenezia-malcesine.it/en

Hotel Venezia is on the lake but has no beach. If you would like a beach, take a look at Hotel Castello:

https://www.h-c.it/en/index.html

I just checked my excellent guidebook “Italian Lakes and Mountains”. They give two stars to Desenzano, Peschiera, Bardolino, and Limone sul Garda. Malcescine gets three.

I can’t find any town, village, or island in the book that rates four stars. Ascona is not included, as it is in Switzerland, not Italy. But the nearby Italian town of Cannobio gets three stars, as do the Borromean Isles in Lago Maggiore, as well as Isola Comacina and the Tremezzina Riviera area of Lago di Como.

Lola, thank you - this is all incredibly helpful!

You are most welcome. I will add that Switzerland and Italy are our two favorite European countries to visit; we have been to both 5-6 times each. Hiking is our #1 activity, so we seek beautiful scenic places, but we also enjoy good food and wine. Nothing better than a nice dinner after a long day hiking.

My husband is seriously studying Italian as his “retirement project”, and I speak passable German, thanks to my student days in Germany. We enjoy both countries equally, but one must learn to appreciate the differences. Swiss hospitality is at a high standard, but at a price. We prefer the food and the lower prices in Italy. Not that Swiss food is bad—it is very nice for what we like, but at a price.

I describe one difference between the two countries thus: the Swiss value predictability and reliability: you can count on getting exactly what is promised on the hotel website. . . but nothing more. The Italians can be more generous, but there but there can be a downside. Things may not be as stated on the website, and they will just shrug—something went awry and they cannot provide it today. Or maybe you will get more than was mentioned on the hotel website.

That evening welcome drink they might offer? In Switzerland you get one glass at the evening reception; do not dare hold out your glass and ask for a refill or you will be scolded. In Italy we have had the included one night’s aperitivo turn into a fun hour of cheerfully refilled glasses and a generous spread of delicious antipasti.