We are flying from the U.S. to Italy to meet our children and grandchildren who are flying from Scotland in July, 2015. We want to vacation at Desenzano, Lake Garda because it appears to offer a vacation that does not require a car. Please correct me if I am wrong. We are looking for a self-catering, 3 bdrm apartment, 2 baths with a pool and view of the lake, but having a very difficult time finding that. Since we won't have a car, we also need to be in walking distance of a grocery store/food market. Any suggestions? Guidance? Thanks so much!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15144 posts
Technically a car is not required in any town along the lake, since they all have public transportation of some sort. All towns on the lake are connected by bus and boats. Desenzano and Peschiera, on the south shore, are the largest towns, and the only ones along the rail line (the Venice to Milan rail line).
Of the two I think that Peschiera is better. It's a historic town with a huge fortress on the water, it has a canal. Also it's closer to Verona, a beautiful city to visit, and to Gardaland a water Themepark which might be interesting if you have children traveling with you.
From the station to the harbor it is a walk, but doable, especially in Desenzano.
My favorite side of the lake is the north side. You can reach it by bus or boat from either of those two major towns. You can find apartments on any search engine such as Homeaway.com. Don't worry about grocery shopping, there will always be grocery shops within walking distance in town.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15144 posts
If you are interested in a smaller town on the north side I would suggest Malcesine or Riva. Both are connected via bus to Verona.