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Italian Lake from Florence or Venice

Posted by on

Hi,
Need help in deciding....We will be in Florence for 3 nights and then to Venice and staying for 3 nights in first week of Aug. I really really want to see one of the Italian lakes, Lake Como or Lake Garda as a day trip. Ideally, it's worth spending few nights in either of the places but need to do it as a day trip. I was thinking of visiting Verona and Lake Garda from Venice one day. My question, does it make sense/doable any of below options for one day trip?

Option 1: Leave Florence in the morning, take a train to Milan (keep luggage in the locker), then to Lake Como, take a ferry and spend some time and then back to Milan and then off to Venice

Option 2: Leave Florence in the morning, take train to Varenna/Lake Garda (Keep luggage in the locker) then spend some time/stroll around then off to Venice

Option 3: Leave Venice in the morning and take a train to Verona->Lake Garda, spend time at the lake then back to Verona and to Venice

Option 4: Leave Venice and take a ferry to Rovinj, Croatia (Taking a cruise from Venice R/T and one of the port is Dubrovnik but have a feeling I might not see much of Croatia hence this option... [Keeping this as last option]...

What's the best way to see either lake como/garda if possible?
Thanks in advance!!

Posted by
16231 posts

The only option possible is Lake Garda as a day trip from Venice.

However you can't easily fit both Verona and Lake Garda in the same trip. Verona has a lot to see and would take a lot of the day. Verona is over 1hr away from Venice by high speed train. The lake is another 45-90 min away from Verona (depending on location).

You must also consider that you are in Venice for 3 nights only (2.5 days) and that is not much for Venice. One better option might be visiting Murano and Burano islands in the Venetian lagoon.

Lake Como is too far.

Posted by
3112 posts

The reason Rovinj is not an option is that the ferry (actually catamaran) schedules are designed for daytrips from Istria to Venice, not the other way around. Catamarans depart from Rovinj very early in the morning and return from Venice in the late afternoon. You would need to plan for 2 nights in Rovinj to make option 4 worthwhile, and you don't have enough time this trip.

Posted by
1054 posts

Roberto has a great point with Murano/Burano instead of the Lake.

It would be one long day to try and fit in both Verona/Lake Garda).

Are your flights booked already? If not can you add an extra 2 days onto your trip? Then in Option 1 don't get off in Milan go onto Lake Como and stay overnight.

Posted by
1773 posts

Lake Garda gets very crowded, especially on the south shore, during August. Personally, I would never consider a priority visiting it during August.

In your very limited time window making a detour to visit either lake does not make much sense. But if you really can do without, you can take advantage of Italian very fast trains, then option 1 makes more sense. For example, early train to Milan (leave at 8am and be in Milan at 10am). Leave luggage at Centrale station deposit. Take metro to Cadorna and then a commuter train to Como Lago. Walk to the pier and then ferry to Bellagio - you get there around 2pm, have a sandwich, then ferry to Varenna, train back to Milano Centrale, pick up luggage and then train to Venice (two hours and half). You are there at 8pm, having spent seven hours on trains, two and half on ferries and most of the remaining time connecting. Still, your most efficient use of time. Be sure to pick up a good weather day.

Posted by
1688 posts

Leave the lake district for another trip, even if it breaks your heart. Unless your name is Arne Saknussemm, it's too much of an adventure.

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