Update on last minute trip…now need Verona and Lake Garda advice

We love Malcescine. We will be going back there in September—-without a car this time.

There must be a bus from Verona, but I haven;’t looked at that yet. Our hotel (Hotel Venezia, right on the lake) will send a private driver to pick us up in Verona, but that will cost €€. So I am looking at getting to either Desenzano or Peschiera by train, and taking the ferry uplake from there.

Here is the current ferry schedule:

https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Orario-Web-Primavera-2024.pdf

Take the train from Verona to Peschiera del Garda station. From there Bus 483 will take you north. I think it runs hourly along this route. Exploring Garda via ferry can be time consuming. Limone, across the lake, has regular back-and-forth direct runs, you will have to rely on the scheduled runs to visit other spots on the lake. Go here (or download the app DreamLake) https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/en/ for all ferry information.

hey hey Texas girl
we loved lake garda, stayed in bardolino for 2 days for their annual wine festival (festa dell uva late september/early october). gorgeous lake, views and small villages.
earthtekkers.com
bucket list: 25 things to do in lake garda or best ways to spend 1 to 4 days on the lake
rossiwrites.com
ultimate guide to lake garda
lake garda travel.net
visitgarda.com
just a few sites to check out and where you want to stay. we had a car which helps but we did drive from Venice for festival. be careful where you stay because of transportation getting around. trains stop at bottom of lake (pescheira del garda or desenzano del garda) then taxis, boats/ferry or buses to the towns/villages that takes longer.
checks dates in august for anything going on,
getyourguide.com/lake garda
ideas to check out around the lake
duetigarage.com
under trike rental for self drive or guide for a ride
so many things to see and do, wine tasting, walks in vineyards, ferry rides to the villages for roaming, markets, lunch
eatwith.com/garda
look at cooking class at resident’s home, food tour. stop at a tourist kiosk in a piazza center for activities or attractions
go have fun and enjoy your time at this beautiful lake
aloha

We just returned from Lake Garda last week and loved it! We took private transport from Verona to Malcesine, where we stayed for 3 nights. In Malcesine be sure to take the cable cars to the top of Monte Baldo (dress warmly!) for hiking and beautiful views. You can visit other towns by ferry. We took a ferry across the lake to Limone for the day and enjoyed that as well. We stayed at Hotel Aurora (not on the water but very close):

www.aurora-malcesine.com/en

If you prefer apartments, you can search for them on booking.com as well as AirBnB. I like the map function which locates things precisely, unlike AirBnB. Then I take what looks good in the photos and reviews on booking.com and see if it has an AirBnB listing, or even its own website.

This one, which is available around the time I believe you are seeking (August dates just prior to Aug 22), looks interesting. It is right in town, walkable to the ferry dock, Autostazione A bus stop, and the Monte Baldo cablecar.

https://www.casakaki.it/en

But there are lots more listed for that time period, which kind of surprises me for late August. Maybe most vacationers prefer full-service hotels.

hey hey Texas girl
sorry & an oops. it’s
earthtrekkers.com
solosophie.com
search: verona (a guide to 10+ best things to do in verona)
aloha

We liked staying at Hotel Il Castello in Malcesine with its own beach. It was out of the tourist fray so we didn’t have to deal with that.
Probably would not return to malcesine, preferred town of Salò on SW coast. All Europeans. Recommended to us by Italian friend.Lovely town, upscale shops.

I have longed to stay at Hotel Castello since we walked ast there on the beach on our last time in Malcescine, on our honeymoon 23 years ago. So I checked for availability, and around their dates they have a 5-night minimum until late August, starting around August 18, and no availability after that. But it is worth checking.

Suki, I wonder what it is you did not like about Malcescine? Yes, it does attract a lot of tourists, but there is dood reason—-it is so beautiful at the upper end of the lake. The visitors are mostly Germans, as is it a Mecca for enthusiasts of active sports like windsurfing, hiking, mountain biking, etc. But it also has a lovely oldtown area, and nice beaches north of the main town, ferries to lots of other towns.

Our next visit to Malcescine will be in September, the first since that 2002 trip. We have planned and canceled 2 trips there in the last two years. We do not drive in Italy, so we will first get to Saló bu train and bus or ferry, based on Suke’s recommendations, and then to Malcescine by ferry.