Where to stay in Lake Garda

I presume that by "Simone" (which is the man's name Simon in Italian) you actually meant Sirmione, which can get indeed crowded with tourists in high season. If you don't like crowds you shouldn't stay in Sirmione, however you should at least visit it because it's worth it. Avoid weekends, especially Sunday.

I much prefer the North Lake, so you made the right choice, in my opinion.
My favorite village on the north side is Limone Sul Garda.
However all those villages on the North Lake are quaint: Malcesine, Riva, Torbole, Torri, etc.

I have always had a car at lake Garda, therefore I don't know how easy it would be by public transport. There are buses and boats, but, as you might know, the North Lake has no rail, therefore no trains. Since you plan on staying 5 days, I would rent a car. That way you could also take some day trip(s) to the Dolomites, which are just 1 hr or so away from the north lake.

The north lake Garda is narrow and surrounded by high mountains dropping down to the lake. Since I'm not familiar with Norway I don't know if that landscape is in any way similar to the fiords. For sure you won't be served smoked herring.

One more question?
What's in Camogli that you feel the need to stay 5 days?
Are you a water polo fan? (Camogli has always had one of the best water polo teams).

A few thoughts on your travel plans, in the same order as your questions......

1. Sounds good.
2. Which of the five towns in the Cinque Terre are you planning to stay in? Have you got hotel reservations now, as it could be extremely difficult finding something on short notice.
3. You might find Camogli somewhat "touristy" too. I have the same question - is there a reason you plan to stay there five days?
4. Are you set on staying on Lago di Garda, or would another location suffice? You may find that many of the towns on Garda are packed with German-speaking tourists now as it's high season. You could also consider Lago Maggiore and the town of Stresa, which will also be touristy, but offers some different choices. For example, for photography the beautiful Borromeo Islands provide some good possibilities. You could also take a day trip on the scenic Cento Valli Railway to Locarno (CH), returning by boat in the early evening.

Whatever you decide, Buion Viaggio!

Sorry, I meant sirmione of course.

In Cinque Terre we will be staying in Monterosso Al Mare.

The reason for Camogli was because a photographer I know highly recommended it. We have also booked a hotel here.

We have booked train tickets to Lake Garda, but still hasn't decided where to stay. Is the north towns crowded as well, or are they better? I was in Venice in July once, and it was terribly touristy.. Don't want the same experience. I'm interested in photographing the Italians in the street, not Germans :)

I was in Lago di Garda in June, stayed in Limone sul Garda, lots of tourists in all the towns. The northern part of the lake is stunning, but I think I would prefer the eastern side of the lake next time - easier to get to some of the beautiful towns in the north. My friends and I had a car.

Malcesine has a cable car (actually, 2 cars) to the top of Mt. Baldo, which would provide some fantastic photographic opportunities.

I think 5 days in Camogli is too much. It's a great town but you will definitely find it crowded this time of year & my main purpose in visiting Camogli was also photography, but I would be bored there after 2 days. Maybe you can use it as a jumping off point to visit some other towns (I.e. Portofino, etc.).

I'm sorry, I am mistaken. We will stay 4 nights in Camogli :-)

I had missed the fact that you are going next week. So crowds are unavoidable wherever you go, lakes or sea. The streets will be filled with vacationers from all over the world. Italy is a popular summer destination with Northern Europeans, including Norwegians. There will also be Italians in the streets, they will be the ones better dressed during the evening stroll.

You will be done with Camogli in less than a day, but you can use it as a base to visit other places on the Ligurian coast. The Abbey of San Fruttuoso is nearby, as well as Portofino.

Okay Roberto.

Considering the fact that it's next week, would you still recommend the north? I see Limone is not very windy, but still, it is colder than the towns in south? That seems logical since its close to the alps.

I think the worst part will be the first night in Rome, so many tourists!