How to get around Lake Garda

There are so many amazing boat trips on Lake Garda. Passenger ferries are a popular way to get around, and make it easy to visit lots of different towns during your holiday. Many of the journeys take less than an hour so it's easy to explore more than just the town or village you're staying in. Hop between towns like Malcesine and Limone in the north, or Garda and Lazise in the south – you might even find a base for your next stay.

You can also spend a few hours travelling the whole length of the lake, from Riva in the north to Sirmione in the south, soaking up views of the sparkling water and soaring mountains along the way. Or for a really special experience, book a trip from Bardolino on the San Nicolò, a traditional wooden yacht that’s been sailing Lake Garda’s waters since 1925.

Prefer to stay on dry land? Roads run the whole 150km around Lake Garda and the public buses are cheap and regular – so sit back and enjoy the views.

Separate services run along each coast. On the eastern side, you’ll drive past rolling hills and vineyards around Bardolino, and up to medieval towns and castles around Malcesine and Torbole. And the western shore is home to one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the world – the Strada della Forra, which has starred in plenty of car adverts and was even the site of the car chase in the 007 film, Quantum of Solace. It winds around hairpin bends and through tunnels cut right into the mountains, several hundred metres above the lake. To see it for yourself, you can take the bus from Limone to Tremosine and then on to Gargnano.

The easiest way to see as much as possible is to book a Lake Garda tour. You'll get picked up from your hotel, and you'll be able to soak up the scenery in between exploring. 

No holiday to Lake Garda would be complete without taking a stroll along a lakefront promenade. Most towns have one, and there’s no better way to unwind than walking along the path, feeling the breeze off the water and stopping in pavement cafés along the way for an ice-cream or spritz.

The stretch between Garda, Bardolino and Lazise is the longest on the lake – a flat 8km route that’s a beautiful walk from end to end. In the evenings, you can join the locals on the lakefront for a passeggiata, the traditional pre-dinner walk. Or if you're staying near Maderno on the west coast of the lake, don't miss a mooch down the village’s promenade – it's one of the loveliest on the lake.

If you’re up for something a little more active, swap two feet for two wheels and cycle along the promenades instead. You can hire a bike or an e-bike from lots of hotels.

The city of Verona is close to the southern shores of Lake Garda, and if you fancy exploring the 'city of love', you can get a direct bus from Sirmione or Bardolino, or a 20-minute train from Desenzano. An even easier option is to book a day trip to Verona. You'll be picked up from your hotel, and shown around the city by a local guide. 

Or you could book a day trip to Venice – you'll get to arrive in the city centre via private motorboat before discovering all the best bits of the 'floating city'.

If more mountains sound more like your thing, you could take a trip to the Dolomites, north of Lake Garda, for pinch-me views of some of the most dramatic landscapes in Europe.