Introduction
Lake Garda had been on my bucket list for a number of years, and to be honest I was really confused where to start when looking at the best places to go and stay. Lake Garda itself is a vast lake with several picturesque towns located around the shores. For a first visit, me and a friend went with Sirmione which is at the southern tip of the lake and easily accessed from Milan. We flew into Milan Bergamo, hired a car, and drove the circa 1hour to Sirmione. Once in Sirmione, you can use the very cheap public transport or just walk around the town itself, making it relatively cheap in terms of transport. If you're staying in Italy for an extended stay, you can drive from Sirmione to Verona in less than 40mins, making it a great base for further exploration. You can check out our guide for Verona for some tips.
Pricing
As with most Italian cities and towns, Lake Garda is fairly cheap when it comes to food but accommodation is more expensive because you're in such a prime location. It all depends on the time of year you visit Lake Garda, spring / summer obviously being the ideal seasons. I spent a total of £900 for a 3 night stay, including flights, accommodation, car rental and food. Note, the majority of the costs were split between two, making it slightly more affordable. We flew from East Midlands airport which did make the cost of the flights slightly more expensive than flying from London Stanstead for example, but we were paying for the convenience at the end of the day.
Accommodation
After much research of booking.com and airbnb options, we ended up going with Hotel Arena which is at the base of Sirmione. This option worked for us as it had a rooftop pool, parking included in the cost of the stay, and options for rooms with twin beds instead of just double beds. The hotel itself was a lovely place, with good breakfast options and about a 30min meander down to old town Sirmione. Our room was on the ground floor with access to a small terrace space outside that was good for drying clothes / swimwear! There was also a convenient bus / shuttle service that was only €1.50 / £1.20 each way if it got really hot or late in the evening. Total cost of the hotel for 3 nights including breakfast for two people was £437 booked via booking.com.
Sightseeing / Experiences
Sirmione, and Lake Garda itself, is perfect for a walking holiday. You can explore the majority of the town on foot, and also jump on a city ferry to get to other parts of the Lake. As we opted for Sirmione, we spent the majority of the time in the old town. However, we did take a day trip out to Bardolino as well using the ferry which was a nice change of scenary and another town of the Lake ticked off. As mentioned above, if you have a car with you then you also have the option to drive the perimeter of the lake, or explore further out to Verona, Venice, Milan or even Lake Como depending on the length of your stay.
Sirmione Old Town - wander around the old town, explore the quaint stores and grab a souvenir or two. You can easily spend a day just walking down the small alleys and going up to the tip of Sirmione.
Scaligero Castle - worth a visit just to get the amazing views out on to the Lake. Built as a fortress, now open to visitors. You can visit free of charge on the first Sunday of every month, otherwise entrance is €8 / £6.70 per person.
Jamaica Beach - take a walk to Jamaica Beach which is right at the tip of Sirmione. Be careful of the timing though, the beach closes for private access only just before sunset (check timings before you go) so don't get caught out like we did
Day trip to Bardolino - the local ferry runs every hour or so and stops all across Lake Garda. This is a great option if you want to take a few day trips during your stay. We opted for Bardolino which was about a 30-40mins journey and costs €19.60 / £16.60 for round trip. You can review the timetable online as well.
Day trip to Bergamo - as we flew into Milan Bergamo, we ended our last day spending it wandering around Bergamo. It's a lovely city with great architecture, cafe's, restaurants.
Food
Food in Italy is of course one of the main attractions! As usual, I tend to not research too much before I visit Italy as I've never had a 'bad' meal per say. It's all very affordable for the portion sizes, freshness and deliciousness.
Hotel Pace Ristorante - located in Sirmione old town, this restaurant has a perfect water side scene with delicious food and wine. You are definitely paying a bit more for the location, but it's a lovely atmosphere to sit by the water, enjoy the wildlife (ducks and swan that come up to the waters edge) and have a hearty meal.
Barracuda - if you're looking for good seafood with a view, then this is the place for you. If you would like to sit by the water on their private pier, book early as this area gets full very quickly. We opted for the outdoor space of the restaurant itself and it was lovely, especially with the gorgeous sunset backdrop. Food is well priced, though note that the portion sizes are massive!
La Piccola Osteria - my favourite food of the trip, a tiny restaurant down an alley in Bardolino. I had a simple prawn linguini that was just delicious. A couple sitting next to us ordered some roasted potatoes that I regret not getting myself!
Gelateria Biancaneve - there's tonnes of gelato places in Italy of course, but beware anywhere that has 'mounds' of gelato. This stuff is not authentic and usually pumped full of artificial flavourings. The best gelato is usually hidden within steel containers or just flat pots. We found this great place in the central courtyard in Bardolino with amazing fresh and fruity flavours
Ristorante San Lorenzo - for a night time option, this restaurant has a great atmosphere. The pizza isn't the best I've had in Italy, but the ambience certainly makes up for it. Wisteria covered overhangs and live music top it off. The tiramisu here was pretty good though
Miscusi - a fun pasta bar we found in Bergamo. Cheap, cheerful, delicious.
La Romana - and more gelato! La Romana had amazing gelato and they make sure own coffee / chocolates as well. All worth a try
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