Lake Garda
Lake Garda is one of the largest lakes in Italy and one of the most visited in the Northern part of the country. Its most famous town is Sirmeone.
Unlike the rest of the more tranquil lakes, Lake Garda is a very lively place full of both Italian and foreign tourists.
Lake Garda is surrounded by small and charming towns that are often used as summer resorts, among which the village of Sirmione stands out.
Sirmione
The village of Sirmione is a very popular tourist destination, situated on the Sirmio peninsula which runs deep into Lake Garda. As well as a spectacular view of Lake Como, Sirmione includes a spa, a picturesque old town with a castle, and the ruins of a Roman Villa.
Although Sirmione is a lovely village, it has become so popular that it suffers from mass tourism, which unfortunately means at times it resembles a theme park instead of an ideal little village.
Nevertheless, if you visit Sirmione when it is less packed, you can still appreciate its beauty. The town is fully prepared to welcome tourists, for example, it has several parking lots, but be patient, because it is normally difficult to find a spot.
Other attractions
Lake Garda has other trendy villages like Desenzano, Malcesine, Limone, and Tignale. In addition, tourists can also visit Gardaland, the most-visited amusement park in Italy, and the funicular that runs from Malcesine to Monte Baldo.
Getting to Lake Garda
There are several ways of getting to Lake Garda from Milan, although the easiest and most comfortable way of traveling is by car. If you don’t want to hire a car, you can get a train from Milan to Lake Garda or book a one-day guided trip.
One-day guided trip
You can also book a one-day guided trip from Milan to Sirmione. The guided tour includes transport to Sirmione by bus and a guided tour of the area, so you don't have to worry about anything. All you need to do is relax and enjoy the trip.
By car
The easiest way to travel to Sirmione from Milan is by car. The route is nearly entirely by motorway (direction Verona) and it's well indicated. The distance is 87 miles (140 km).
To hire a car, click on the following link:
By train
Another way of getting to Sirmione is by train from Milano Centrale railway station to “Desenzano Del Garda-Sirmione” railway station.
The journey takes between fifty minutes and an hour and a half depending on the chosen train. Tickets for the fast trains cost between € 22 (US$ 23.20) and € 31 (US$ 32.70) while the regional train journey costs € 10 (US$ 10.60).
Getting around Lake Garda
If you have a car and are planning on spending a few days in the north of Italy, we recommend discovering the many charming villages around Lake Garda. If you don’t have a lot of time, you can take the ferries that cross the lake from several villages and towns.
Lake Garda also has car ferries, so you can get from one side of the lake to the other with your car.
On the following page, you can check out the timetables and rates of the different ferries
Nearby places
Lake Iseo (48.6 km)
