To get to Lake Garda, the largest of the pre-Alpine lakes, you don't necessarily have to spend money on an expensive taxi. You could, of course, rent a car – but only if you are an experienced traveller and know all the ins and outs of driving in Italy, such as limited traffic zones, the different types of parking zones, toll roads and more.
A more budget-friendly way to get to Lake Garda is by public transport: train or bus.
There are transport connections to the following Lake Garda resort towns: Desenzano del Garda, Peschiera del Garda, Malcesine, Riva del Garda, Bardolino and Sirmione. The quickest and most convenient way to reach Lake Garda is from Milan, Verona or Brescia.
How to Get from Verona and Milan to Lake Garda by Train
Apart from a transfer with ttstaxi.com, the train is the most convenient way to get to Lake Garda. Railway lines connect Milan, Verona and Brescia with two stations on the shores of Lake Garda: Desenzano del Garda and Peschiera del Garda.
The most convenient way to reach the station you need is by train with one of two Italian companies: Trenitalia or Italo. Italo trains are faster, while Trenitalia tickets are considerably cheaper.
Check exact ticket prices and train timetables on the official websites: trenitalia.com italotreno.it
You can buy a train ticket to Lake Garda online or at the ticket office of any station. If there is a queue at the ticket office, you can buy your ticket to Garda from a ticket machine.
How to Get from Verona to Lake Garda by Bus
The journey from Verona to Lake Garda takes from 60 minutes.
The buses depart from the Porta Nuova bus station and from the central city streets of Piazza Bra and Corso Milano.
The route is served by buses no. 162, 163 b, 164, 185 and X05. In summer, 2 additional services run: no. 483 from Peschiera del Garda to Malcesine and no. 484 from the town of Garda to the nearby resort town of Riva del Garda.
The current bus timetable is published on the operator's website: https://www.atv.verona.it
Sometimes the timetable and route numbers do not match those shown on the official website. What should you do? Arrive at the bus station a little early and find the stop your bus departs from. The exact timetable is always displayed at the stops. In any case, getting from Verona to Lake Garda is no problem: buses carrying passengers there and back leave every few minutes.
Once you know the departure time, buy a ticket. Tickets are sold at the bus station ticket office, from ticket machines, at tabaccheria shops and at some newsstands. If you didn't manage to buy a ticket in advance, you can pay the bus driver, but it will cost about twice as much.
Signs at the bus stops point to street ticket booths. In reality, however, these have long been out of service, and the only working ATV ticket office is inside the station. If you can't make sense of the route maps and timetables, the cashier can also tell you when the next bus leaves.
If you find the information on https://www.atv.verona.it difficult to understand, follow these instructions:
- Open the section called Routes and timetables. Note: in the mobile version, this tab is not very conveniently placed – right at the bottom of the page.
- Next, open the Suburban tab.
- A list of letters will appear – click on the letter G, which is the first letter of the town of Garda in Italian.
- Download the PDF file with the timetable you need.
How to read the downloaded timetable:
- the first column on the left lists the stops in Verona along the route, followed by the stops on the lake itself.
- the columns to the right show the departure and arrival times of the different services at each stop.
If you have plenty of stamina and enjoy long walks, get off at the Cisano bus stop. From there, you can walk along the lakeshore all the way to Bardolino, and the fittest walkers can even make it to the town of Garda.
https://www.atv.verona.it also has a mobile app, Info Bus Verona. Its drawback is that the information sometimes differs from that on the website. Its advantage is that you can find out the exact fare for your upcoming trip.
How to find out how much your ticket will cost:
- In the app, select the Tariffe tab.
- From the list in the Luogo di partenza section, choose the stop you plan to depart from.
- From the list in the Luogo di arrivo section, choose the stop where you plan to get off.
- The exact fare for the selected route will be displayed.
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