Verona to Lake Garda (day trip 2025)

Are you thinking of doing a Verona to Lake Garda day trip or excursion?

Lake Garda is not only the largest lake in Italy but also the most sought-after lakeside destination in the country which makes it a perfect day trip from Venice.

Thanks to all its road and train connections and proximity to Verona’s international airport, Lake Garda is easy to reach from many different cities in northern Italy.

No matter whether it’s for a weekend getaway or you’re splitting your time between Verona and Venice, don’t miss a day trip to this scenic lake, dotted by lovely towns, a unique offer of outdoor activities and some of Italy’s best amusement parks.

How to get from Verona to Lake Garda

This guide shares the info you need to be able to get from Verona to Lake Garda by train, car, bus and group tour to help you decide the most convenient way for you.

Before setting off and heading over to Lake Garda, I recommend that you check out my 3 day Verona itinerary to ensure you have not missed any of the city’s gems.

Where is Lake Garda, Italy?

Lake Garda is based in northeast Italy and its shores are located in three different regions: Veneto (east and southeast coast), Trentino Alto Adige (north coast) and Lombardy (west and southwest coast).

It’s halfway between Brescia and Verona, on the foot of the beautiful Dolomites mountains. The lake is surrounded by lush woods as well as olive and lemon groves, that grow here thanks to the mild Mediterranean climate.

On this Venice travel blog I have covered a lot of places in Northern Italy and this is one of my favourite to recommend to those who are looking for a relaxing getaway.

Is Lake Garda worth visiting from Verona?

But is it worth visiting Lake Garda from Verona? After all, this lake continues to attract visitors from all over Europe and beyond, yes, but what makes it worth it?

First, it’s worth travelling from Verona to Lake Garda because they’re very well-connected by road and by public transport. It only takes 13 minutes to get from Verona to Peschiera del Garda by regional train and 30 minutes by car.

Locals and tourists both love the lake for its pleasant and mild climate all year round, to visit the picturesque villages overlooking the lake and the historic sights such as castles and fortresses.

Lake Garda is also a great place to spend a relaxing day, sunbathing, or if you’re an active type, go hiking, kayaking or windsurfing. But I recommend that you carry some durable blister plasters if you’re planning on doing a lot of walking on foot.

Where to stay in Lake Garda

One thing that you can count on is the fact that Lake Garda offers a wide range of accommodation types for every budget and able to please every traveller needs.

See my selection of sustainable hotels to stay in and around Lake Garda:

How far is the Lake Garda from Verona?

Lake Garda is only 30 kilometres away from Verona. The best way to get there is by train as it only takes 13 minutes, with arrival station Peschiera del Garda.

If you wish to have total freedom to move around and visit at your own pace the villages facing the lake, then hiring a car is the ideal solution. To get from Verona to Lake Garda by car it takes almost 30 minutes via the A4 motorway.

You can also get there by bus using the Arriva bus service or local bus 164 which takes 45 minutes to get to Peschiera del Garda from Verona city centre.

Even if it takes longer, the bus can be the perfect mode of transport, especially if you want to see other lakeside towns in Northern Italy where the train doesn’t reach.

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How to get from Verona to Lake Garda

Let’s now take a look at all the options available to you to get from Verona to Lake Garda. You should then be able to make an informed decision based on your travel priorities and the destinations on Lake Garda that you wish to visit.

Train from Verona to Lake Garda

Getting a train from Verona to Lake Garda is the best and most straightforward way to reach the largest lake in Italy from the City of Romeo and Juliet. You can either get a Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed train or a regional train.

For this journey, the only difference is that the high-speed train is more expensive. I recommend getting the direct regional train which only takes 13 minutes to reach Peschiera del Garda.

You can also get a train to Desenzano del Garda, which is also your final destination if you want to visit the popular Sirmione. In this case, the train takes 23 minutes.

The train station where you’ll take the train going towards Lake Garda is Verona Porta Nuova, the main railway station, only 18 minute walk from Verona’s centre. Would you like to visit both lakeside towns?

No problem! You can get another regional train which will only take 7 minutes to connect Peschiera del Garda to Desenzano and vice versa.

Driving from Verona to Lake Garda

If you are thinking about renting a car or driving in your own vehicle to get from Verona to Lake Garda, this is a valid option to take into account.

Visiting Lake Garda by car means complete freedom to move from one village to the other, reach hidden sights and locations and explore more along the way.

It won’t take you long to reach Lake Garda from Verona, about 30 minutes to reach Peschiera del Garda by A4 motorway. Almost all around Italy, you’ll be required to pay tolls to access the motorways and you can check how much you’ll be asked to pay from the Autostrade.it website.

As I always recommend, avoid rush hour and aim to drive early in the morning or around dinner time in Italy (7/8 pm) when you’ll find fewer people on the road.

You can also get to the southern shores of Lake Garda from Verona by regional road SR11 which is free of charge, but it normally takes longer.

Here’s a list of towns located on the southern shores of the lake and how long it takes to get there from Verona:

With a car, it’s worth making the most of it and visiting other lakeside locations. You can drive along the Gardesana Occidentale and explore the west side towns or the Gardesana Orientale, if you’d like to visit the ones based on the eastern side.

These two roads skirt the beautiful Lake’s Garda coasts and the best way to explore off-the-beaten path villages and sights is definitely by car.

Bus from Verona to Lake Garda

The bus is a cheap option to get from Verona to Lake Garda. As usual, the bus takes longer than the train and the car but better than the train if you want to stop in villages that are not the popular Peschiera del Garda or Desenzano del Garda.

The bus service is called ATV and the bus lines travelling towards the Lake Garda are: 162, 163, 164 and 165.

You can get the bus from Piazza Bra’ in Verona city centre or from Verona Porta Nuova railway station. If you want to reach Lake Garda from the Verona airport, you should get the Aerolink bus 199 to Verona Porta Nuova (platform B3) and then change with one of the lines mentioned above.

There’s also the seasonal summer bus service number 482 connecting the airport to Lake Garda. You can check stops and timetables here for more information.

The main lakeside towns and attractions where these train lines stop at are: Peschiera del Garda, Gardaland amusement park, the zoo Natura Viva, Lazise sul Garda, Bardolino and Garda.

If you want to visit other towns in the north-east shore, then you can get buses from Garda like the bus line 484 that stops in Torri del Benaco, Brenzone sul Garda, Malcesine and Riva del Garda.

You can consult here the ATV bus official website and download the timetables (there are festivity – Saturdays, Sundays and other festivities – and normal working days timetables, make sure you’re checking the correct one!).

See the table below for an overview of the bus lines and their travel times for some of the most important touristic locations:

If you want to get to other villages and towns located on the western side of Lake Garda, get a ferry and check the stops from the most updated timetables here.

You can also get a train to Peschiera or Desenzano del Garda and from there a bus or a ferry to reach the village you would like to visit.

Small group tour to Lake Garda

If you don’t want to think about public transport and prefer not to rent a car, then joining a small group or guided tour is the best way to visit Lake Garda from Verona.

This semi-private small group tour of Sirmione and Lake Garda is ideal if you wish to visit the famous town of Sirmione. Your group leaves from Verona city centre and reach the Lake Garda by mini van.

From the medieval town you’ll go on a lake cruise to explore the entire peninsula and see the Scaligero Castle from a different perspective. You’ll be accompanied by a tour guide for the whole time, introducing you to the most important historical and artistic sights of Sirmione.

You’ll also have some free time to stroll around the streets of the lakeside town and visit its picturesque city centre. You’ll then make your way back to Verona with the rest of the group and tour leader.

Getting from Verona to Lake Garda

Now you should know that travelling from Verona to Lake Garda for a day trip or for more days is absolutely easy and straightforward. You can get there by train, by car, by bus and by joining a guided tour.

If you want to reach the western shores of the lake, then you can also get a ferry. Whether you choose to hire a car and drive to the Lake Garda or reach its main villages by train or by bus, this guide shows you everything you need to get there.

If you’re currently in Venice and wish to visit Verona and Lake Garda, see my guides on how to get from Venice to Verona and this day trip from Venice to Lake Garda.

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