The Destination
For her 40th birthday my sister traded the UK for Italy, booking a week to explore Lake Garda; I was able to join her (and our mum) for a couple of days. As I was tagging along with their plans, I went in unusually blind – I had to check several times that I even had the right lake, as last year they had visited Como! Lake Garda is Italy’s largest, spanning three regions; its namesake town (where we’d be staying) sits on the east shore, in Veneto.
The Journey
Having opted for a package from TUI, my family had a stress-free route from Devon to Garda, flying from Bristol to Verona then enjoying a transfer to their hotel from the airport. My own approach was rather more complicated…
British Airways only operates to VRN from Gatwick, so I spent an evening getting there by train – my original connection through Reading fell apart, so I had to traverse London after all. Fortunately the Elizabeth Line makes that easier than it used to be, and I’d snagged a bargain first class ticket for the ride from Exeter. Nearly £100 for barely 7 hours in a Premier Inn stung a little, but was the cheapest option tolerably close to the airport given a 07:45 departure.
It’s been six years since I flew with BA out of Gatwick, well before the launch of Euroflyer and the move to the South Terminal. All went smoothly: fast track security took 3 minutes; the club lounge was very good (far quieter than Heathrow’s galleries!); departure was on time; there was a choice of hot breakfasts on board; we landed fifteen minutes ahead of schedule; and Verona airport still offers e-gates for British passport holders despite our departure from the EU.
An express bus links the airport to Verona Porta Nuova station, where I was able to take a train as far as Peschiera del Garda (one of just two lakeside towns with rail service). It took another 45 minutes by bus to eventually reach Garda, some four hours after I’d left the UK!
The Accommodation
I couldn’t find a loyalty angle to exploit here – none of my usual chains seem to have properties on the lake. So it was over to booking.com for an independent. Prices and features varied substantially, but Hotel Remàt seemed like a good trade-off. €270 (after 10% discount) got me a double with lake view for two nights, breakfast included. The location right on the water was ideal; and first impressions of the room were good – very spacious, with a stylish bathroom.
Alas, there was a fatal flaw: the air conditioning was centrally managed, with the controls in the room locked out. Whether through frugality or forgetfulness it wasn’t switched on for my first day, so I sweltered through a 29°C night. Staff were impossible to find, so I resorted to leaving a note at reception which did win me some cooling – for all of seven hours before it shut off again, never to return.
On this basis I simply can’t recommend a summer stay here. Fortunately my mum and sister were very happy with their choice, the nearby Hotel Roma, so I can suggest that instead! Do try Ristorante Remàt though – a simple-sounding tagliatelle with salmon was some of the best Italian food I’ve had, and the open-air lakeside seating (sheltered under a canopy with misting fans) made for a wonderful setting to savour it in.
The Tourist Attraction
A heat wave gripping Europe seriously subdued my sightseeing activities – temperatures hovered in the mid 30s, with “real feel” values closer to 40. This cut short my explorations of both Garda itself and nearby towns; whilst there was some respite to be found out on the lake, queuing for (often delayed) ferries on unshaded piers was an ordeal.
For my sister’s actual birthday, though, we did brave a trip to Sirmione. Choosing a slow boat over a direct link gave us a lake tour, hopping from Bardolino to Lazise before setting out across open water to Sirmione’s headland, which we looped around to arrive into port on the west. From here it’s a couple of minute’s walk to the main attraction: Rocca Scaligera. The ramparts and towers of this 14th century castle offer wonderful views across the narrow peninsula, terracotta rooftops contrasting with the blue-green waters. Most striking of all, though, is the harbour – a deliberate feature, but I like to imagine the lake had reclaimed a courtyard sometime during the fortification’s long history.