Beautiful Lake Garda

On September 20th, I embarked on a delightful 4-night getaway to Lake Garda with my mum and my youngest daughter! We kicked things off at Birmingham Airport, and after a little delay, we were soaring through the skies. Our home for the next few nights was the charming Hotel Dori in Peschiera del Garda, which made for a perfect base to explore! As soon as we walked in, a warm and friendly receptionist welcomed us, making us feel right at home. Check-in was a breeze, and we headed straight to our rooms to drop off our bags. We were really looking forward to grabbing a bite to eat! I had booked two lovely Lake View rooms, but since it was dark, we couldn't catch a glimpse of the lake just yet. Guess we'll have to wait until morning for that treat! We made our way to the town, just a quick five-minute stroll away, and found so many great restaurants! After enjoying a delicious dinner, we were pretty worn out from our travels, so we decided to head back to the hotel for a good night's sleep. Honestly, the bed was super comfy! As soon as I woke up, I couldn't wait to swing open the door to my little balcony and take in the gorgeous lake view. Honestly, it was absolutely stunning! I was just so excited to explore more of the beautiful Lake Garda. After a lovely breakfast, we made our way down to the harbour, eager to catch a ferry to explore different towns. It turned out to be a bit tricky at first, and we ended up inadvertently signing up for a two-hour boat trip to Sirmione instead. It wasn’t exactly what we had in mind, but the folks organizing the boat reassured us that the ferries wouldn’t be running over the weekend due to some boating event happening on the lake. At the time, we found this a bit strange and disappointing, but went with it. As we were ushered onto a small speedboat—definitely not the ferry we were expecting—my poor mum, who has some mobility challenges, had to navigate a steep ladder to get on the boat, and there was no assistance from the staff. That really didn’t sit right with us, and unfortunately, the short ride to Sirmione was clouded by the worry of how mum would manage to climb back up the ladder afterward. When we arrived in the stunning town of Sirmione, our first stop was the Tourist Information office to explore some other options for getting back to Peschiera, because there was no way we were getting back on that boat! As I suspected, we learned that we had totally been scammed —turns out the ferries were operating just fine! What a relief that was! It allowed us to relax and fully enjoy our time in Sirmione, knowing we had plenty of time to soak it all in and could easily hop on a ferry later. Lesson learned! Sirmione is such a charming little town with its narrow, cobbled streets and a lovely castle! You can easily spend hours enjoying the vibe at the outdoor restaurants, perfect for people-watching. Plus, there are plenty of shops and gelato outlets to explore – it’s a delightful place to wander around! During our trip, I took care of booking all the ferries online, and it was so simple! It saved us a ton of time by skipping the lines at the ticket booths. Even in September, there were quite a few people around, so I’d definitely recommend booking online. The next day, we hopped on a ferry to the charming town of Garda. The views while crossing the lake were absolutely stunning! Once we arrived, Garda welcomed us with its own unique beauty. Since it was a Sunday, we were delighted to find a lively market right by the ferry dock, where local artisans were showcasing their incredible crafts. We enjoyed a lovely stroll around town and, feeling a bit hungry, picked one of the many lakeside restaurants to relax in. The waiters were just delightful! There’s really nothing quite like having lunch by the beautiful lake. After Garda, we headed over to Bardolino! It had a different vibe compared to the other towns, and it wasn't quite our favorite. It just didn't offer the same charm we were hoping for. We enjoyed a coffee there before making our way back across the stunning lake to Peschiera. I took some time to explore Peschiera on my own and stumbled upon this delightful spot called the Pavillion. It was bustling with trendy lounge bars, upscale shops, and delicious restaurants. The view by the lake was absolutely gorgeous! Monday was our last full day, and my mum was really excited to explore Verona! I had visited before and was thrilled to go back—it’s like a mini Rome! We jumped into a taxi to the train station, and just 15 minutes later, we arrived in Verona. Once we were there, we took another quick taxi ride that dropped us off right by the gorgeous Arena in the city centre. Just a heads-up, though—the Arena is closed on Mondays. We couldn’t resist stopping for a coffee at one of the lovely restaurants with a view of the Arena, where we had a great time people-watching. Since my mum needed a bit of mobility assistance, we decided to hop on the noddy train to explore the city. It was just 5 euros each for a 25-minute ride, and because Verona is so compact, we easily checked out all the highlights at a relaxed pace! I had a great time shopping for about an hour, but then the skies opened up and it started raining really heavily. Thankfully, we were more than happy to hop in a taxi and head back to the train station! Once we arrived at Peschiera Station, we found ourselves waiting quite a while for a taxi. Eventually, I decided to book an Uber, though it wasn’t the most wallet-friendly option! Our ride back to Verona airport was right on time, and we made it there in under 25 minutes – so convenient! Lake Garda is simply breathtaking. The place is immaculate, with no litter in sight and beautifully maintained grass and flower beds everywhere you look. I can't recommend a visit enough! Next time I go back, I plan to stay longer so I can explore more of the charming towns around the lake.