Lake Garda Road Trip

Since I was already in the neighborhood, I figured… why not do a little Lake Garda road trip? Easy, right? I came down from Belluno, hopped on a train to Verona, and picked up my rental car. Since it was my first time driving in Italy, I specifically asked for something tiny. Naturally, with my luck, they upgraded me to a Renegade Jeep. A small Jeep I guess, kind of in the same way a baby elephant is “small.” Still bigger than anything I wanted to be navigating through medieval streets.

Then I asked the rental guy for a parking recommendation near Piazza Bra, where I planned to start sightseeing. He confidently sent me to a garage that could not have been tighter if it tried. You enter this spiral ramp that feels like it was designed for bicycles, not renegade elephants. I swear, every turn felt like a trust exercise between me and the concrete walls. Miraculously, I didn’t hit anything, but I did age at least five years on the way down.

Then I started my self‑guided walking tour of Verona. For some reason, I had pictured this tiny Italian town full of old buildings, local shops, and nonnas yelling at pigeons. And yes, Verona does have all that charm… but it also has designer stores everywhere. Like, full runway energy. One minute I’m admiring a medieval archway, the next I’m staring at a window display that costs more than my entire trip. Naturally, I just strolled right past those high‑end shops.

I started my Verona adventure at Piazza Bra, home of the Arena di Verona, one of the best‑preserved Roman amphitheaters and apparently still very much in use. They do actual live performances there, which is wild. I tried to go inside, but it was a firm “nope” at that moment. Not sure if they were prepping for a show or just doing mysterious Italian construction things. Either way, I took the hint and kept walking.

Next stop: Casa di Giulietta, one of Verona’s most famous spots, all thanks to Romeo and Juliet. The house belonged to the Cappelletti family, which sounds suspiciously close to Capuleti… so honestly, I get why everyone just rolled with the story. The courtyard is free, but if you want to go inside the house, you must pay around €12 (online, I didn’t see any ticket booth there). So, I stayed in the courtyard like the budget‑conscious romantic I am and wandered into the souvenir shop, a place absolutely overflowing with heart‑shaped everything.

Next up was the Torre dei Lamberti, Verona’s giant clock tower. For €6 you can go inside, and yes, there’s an elevator, which I happily took because I’m not trying to reenact medieval stair‑climbing traditions. The views from the top are absolutely awesome, full 360 degrees of Verona showing off like it knows it’s gorgeous. It was a perfectly clear day, so honestly, worth the entrance fee.

After that, I headed toward Castelvecchio, but obviously it was gelato o’clock, so I made a mandatory pit stop. Once properly fueled with sugar and joy, I continued on to the castle: a massive medieval fortress built in the 14th century by the Scaliger dynasty, who basically ran Verona and clearly wanted everyone to know it. This thing is intense, all red brick, towers, and “don’t mess with us” energy. There’s a museum inside and the ticket is €9, but I decided to admire the castle from the outside like the classy budget traveler I am. Plus, it connects to the Castelvecchio Bridge, which is totally free, you just walk around the castle and boom, medieval escape route vibes without spending a single euro.

By then, it was mid‑afternoon, so I decided it was time to reunite with my renegade baby‑elephant Jeep and start the drive to my Lake Garda base for the next couple of days. I wanted to arrive with plenty of daylight left, you know, enough time to actually find the hotel, park without crying, and maybe even pretend I’m the kind of person who “settles in” instead of immediately collapsing on the bed.

I chose to stay in San Zeno di Montagna, this tiny, peaceful town perched on the slopes of Monte Baldo, about 500 meters above Lake Garda, basically a quiet little balcony overlooking the lake. Totally under the radar, which is exactly my vibe. I stayed at a B&B called Albergo Centrale, run by a lady, her mom, and her daughter, a full multigenerational operation. Nothing fancy, but the room was clean, the bathroom was small but functional, and the décor screamed “grandma chic” in the most committed way possible. Breakfast was decent, and honestly, since I was going to be out exploring all day, it was the perfect home base. The town has several restaurants, but there was a pizzeria (Pizzeria Ristorante Kappa2) literally a few steps from the hotel with outdoor seating that was perfect for my daily Aperol Spritz ritual. Naturally, I became a regular. Everything I tried was great, but the pizzas? A spiritual experience. A must‑try. I would’ve moved in if they’d let me.

The following are the towns and places I visited around the Lake:

• Madonna della Corona: This place is wild. It’s a sanctuary glued to the side of a vertical cliff on Monte Baldo, like someone said, “Let’s build a church… but make it gravity‑defying.” I drove to the tiny town of Spiazzi, parked, and then walked downhill for about 15 minutes, which was great until I remembered I’d have to walk back up later. It’s completely free, the views are absolutely unreal, and even with tourists wandering around taking dramatic photos, the whole place somehow feels peaceful, like the mountain itself is telling everyone to calm down and behave. I was there on a Sunday so there was an actual service going on.

• Bardolino: It was about a half‑hour drive from Spiazzi, a very cute, very scenic cruise. I found a paid parking spot close to the town center and walked right in. The town itself? Super cute. Great vibes. The center is definitely on the touristy side, full of classic Italian souvenir shops selling everything from lemon‑themed everything to hand‑painted trinkets you absolutely don’t need but suddenly must have. It was pretty busy as expected on a Sunday afternoon. I strolled along the lakefront, gorgeous views, very postcard‑ready, and then treated myself to a giant gelato cup for lunch, because when in Italy, dairy counts as a balanced meal.

• Sirmione: This is one of the biggest towns on Lake Garda. The plan was simple: visit the Grotte di Catullo, admire some ancient Roman ruins, feel cultured. Easy. It was supposed to be less than an hour from Bardolino… but apparently, I decided to take a spontaneous road trip toward Milan instead. One wrong exit and suddenly I’m on the highway living a completely different life. Trying to get back on track dumped me at a toll booth, where I confidently inserted the ticket I had gotten literally one minute earlier… and of course it didn’t work. So I had to call for help. The operator somehow decided I was coming from Venice, and the next thing I know I’m paying a €10 toll for a journey I absolutely did not take. Lesson learned: in Italy, missing your exit is a lifestyle choice with financial consequences. When I finally made it into Sirmione, traffic was pure chaos, I reached the road toward the ruins, only for a very polite policeman to tell me, “No cars allowed here,” which is Italian for “Turn around and good luck.” So I drove. And drove. And drove. Every parking lot was full, every spot was a mirage, and after circling like a confused pigeon, I finally gave up on the ruins and moved on to my next stop. The Romans will have to wait.

• Parco Termale del Garda: This place is basically a giant outdoor spa disguised as a park: two big man‑made lakes filled with warm thermal water, surrounded by grass, trees, and enough greenery to make you forget you’ve been walking 20,000 steps a day. Perfect end to a day of exploring… but it almost didn’t happen. I was following the address, drove right past it, and thought, “Where are the dreamy green lawns from the photos? Where is the giant sign saying, ‘THERMAL PARADISE THIS WAY’?” Instead, all I saw were random buildings and these massive ancient‑looking walls. After driving back and forth a couple of times, at this point basically my signature Italian driving technique, I spotted a parking lot and thought, “Fine, I’ll investigate on foot like a confused archaeologist.” Turns out… the giant walls are the entrance. You walk through them and suddenly you’re inside the actual park. From the car? Impossible to tell. From the inside? Absolute thermal heaven. I’m so glad I stopped because the swim was amazing, the facilities are super nice, and I’m pretty sure there’s even a hotel on site if you want to go full spa‑princess mode. There’s food, tons of space, and honestly the €40 felt worth it. I only stayed a couple of hours, but you could easily spend the whole day there, bring a picnic, float around, live your best warm‑water life.

• Malcesine – Monte Baldo cable car: One of the biggest attractions in Lake Garda, and honestly, it earns the hype. I drove from San Zeno di Montagna to Malcesine on a gorgeous, twisty route, with Lake Garda showing off at every turn. The cable car is €27 round trip and takes you all the way to the top of Monte Baldo. There’s even an intermediate station where you can hop off and wander around. There are a couple of B&Bs around that station. At the top, the station has a restaurant, and there are trails everywhere, mountain huts, snack spots, little places to grab a drink. I was already a bit hiked‑out, so I just walked about 1 km to some viewpoints. The views were incredible, and I got the full weather‑drama package: clouds rolling in and out like they were auditioning for a role. One minute you’re inside a cloud seeing absolutely nothing, the next minute, boom, the lake is back like it never left. Very theatrical. There were also tons of paragliding happening, so I got to watch people casually run off a mountain like that’s a normal hobby. And of course, because this is northern Italy, the pastries were elite. This time I went for a donut, because when you’re 1,700 meters above sea level, calories don’t count.

• Malcesine: Another super cute town and like Bardolino, absolutely buzzing with tourists living their best gelato‑powered lives. The main area is full of classic touristy shops selling the same things as in Bardolino. There’s a massive medieval castle you can visit, but I personally chose the “admire from the outside and keep walking” experience, very efficient, very budget‑friendly, highly recommended. Malcesine is also basically the ferry capital of Lake Garda; boats are coming and going nonstop like it’s an aquatic Grand Central Station.

• Limone Sul Garda: I took the ferry from Malcesine to Limone, and honestly, if you’re like me and enjoy sitting on a boat doing absolutely nothing while feeling extremely accomplished, this is the way to go. Sure, I could have driven, but why fight traffic when you can float across the lake like a relaxed Venetian noble? It’s only 15 minutes and the return trip ticket was €10. Limone is one of the most hyped towns on Lake Garda, and it really is as picturesque as advertised. Like every Italian town on a hill, it comes with its standard issue: a million up‑and‑down stairs designed to remind you that gelato is not calorie‑free. The lakefront promenade is huge and perfect for strolling, people‑watching, and pretending you live there. Restaurants and cafés everywhere, I picked one, sat down, and had myself a proper Italian lunch like the classy tourist I am. After more wandering and the obligatory gelato (because at this point it’s basically a tax), I hopped back on the ferry to Malcesine to continue my little Lake Garda odyssey.

• Cascata del Varone: I picked up the car in Malcesine and drove north along the shores of Lake Garda, spending the entire drive wondering why on earth I didn’t bring my bathing suit. There were so many perfect spots to jump into the lake, and there I was… fully clothed, living with my choices. The drive was lovely until I hit Riva del Garda, where the traffic suddenly went feral and made me question every decision that led me to that moment. But I powered through, and honestly? Worth it. The waterfall is wild, a 100‑meter drop straight into a cave carved over millions of years. Nature really said, “Let me show off real quick.” You absolutely get wet visiting this place; the mist hits you before you even realize what’s happening. There are pathways, stairs, tunnels, and several up‑and‑down. But the gardens are beautiful, the gorge is dramatic, and the whole thing feels like stepping into a fantasy movie. Entrance is €6.

  
  

Did I get to see everything I wanted? Absolutely not. This area is gigantic and packed with so many things to do that you basically need a second lifetime (or at least a second vacation) to cover it all. I definitely got the “hmm… I could live here” vibes, you know, the dangerous kind where you start imagining yourself buying olive oil at the local market and befriending the bakery lady.

But alas, the journey must go on. Bags packed, snacks secured, existential longing noted. Venice is waiting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoQtx4cONl4