My husband and I and his parents will be traveling to Switzerland/Italy in mid to late October. Our tentative itinerary is:

Day 1: Fly to Zurich, drive to Sils (Engadine), stay at Hotel Chesa Randolina (1 night), hike Fex Valley, lakes

Day 2: Drive to Ortisei, stopping in Glurns, Castle Churburg, stay 2 nights at the Uhrerhof

Day 3: Dolomites (cable car to Seiser Alm/hike)

Day 4: drive around Dolomites with possible Cable car ride at Passo Falzarego/Lagazuoi, drive to Verona/Lake Garda Area, need place to stay for 2 nights

Day 5: Verona

Day 6: visit Padua on the way to Venice, drop off rental car, 4 nights at the Pensione Accademia

Day 7-9: Venice

Day 10: fly back to the States from Venice


My main question is about lodging in or around Verona. Either stay at Lake Garda with a beautiful setting and good places for dinner while visiting Verona the next day, or stay in Verona for easy access for touring the next day. If staying in Verona, I would like a place near the city center with character/nice ambience. If staying at Lake Garda, we do not intend on really exploring the lakes unless right outside our hotel, but rather, are using it as a base to explore Verona and to eat breakfast and dinner.

Has anyone heard of Monastery Stays (monasterystays.com)? I found several lodgings in this area: one is located at the South End of Lake Garda (but looks like its right off the A4), one is in Castelletto di Brenzone right on Lake Garda, and one is overlooking Verona at the Sanctuary of Lourdes. My mother-in-law found this website and thinks it would be interesting to stay at a monastery. I do too, but it is difficult to find out more about each place and the surrounding area.

Sorry I can't help you on the monastery stays but for some reason, Verona lacks a lot of really good choices in hotels.

That said, if you stay in the area of Lago di Garda most convenient to visiting Verona, you are not on the prettiest end of the lago.

I quite enjoy Lago di Garda (at both ends!) and would probably opt to put myself in Bardolino.

I think if decide against the monastery, you should dig around a bit for agriturismos in that area. It is terrific wine country, and I suspect there are beautiful rural accommodations available in villas and vinyards, probably some that offer dinner in the evenings, and you might have a lot of fun.

If you end up deciding to stay in Verona, I think it's a fairly car-friendly town and the food is good. Many wonderful sites to see. Even if you are not a fan of art museums, visiting the one in Verona is marvelous because the museum in in the historic castle.

Have a great trip!

We stayed at Riva Del Garda last September and although it was fine; I'd not stay there again. Instead, I'd go to the southern end of the lake and stay there...simione or limone. Riva had a nice waterfront but it was very touristy. If you do stay at that end of the lake and in Riva, look for a place on the west side of the town. that being said, if you have the time, make a drive to Isera. Its a very small town north of Riva with an exception wine cooperative run by Lucca Bini; they have a cooking school at the coop that is similar to the culinary institute in NY. wonderful food prepared by student chefs, excellent views and the wine??? oh my!!!!! Now, for verona - we stayed at Hotel Accademia there and were very happy. They have offstreet valet parking included with the room rate, excellent location and the breakfast was the best we had during our entire trip. We booked it on venere at the last minute and could not have been happier.

Although Limone sul Garda is indeed south of Riva del Garda, which is at the northernmost point of the lake, it is still quite far north and on the western shore, making it less convenient than other towns for visiting Verona. Sirmione is on a peninsula on the southern shore of the lake, and even has train connections to Verona, as I recall (but double check me on that).

Most of the lakeside towns are strictly holiday oriented. Many are very geared to Northern European vacationers, and some are also very "outdoors" oriented: windsurfing, boating, hiking, biking, etc.

A few of the towns have long and interesting histories that have survived a lot of holiday home building on the shores of the lake.

If you are interested in Lake Garda, Sirmione is a wonderful, magical place but I don't think it's a good spot for exploring Verona. It would probably take you at least an hour or more to get to Verona.

I do agree with Zeppole, try to find an agriturismo near Verona. Just google agriturismo Verona and several should come up.

Nice trip !
With your scenario I would stay on the east side and this place is hard to beat.
http://www.torridelbenaco.co.uk/

Although not exactly where you asked for accommodation, but we were so thrilled with this place (just back this weekend) that I had to toss it out as a possibility: just outside Verona, beautiful winery: B&B Musella; www.musella.it/agri/eng/. Paulo was such a gracious host, and gave us a winery tour as well as a tour of the entire estate! Their website doesn't do it justice; it is beautiful! We stayed there for 2 days (6 of us in 3 rooms) and went to the opera.

Have you considered Mantua (Mantova)? Verona and the southern end of Lake Garda are within easy distance. And it's a wonderful, atmospheric old town, filled with narrow streets and medieval buildings, lively piazzas and Palazzo Te and the Palazzo Ducale with some of the best art treasures in Italy, including amazing frescoes by Mantegna. The town is surrounded on three sides by lakes smothered in lotus flowers in summer. And the food! Wonderful!

While in Verona, do consider a visit to Giardino Giusti, a lovely old garden a short walk from the center.

The northern section of Lake Garda has spectacular scenery. If you think that Amalfi Coast is breathtaking you should go there!

I would recommend you take some time to drive the western lakeshore drive with a stop in Limone. Driving is very slow on the narrow, winding road but extremely scenic. So take a half day for driving along the shore.

For the overnight stays I would second Zeppole's advice to stay in Bardolino. It is very close to Verona and has typical Lake Garda feeling (and good wines!).

You can easily visit Verona in 5 or 6 hours from there. (BTW, when we stayed in a hotel high above Limone, we made a daytrip to both Sirmione and Verona from there, left at 9:00 and were back at 19:00).

Bardolino is about a 30 minute drive from Verona. I am not sure which part of the lake traveller is referring to as 5-6 hours from Verona, but just wanted to be clear that Bardolino is quite close.

Sorry, I meant: you can make a daytrip from Bardolino and you may spend 5 or 6 hours IN Verona (which is sufficient to see the major attractions).