hotels lake garda
 

Thinking about spending 3 days at Lake Garda as part of our Italy trip next year. We are spending time in Padua, Verona and Venice. Will be taking trains but could rent a car if needed to drive to Garda and around the lake and then back to Venice to fly home. Any suggestions on towns, hotels. This will be in September 2014

We stayed in Riva del Garda and it was a good choice for us. We drove to a gorgeous waterfall, the bluest lake I've ever seen and a wine coopertive run by Lucca Binni which was excellent for lunch and tasting. We stayed at the Grand Hotel Riva, drove around the lake one day to stop at some of the smaller towns and walk the boardwalk.

Read about the lake first and pick your location.
I too prefer the north end but you need to undertand the difference.

thanks for the heads up bobthenavigator will go to B&N for books. Can you give me an hint of differences

Enjoyed two hotels there. SW sideSalo, Hotel Bellerive
NE side, Malcesine, Hotel Castello

Salò and Bellerive are more upscale.
Castello has very pretty views.
Liked both.

The lake is shaped roughly like a long tear drop with the "thin" end in the North. Right at the top is Riva del Garda, a lovely little town that sits on the road running all the way round the lake. The east side of the lake is more popular with tourists and therefore has a greater choice of hotels and restaurants in the villages.

At the base of the lake , sitting out into the water on a long thin promontory (3kms ish), is Sirmione. The old town sits behind castle walls, with a "drawbridge" entry through the gates and there are good hotels and restaurants inside. The road up the village is lined with hotels and restaurants too.

Recommending a town/hotel for you depends on what you want. Do you want quiet most of the time? Do you like the buzz of a busy place? Most of the people on here who know the area have a favourite place to stay and prefer one village over another, but it's a personal thing.

How many is your party, any kids/ages? And when in September? This is the month that the schools restart in Europe after the summer break and after the first week most places will quieten down as the kids return to school.

looking at september 26-29 2014 . We like quiet and NICE. We are not motel 6 type people but will do that if we have to but prefer more upscale. We are a couple in our late 60's not kids traveling with us. Enjoy history, art, photography, and quaintness....Thanks for all your help....

At that time there will be very few children of school age around, so it will be quiet. There are no motel6 places in this area, (by which I think you mean a very noisy, drunk crowd) and I would recommend the Hotel Olivi in Sirmione. It has everything you'd like.

We've stayed there a couple of times and have been very happy with it.

The north end is more scenic---the south end has more T-shirt shops and is flat. I like Riva, Limone, and Malcesine.

I hope no one minds me piggy-backing on this post.... I will be looking for a hotel in the actual town of Garda - anyone know of any? I have't had too much luck.

CatchK, I just read your post about a hotel in Garda. From what I could determine from help on this board, as well as the Internet, Hotel La Vittoria, Lungo Lago Regina Adelaide, 57, Garda, Italy looks like a good choice for me and my husband.

We are booked for May 3-May 8, 2014. I may be able to answer a few simple questions, if you are interested in the hotel.

We had a really nice time in Riva this September, and chose it for the scenery and the pleasant town to stroll in, as well as good ferry connections around the northern end of the lake. Some streets of really upscale shopping and some of what you'd find in any lakeside town. We ate in two spectacular restaurants, either of which I would recommend.

One was Al Volt and the other was Villeta Annessa.

Shar
If you want more upscale, look atSalo, SW side. Lovely place, nice shops, hotels. Beautiful waterfront promenade. Mostly Italian and German visitors. An Italian friend sent us there and we were very pleased.

i_am_kane - thank you!! I will definitely look into it and I would love to hear about it after you go!!

CatchK,

Will do.