Sorry: Verona centre-Garda Lake are about 25-30 MINUTES.

I visited both in 2004 and while I can't comment on the logistics like your driving time, I can say that I would definitely skip Milan for more time in Lake Como. It was one of my favorite places I've ever visited while Milan felt like another city. Sure there are beautiful aspects of Milan, but Lake Como is surreal and I can only hope to return someday.

You could spend all four nights in Verona, a wonderful small city with beautiful buildings, amazing arena,great atmosphere. Then you could do day trips to Sirmione on Lake Garda one day, and another day do a day trip to Padua. That leaves you two more days - one you probably want to spend in Verona it self. Then you could do the last day either Vicenza or do another day on Lake Garda (go further up the lake). That's how I would spend the four days.

But another option would be spend two days in Verona. Then move - and I would choose to spend two nights in Bergamo - I just loved this town. Incredible amount of wonderful sites on a hilltop with to die for views. PLUS - easy access to both Milan and Como so you could do one day in each. The Duomo and Galleria in central Milan is worth seeing even if you aren't into big cities. But I agree do it by train - from Milano Centrale it's a quick metro ride to the central Piazza area and you could do a day trip from Bergamo to Milano easily in a few hours. The other day do to Lake Como.

http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/ital...s_cinque_terre
http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/italy__the_veneto
http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/milan_bergamo_mantova

"One can only assume history was not your subject."--a little snarky, NYCFoodSnob.

My late hub and I based in Verona and took a long day trip via train to Milano and shorter day trip to Vicenza. If you wish to see the "Last Supper" you'll be safe getting reservations ahead of time. We didn't but lucked into a last-minute cancellation. The Duomo is a don't miss for people interested in churches, IMHO. Padua was a 1/2 day visit from Venice but you could do it from Verona as well. Again, reservations for the chapel whose name I'm forgetting. In Vicenza, we took a taxi to La Rotunda and returned on a bus. Learn from our mistake and either arrange for your taxi driver to come back for you or buy bus tickets before you are stranded in the countryside and have to sneak on the bus on a Sunday afternoon when the tobacco shop was closed!

We stayed in Bellagio and pretty much just ferried around that beautiful area. Other lakes mentioned above are gorgeous as well. Did I miss your mode of transport above? Yes, Como city is handy via train to/from Milan but you'd need bus or boat to get to Bellagio. You can take a train from Como to Varenna and ferry to Bellagio.

Please report back about your trip.

TDuette writes: "the chapel whose name I'm forgetting".

It is the Scrovegni's chapel.

http://www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it/index.php/en/

Vicenza is an important destination very close to Verona. It is a Hunesco World Heritage. The historic center is small and in a few hours you will see many things by walk. It has a coherent design thanks to the several interventions by the sixteenth century architect and set-designer Andrea Palladio. Its "higlights" in Vicenza are the "Basilica" and the "Teatro Olimpico", but also the villa "La Rotonda", out of town.
http://www.teatrolimpicovicenza.it/en.html
Palladio is the inventor and inspirer of neoclassical architecture European and American. (The White House could not have its design if Andrea Palladio had not existed in the sixteenth century!).
If you go in Vicenza don't miss the short show "sound and lights" at Teatro Olimpico, is very evocative:
http://olimpicovicenza.it/wp-content...uoni_bassa.pdf

Thanks, ecovanavoce!

I loved La Rotunda. As you may know, Thomas Jefferson designed Monticello after it so we wanted to see La Rotunda specially.

Mantova is another destination easy to reach from Verona. Like Vicenza, it is Hunesco World Heritage. Mantova was one of the greatest Renaissance Courts in Europe, in competition with Firenze and Urbino, and home of the Gonzaga noble family. It offers ancient palaces, fine churches and a castle; it's surrounded on three sides by lakes. I love Mantova because it is at "human scale", very pleasant to enjoy by foot or bike through its beautiful squares. "Palazzo Te", outside the city walls, is one of my favorite places.

TDudette: I have studied Monticello from books, but I don't have visited it. But I really loved neoclassical plantation in Louisiana and southern Mississippi during my last journey in USA!

I think we need more than 4 nights! (But thats all we've got!).

We are driving, hiring a car in Munich and dropping it in Paris. We decided on this because of travelling with a baby (porta-cot, pram.....etc. etc.)

Wow it just gets harder the more research you do! Geographically Lake Garda seems pretty well suited for getting to Vicenza, Verona, Padua, Bergamo. We could stay there for 4 nights and use it as a base for everywhere which seems reasonably do-able with a car. The reason for doing 2 days in Verona and then 2 days in Lake como was to break up the journey to Grindelwald but it appears to be only 4.5 hours from Bardolino to Grindelwald which isn't really too bad and would save moving accommodation after 2 nights. Thoughts?

Uhh! If I understand correctly you have only 3 ½ days in Italy?
What about of this:

day 1 travel from Salzburg to Lazise (or Bardolino) and stay 3 night.
Salzburg-Lazise is a 4 hour trip (on google map). If you arrive at the lake until about 17:00 exit at gate "Affi" visit Lazise and Bardolino (are close), have a walk, enjoy a good dinner and a big "gelato" and relaxing! If you arrive until about 14:00 you can also exit at gate "Rovereto sud", take to Nago-Torbole and drive to Lazise along the east-side-lake panoramic road, with some stops, for example in Torbole, Malcesine, Torri-del-Benaco... or wherever you like, time is enough!

day 2: visit directly Sirmione (it takes about 2 hour in relax!) and go to Verona. One afternoon and a short after-dinner are enough to have walk in the pedestrian city centre and see the Arena, Piazza-delle-erbe, Giulietta's House etc...

day 3: choose between Mantova or Vicenza (it's hard... both are "friendly" with "baby-stroller") but skip Milan for the same reason (too big to visit with a stroller, take train, metro, bus ecc...).

day 4 go to Bellagio. Lazise-Bellagio are about 2 hour. By highway as far as Bergamo, then Strada Provinciale direction "Lecco". Visit Bellagio and eventually Varenna and Menaggio by ferry. They are small villages, it is a relaxing trip with 3/4 of day available.

day 5 go to Grindelwald. Google maps says Bellagio-Grindelwald 3hour and 35 minutes.

I hope to be helpful, I think the hardest difficulty for a traveller is estimate the right times ...

What you say makes sense, Jezzie. You can generally take 1/2 day off with every hotel move so having a convenient base is smart IMHO.

Others have cautioned about high fees when renting a car in one country and dropping it off in another. Have you encountered that?

In my personal opinion, is better skip Bellagio and stay in one place, so you can visit two cities, Mantua and Vicenza or Padova, or Bergamo if you prefer, but consider this:
Padua is maybe too large and full of things for one day, can become a little bit "dispersive", carefully plan your day.
Bergamo is not in plain, it is full of "ups and downs", can be uneasy with a stroller, but it is a very lovely city. It is along the road to Grindelwald, if you leave early you could plan a short stop.

About skip Bellagio: it's a good idea for me, but i'm not American, I'm Italian... For American tourists Bellagio is a "must" because in USA it is very famous (must we thank George Clooney?!?). I think it is a very lovely place, but not so important to skip other intresting spots and drive hours to visit it if you have few time. But it is only a personal opinion, take it as such.

Thank you for the replies I think the fog is clearing!

Re. the car hire, its actually not that expensive, with Avis or Europcar there is a little under $200 AUD surcharge for dropping the car off in Paris instead of Munich. Thats very cheap really for the convenience. We are paying around $1000 AUD for 2 weeks hire with all the insurance waivers included, baby seat, the surcharges and a full size car which is not too bad.

Any recommendations for hotels on Lake Garda. I believe Lazise or Bardolino are the best places from above. It would be nice to be able to walk to restaurants and preferably have a lake view.

There are several hotels in the area, for all needs and budgets. The best way for you could be to consult the reviews of tripadvisor. Here you find also the links for reservations.