We are planning a two week trip to n. Italy and Switzerland in July. Most of the trip has been planned but need help planning the first three days before our friends get there. We fly in to Venice so I think we will spend our first night there and see the main sights that first day. After overnighting it in Venice I am considering renting a car the next day (from the airport?) and then driving to malcesine for a two night stay. Thereafter the set plan is to meet up with our friends for a three night stay at hotel uhrerhof in ortesei to explore the dolomite region followed by a stay at lake como (3 nights) and Switzerland for 5 nights.

I know it's a very short stay in Venice but I don't think Venice is our thing .... Too crowded and we are pretty much interested in scenic views, pastoral setting etc. However not sure if we will ever go back so hate bypassing it completely.

Would appreciate your views on overall itinerary. Also how bad is the drive from Venice to malcesine. Should we rent a car at the airport or elsewhere?

Also has anyone stored luggage at marco polo airport? I was thinking that we can store our bags at the airport and pick it up along with a car on our way tomalcesine.

We are complete newbies to italy so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Fair point about Venice not being your thing, but at least you are giving it a little time - would be great to see you have 2 nights (ie one full day) just to appreciate it without the daytime crowds. If you are only staying one night, then stay in the thick of it in Venice, rather than the mainland.

You don't have to head back out to the airport just to rent a car. There are quite a few car rental places at/near Piazzale Roma, which is near the Santa Lucia train station (which has luggage storage facilities).

The drive Venice to Malcesine is only bad if you don't like scenery! The first part is along the Autostrade (highway) and will take you past Padova (Padua) and Verona if you wanted to do a little sightseeing along the way. From there you can either stick to the Autostrade (and stop for great coffee at any of the Fini or Autogrill stops!) and approach Malcesine from the north of Lake Garda. Or you can continue west past Verona and begin at the south of the lake, travelling north along the lake. There will be a little more in the way of slower traffic on this route, so keep that in mind if you need to get to Malcesine by a certain time.

Do you think you'll need a car at this stage ? A couple of years ago we went from Venice to Malcesine by public transport - train to Peschiera del Garda then bus, all very easy. Going back (we were flying out of Venice airport) we stayed on the bus to Verona & caught the train there. The bus stops just outside the railway station in both Peschiera & Verona.

Speaking personally, Malcesine is the only place I've stayed in Italy and not much liked (in 21 trips so far) and we are about to spend our 7th & 8th weeks in Venice where we'd really like to live, so our tastes evidently differ.

But I'd say 3 nights is really the bare minimum you should spend in Venice - there are a few very crowded points, especially during the daytime when the daytrippers are there - but you only need to get 1 or 2 streets away and it's fairly quiet and peaceful (no traffic !). With only 1 night you will most probably *only* see the horribly crowded spots and won't like it.

Have been to all the Garda towns and Malcesine

is not best to put it kindly

venice-tourism.com for me is awesome beautiful

spend time in residential Venice in the DorsoDuro

For me recently www.hotelpausania.it cute 59 euro/nt

Otel.com

www.sirmione.com Best at Garda not your town

Castle Termes cute shopping roman villa etc the

"pearl of lake Garda" head there closer to Venice if u go

Hotel Eden Sirmione my fav.

Train nice cheap tigercarrentals.com for car will be more

Venice off the beaten path is magical personally

for me u will be jet lagged relax do not push

enjoy your Venice time...