GAC

Complete bus schedules and fares from Verona to the Eastern shore of Lake Garda can be found at www.apt.vr.it

Line 62-64 is the popular Verona to Riva del Garda route, which passes through Lazise, Bardolino, Garda, Torri del Benaco, Malcesine and Torbole. Travel time to Garda 1 hr (3.00 Euros); 2 hrs. to Riva del Garda (5.00 Euros). Buses run roughly hourly, fewer on Sundays. Buses depart from Verona's bus station which is 100 yards from the Verona Porta Nuova train station. Newer buses have air conditioning. Lakeshore road is very scenic.

Jocelyn_P

Thank you!!! I'm planning a trip to Verona and I was hoping to do something like that.

Jocelyn_P

GAC or anyone else,

We will take a day trip to Lake Garda from Verona. We were originally thinking of just going to Sirmione and hanging out there (strolling, reading, eating), but is it worth the extra time to go up to Riva del Garda instead? We will be taking a day trip up to Trento later in the week, so we'll see some of the Dolomiti there.

Ingo

I think you should go further up towards the northern end of Lake Garda. The scenery changes dramatically - mountains! I suggest you head to Malcesine (by ferry), which is a nice old town (although sometimes crowded) and maybe make a ride by cable car up to Monte Baldo for fantastic views.

Ingo

ellenem

Jocelyn

We took the bus from Verona to Sirmione for the day. We were traveling very slow with no need to fit in tons of sites. Sirmione has a quaint looking center entered across a moat, although the road leading to it is very lakeside-resorty with hotels and parking. Lots of gift shops in the center of town and such, then you can walk out to the end of the peninsula where it is less developed for views of the lake. The lake is wide here, so the mountainous cliffs are some distance away. I haven't visited Riva di Garda, but it is located in a much more picturesque location. (My traveling companion was recovering from a near-fatal accident, so a shorter bus ride was more comfortable for her.) We traveled on a Sunday in mid-June and ran into a good deal of traffic, especially heading back to Verona in the late afternoon.

GAC

The topography of Lake Garda changes tremendously from south to north. Riva is distinct from Sirmione. It would indeed be worthwhile to travel north along the eastern short to Riva, then turn back to Sirmione (where you really only need 90 minutes), and finally return to Verona. It's a long day: plan on 5 hours on the bus, (not including connecting time in Peschiera) plus 90 minutes in each of Riva and Sirmione. You could also substitute Malcesine for Riva, and save one hour of travel time (round trip). Also, the bus company from Verona to Sirmione is SIA Lines, whereas to Malcesine/Riva is APT Verona. You will need to purchase FOUR tickets: Verona to Riva; Riva to Peschiera; Peschiera to Sirmione; and Sirmione to Verona. The first two tickets are on the APT Verona Bus Line; the last two are on the SIA Bus Line.

bobthenavigator

Yes, see Riva and Malcesine if you can.

Jocelyn_P

Wow, what great, detailed info! I'll print this out to take with us and see what we feel like doing that day. We'll be there on a Monday in May, so hopefully the traffic won't be too bad.

GAC, big thanks for all the specifics about changing buses.

One more question. If we want to see Malcesine AND Riva, as Bob the Navigator suggested, can we hop off the bus at Malcesine, catching the next one to Riva around an hour later? I don't care if it's a few Euros difference here or there.

GAC

If you hop off the bus in Malcesine, you'll need to purchase a new ticket to continue on to Riva (better to buy a ticket to Malcesine, then a second ticket for the onward trip). The difference in cost is truly marginal. I would also suggest printing a copy of the relevant bus schedules and carry them with you.

Jocelyn_P

GAC, I've printed out the APT bus schedule; do you know of a website for the SIA lines?

GAC

My error: the name of the bus company operating between Verona and Sirmione is SAIA (not SIA). Service is hourly. When I travelled last summer, the one way fare was 2.75 Euros. The service is slow (but reliable), as the bus travels on the narrow undivided highway which gets backed up on the weekends and at rush hour. Schedules:

www.saiatrasporti.it