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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Anybody has been to Sardinia or lake Guarda?

65 replies

humphryscorner · 17/10/2013 15:03

I'm going to ask dh to take me for my birthday next year for my birthday I'm getting old and it's too fucking depressing to suffer it here

I'm going to take dd2 who will be one.

Anybody been loved/hated it. Where's the best place to go for food hot Italian men ect ..

OP posts:

Original poster

humphryscorner · 17/10/2013 15:04

Need to put my specs on clearly!

OP posts:

TheNunsOfGavarone · 17/10/2013 15:10

I went to Alghero a few years ago - pretty town with some lovely sandy beaches and boat-trips.

ButternutSquish · 17/10/2013 15:21

I've been to Lake Garda, specifically Limone. It's beautiful! I loved it. If you go to Riva there's a more sporty area with windsurfing and beach type area, down the other end there Sirmione which has a castle type building with a drawbridge. Lots of lovely villages in between. You can get the ferry around the lake to visit. Not far from Verona if you fancy a spot of proper shopping or opera in the amphitheater. I'd go back at the drop of a hat!

ErrolTheDragon · 17/10/2013 15:29

Lake Garda was the first foreign holiday DH and I had together. We stayed in a small hotel in Riva some way out of the centre - my favourite eating place was a little local pizzeria nearby.

Lovely place for a holiday - I'd like to go again though DD would probably just want to windsurf! We didn't do anything like that back then but enjoyed the pedalos.

In addition to the lake itself, we did a longish walk in the mountains, and took a cable car up to flower-strewn alpine meadows (I think it was about May/June).

MrsTerryPratchett · 17/10/2013 15:32

I used to spend a lot of my summers at Lago di Garda. Limone is beautiful, in fact the whole lake is. You can get to a lot of Northern Italy for side trips as well.

Original poster

humphryscorner · 17/10/2013 15:36

Ah sounds lovely!

I can't choose between the two.
Ideally we would be near beach/ lake authentic town, water sports not a massive feature though, small restaurants -taverns, some where quiet -ish, me and dh are early risers early to bed.

Did you find it expensive ?

Thanks

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LIZS · 17/10/2013 15:36

Been to Lake Garda twice. Beaches , paddling in lake , mountainous at northern end and windier for watersports, ferries to different towns. Malcesine has a castle and a cable car up the mountain and there is a kids' play area by the café. Couple of water/them parks on the south east corner. Sirmione is romantic and has Grotta di Catullo to explore. Reached 35-40oc mid August.

LIZS · 17/10/2013 15:38

We had about 15 years between visits, pre/post Eruo and recession, and yes it felt £££. Also went to Italy this year and again very expensive.

campocaro · 17/10/2013 15:41

Went to Alghero when DD was about 3. Loved it. Nice vibe in town and some pretty beaches. Locals very friendly and accepting of messy eater (pasta explosion, DD not us) Lots of little restaurants and nice strolls around town and by beach.

Oriunda · 17/10/2013 15:42

Two totally different regions food, climate and culture wise. In the south ie Sardinia people eat very late so you'd be hard pushed to find restaurants open for an early dinner. Lake Garda is in the north so I think would suit better. What time of year are you thinking of?

ohmymimi · 17/10/2013 15:51

I'm on the Garda team. It's a beautiful area, lots to do and see and plenty of holiday options available. You can do a river trip to Mantova in addition to some of the other activities mentioned above.

Original poster

humphryscorner · 17/10/2013 15:52

oriyunda what's late.......

I think I'm leaning towards Alghero but can only see large hotel type acc would like something small , intimate

They both look fantastic, I flew over lake Garda once and fell in love with it, always wanted to visit but looks like a two hour trip from airport??

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RhondaJean · 17/10/2013 15:53

We went to Garda on honeymoon almost 15 years ago! It was wonderful - loads to see and do, weather is good, food is great, everyone w so friendly.

Sardinia is on our hit list, I know a few people who have been this year and loved it, you should have a great time at either.

pixiepotter · 17/10/2013 15:55

You do realise that there is a whole talk section consisting of 9 boards devoted to travel.You don't have to post everything in AIBU.
Just sayin'....

Tinlegs · 17/10/2013 15:56

Have been to both. Would probably choose Lake Garda, give. The choice. Sardinia is beautiful but a bugger to get around. There is a big road up the middle (fast) but most roads to the coast are much, much slower so you can't easily explore the whole island. We camped in the south. Lake Garda is more interesting, more cosmopolitan etc. Sardinia is a great place for a beach holiday.

dobedobedo · 17/10/2013 15:56

Never been to either of those places, but we went to Lake Como. It's absolutely stunning there. If you stay in one of the non touristy towns it's really very reasonably priced. Best holiday we've ever had. Google Mandello del Lario. (train stops right there from Milan airport)

ErrolTheDragon · 17/10/2013 15:59

looks like a two hour trip from airport??

IIRC (I may not, it was over 25 years ago!) it was quite a long transfer from Milan.

dobedobedo · 17/10/2013 15:59

George Cloony lives on lake Como.....

dobedobedo · 17/10/2013 16:00

*Clooney

Supergeek · 17/10/2013 16:00

I've been to Sardinia 3 times, twice to Alghero and once camping and travelling all around. It's beautiful. Not cheap though sadly. The west coast is cheaper and a bit quieter, and the island is quite small so if you hire a car you can get to see quite a lot of it.

ColderThanAWitchsTitty · 17/10/2013 16:01

yabu

Chopstheduck · 17/10/2013 16:01

I love Garda, have been twice. There are some lovely restaurants about. We stayed at Bella Italia camp site one time in a caravan, and the on site restaurants were excellent. Bardolino has excellent wines just round the east side a bit, you can visit the winery, etc. Verona not far south. Even Venice or Milan is close enough for day trips (though personally didn't think Milan was worth the hype). Def rent a boat on the lake for half a day or so (they provide life jackets for children).

Doubtfuldaphne · 17/10/2013 16:02

Do NOT go to south Sardinia unless just to visit for the day!
I had my honeymoon there and there was nothing to do. Luckily we hired a car but even so the roads were lethal and we had nowhere to go. everywhere was shut. We took the coach to the north and it was the same. We did go at Easter though which was a mistake as they close down everything.
Lake Garda is so much better.
One good thing that came out of Sardinia however is the boredom resulted in our dd being born!
For Italy I recommend the Amalfi coast and ravello with a trip to the volcanic city of Pompeii and all the glamorous islands around there. Stay away from Naples though as it's pretty dangerous and intimidating!

Bunbaker · 17/10/2013 16:03

I would love to go to Sardinia, but have been to lake Garda twice in recent years. It is stunningly beautiful, the food is lovely and the people friendly.

I don't like large impersonal hotels and all inclusive type holidays, or holidays full of noisy hen/stag parties. Lake Garda ticks all the right boxes for me because it is a destination for couples and families and people who want to visit a country to enjoy its culture, food, sights etc, and it doesn't appeal to the all day English breakfast lover who just wants to get drunk and go our clubbing.

Two years ago we stayed in the town of Garda and loved it enough to go back to the lake. This year we stayed in Sirmione and loved it. You can get ferries to visit different towns round the lake, eat in nice little restaurants, eat loads of ice-cream and drink Aperol spritz by the lake.

It has to be one of my favourite holiday destinations.

LIZS · 17/10/2013 16:03

About 45mins from Verona airport to Lake Garda, longer in the high season as lakeside traffic is dreadful and motorway gets clogged at weekends with Europeans driving to and fro. West coast a bit longer. Milan is further , about 2 -21/2 hours

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