Verona/Lake Garda/Venice late July - help me with a plan!

[thesugarbumfairy]

Right. After days of stressing about where to take the teens (15, 18) this summer, I booked Italy. Flying into Verona. We have 10 nights - landing fairly early on a Thursday.

Now I need to figure out itinerary so that I can book accommodation. Please wise ones of mn help me out.

I want to spend most time in Lake Garda as my eldest does not like too much moving about (but my youngest does!) I really need somewhere with 2 bedrooms for the longer stay. Holiday park is fine, but any suggestions good - somewhere I can easily access the transport to Verona/Venice. My max for lets say 7 nights accommodation in Lake Garda is about 1.5k. But obviously a lot less would be better!
My eldest likes paddleboarding as I discovered last year in Slovenia. But mostly he likes lying down :) We need wifi.
My youngest up for most things. Activity suggestions welcome. I thought maybe a day at Gardaland.

Am thinking maybe one night in Verona (perhaps the first night) and one or two nights in Venice (possibly at the end of the holiday - then can get train back to Verona and bus to airport for 2pm)? I have flatly refused to drive this holiday as it stresses me out.

Anyone with some tips and suggestions?

I'd look at the first and last nights in Verona if you're flying into and out of there. Venice can be done as a day trip by train from Verona but nice to stay for a couple of days.

I think for Lake Garda you'd need to base yourself in one of the bases near Gardaland. We found, suprisingly, that the public transport isn't great around the lake. Buses are not all that frequent (every hour and a half and stopped fairly early) and were unreliable.

Having said that, we were there in September so maybe there's a more frequent summer service. ATV is the bus operator with the lake services as bus numbers 483 and 484. There are holiday parks dotted all around the lake.

Did a similar trip last year and lived in. Stayed 4 nights in Verona and 5 nights in Bella Italia park on lake Garda. Train trip to Venice, trains link all 3. Bus/taxi to Bella Italian from peschiara (spelling probs wrong) was easy. Highly recommend

Don't be tempted to stay at the camps/holiday village near peschiera del Garda (walkable to Gardaland) , absolutely horrible , lake water was nasty, long walk to anywhere you could use the lake. Village centre was not great. Only place Italians were incredibly rude - taxi driver ranting on after I gave directions and guy in gardaland shouting about tourists. Horrible and I would never stay there again. We've been all over - malcesine would be my choice for the cable car and decent ferries.

Bella Italia is great - right on the lake for watersports and you can get the train from Peschiera to Verona and Venice. Also the ferry all around the lake

Venice will be hot and very very busy - I'd think in advance about what you want to do there beyond just mooching about. Standing in a hot queue in St Mark's Square is not fun, if it can be booked in advance then book in advance.

The arrival to Venice by train is amazing, crossing the lagoon and arriving straight onto the Grand Canal.

If your eldest likes paddleboarding there are definitely businesses doing paddle boarding in the canals.

Verona is £££ in opera season, we were shocked by how much extra it was to stay in Verona.

thank you for comments so far.

Desenzano is lovely and on the main train line. Easy to get ferries to the lower part of the lake too. Sirmione was a highlight. I would probably go to Venice first then do a week on Lake Garda and 1 night in Verona on the way back. A day there is enough really. The amphitheatre, the Romeo and Juliet bits and the funicular.

I think my plan is to stay in Desenzano for the main part and work around that.

Peschiera has hotels, self catering apartments and mobile homes. Easy trip to Verona by bus or rail. Stay as close to the lake as you can. Desenzano is a bit less family orientated but very pleasant.

I stayed in Garda itself - lovely little town loads of restaurants and caught the bus everywhere which was good but busy. Not sure about watersports on the lake there though. Loved Verona - went to Venice a few weeks ago - very, very busy so l would be tempted ro get that part over and done with first.

Sounds like a wonderful trip op, enjoy x

We went to camping lido lazise in 2019. Really good slides. On lake garda with restaurants on the lake and WD to a little village at the camp site entrance with more restaurants. Lots of Danish. The photo of the site on TA is woeful. I can't understand how the owners don't change it. Small ish camp site.
Aqua fit etc
Small stage for entertainment. The site Is slap bang in the middle between garda land and movie land. Both really good. You could see the roller coasters at the top of the slides. Pedalos for hire at the lake. Lake garda so so beautiful.

Went on bus to lazise. Reminded me so much of venice
If you do go. Skip the site restaurants and head down to the lake side. Brilliant holiday
Be careful there are 2 different camping lido. The one we went to has a 4 lane slide plus a swirly one and one more. We ended up loving the lake and on pedalos every second day .enjoy

We stayed at Cisano San Vito with Eurocamp last summer. Flew into Verona - hired a car and it was about 40 mins drive. We drove to Gardaland for a day and had a great time. Site has a brilliant pool (two actually but one has fewer slides) and direct lake access. Walkable (sweaty but doable in day) to Bardolino around the lake - lots of cafes/restaurants on the way. We had a great time.

Following with interest as also planning similar next year

Verona is lovely! If you're going in July you might catch the end of the opera season!

Easy to get trains between venice/verona/garda. Cheap and straightforward.

Once you're at lake garda you can catch ferries to other places.

Personally I'd have 2 nights in verona, depending on flight times and just visit Venice for one day as it will be heaving, hot and very smelly!!

So I have a vague accommodation plan now I have my head around what I want. Next step is activities!

We land in Verona, but I plan to get train straight to Venice.
Stay in Venice 2 nights hotel Caprera

Then to Desenzano. Have booked various accommodation options as not totally decided, but probably going for an apartment as its more suited to us and as we are there 6 nights. I haven't totally decided on one, as access to a pool is very tempting - but I would rather be comfy with a bit of space, and no sofa-beds involved if poss. I don't think we need to be on a holiday park/somewhere hugely family friendly - as the boys are older. I need wifi, aircon, 3 comfy beds not in the same room if poss, preferably a washing machine, and nice & close to town and station. I have trawled the sites and god getting everything on my list for my budget is apparently impossible!

Final two nights will be in Verona in nuevo opera rooms. Or I can cut this to one night and do 7 nights in Desenzano.

I will work everything else around that schedule. Day trips on ferries, parks etc.