hotels around lake Garda

bobinski

Hi,

looking now at booking a family holiday, me, partner and 2 boys aged 5 and 13 years. Lake Garda looks good. would be travelling by Train and hoping to avoid hiring a car. So Hotel has to be cyclist and family friendly and probably pretty close to the Lake too. i really want my family to have options to do things easily while i might be cycling. oh, and the food has to be excellent! I have been warned. My experience of similar hotels is the Belvedere in Rimini which is quite superb and my family wont settle for anything less.

Any advice on options most welcome

cheers

dilemna

Not sure about meeting all your requirements, but hotels on Lake Garda are NOT cheap. Have you thought about camping? Which side of Lake Garda and top, bottom or middle of either side do you wish to be based? It is a pretty big lake. Steep hills mountains on the west side and to the north toward the top which is a windsurfing mecca for local Italians.

bobinski

My partner loves camping so that's not out of the question. As to which part i had not got that far... will have a look.
ta

andymiller

I always find booking.com very useful for booking hotels in Italy (although often many reviews are in Italian).

Alternatively try:

http://www.albergabici.it/albergab/index.htm

For campsites try alanrogers.com or the ACSI website which I think is something like eurocampings.com.

Are you planning to take the bikes by train?

bobinski

ta. Looks interesting.

I really hope so. Rail Europe say should be fine.

thecrofter

We've stayed at Garda a few times, although I've never been lucky enough to have my bike with me. If your thinking of camping we stayed at Camping Eden at Portese. It's quite a large site now, it has three swimming pools and a selection of tents and statics (most with air con) We booked through Canvas Holidays although I think Eurocamp and the others also have some spaces there.

Portese is a quiet wee village, in the evening you can stroll down to the harbour, the restuarants have great fish as you would expect, and in common with everywhere in Italy they are very child friendly. Portese is great because it's one of the stops for the water buses so you can access the rest of the Lake. I would thoroughly recommend a visit to Salo just across the bay, lots of Milanese strutting their stuff and showing off their expensive cars/motorbikes/boats.

As for cycling, once you get off the main road round the Lake which can be pretty busy, it would be a fantastic area for it, there are some really awesome climbs with secluded hanging valleys at the top, villages with small family run Trattorias......

I think you can tell it's probably my favourite holiday destination

bobinski

thecrofter wrote:

We've stayed at Garda a few times, although I've never been lucky enough to have my bike with me. If your thinking of camping we stayed at Camping Eden at Portese. It's quite a large site now, it has three swimming pools and a selection of tents and statics (most with air con) We booked through Canvas Holidays although I think Eurocamp and the others also have some spaces there.

Portese is a quiet wee village, in the evening you can stroll down to the harbour, the restuarants have great fish as you would expect, and in common with everywhere in Italy they are very child friendly. Portese is great because it's one of the stops for the water buses so you can access the rest of the Lake. I would thoroughly recommend a visit to Salo just across the bay, lots of Milanese strutting their stuff and showing off their expensive cars/motorbikes/boats.

As for cycling, once you get off the main road round the Lake which can be pretty busy, it would be a fantastic area for it, there are some really awesome climbs with secluded hanging valleys at the top, villages with small family run Trattorias......

I think you can tell it's probably my favourite holiday destination

Yes!

Now to spend a morning at work looking the campsite up...

cheers

thecrofter

http://www.canvasholidays.co.uk/emails/ ... /GA02A.pdf

As I said other campsite suppliers are available

bobinski

thecrofter wrote:

http://www.canvasholidays.co.uk/emails/campsite-guides/GA02A.pdf

As I said other campsite suppliers are available

darn...you mean i have to get on with my work now?!?

Many thanks

Bob

dilemna

If camping I would go for the western side as it is far nicer IMHO. There are numerous nice campsites around Salo just south and north, Toscalano. I would NOT recommend riding the road north of Salo up to Torbole at the northern tip as it can be very busy and there are several tunnels. About half way up the western side the hills become mountains and the cliff faces dramatically drop straight down to the lake and the road is cut into the rock face. There are a few climbs you can do up small roads going up and away from the lake but they are ball breakingly steep like 1 in 3 jobs, but there are wonderful views, villages and trattorias and cafes at the top for all your struggle. I wouldn't advise making your family cycle up them unless you want a mutiny on your hands. You will need MTBs for sure. You can also hire boats, canoes and windsurfers from many campsites and you may well be able to get tuition as well, if you book with say Eurocamp they may offer tuition. They used to have a windsurfing instructor at their campsite in Toscalano but this was a few years ago now so might not be the case any longer.

Lake Garda is a stunningly beautiful area especially in spring early summer. Lago d'Idro is worth visiting plus the other small lakes around. Ice Age Man was found near Arco just north of Torbole in the mountains. You must visit Verona and Brescia as well. Sirmione right at the southern end of the lake on a promontary is worth a visit too although it is the hangout for lots of loaded chic Italians on weekends especially sundays and is very expensive.

Isn't there a long distance dedicated cycle path from the Alps to Venice that goes past Lake Garda? AndyMiller has mentioned it a few times iirc. One day I plan to ride it.

When are you planning to go on this holiday? The train journey would be awesome if you went through the Alps - slow but stunningly beautiful.

HTH.

bobinski

That is all very helpful.

I am researching travelling via the Alps by train. We travelled to Rimini by train last year and Venice this year so used to and not at all worried about train travel. Will be easier to take my bike too

I think we will stay away fro Sirmione though. Looks hellish in August.

cheers

dilemna

bobinski wrote:

That is all very helpful.

I am researching travelling via the Alps by train. We travelled to Rimini by train last year and Venice this year so used to and not at all worried about train travel. Will be easier to take my bike too

I think we will stay away fro Sirmione though. Looks hellish in August.

cheers

Aye, as indeed much of the roads and towns are around the lake at weekends - rich Italians and Germans posing .....

andymiller

bobinski wrote:

That is all very helpful.

I am researching travelling via the Alps by train. We travelled to Rimini by train last year and Venice this year so used to and not at all worried about train travel. Will be easier to take my bike too

You're a veteran then. I must admit I can't see a way to go using day trains that doesn't involve having to make an overnight stop somewhere. As far as the might trains are concerned I've decided to try DeutscheBahn-OBB because I'm so fed up with the artesia-Trenitalia service.

There is a long distance bike route but it goes via Lake Garda rather than Lake Como.

cobbslane

Hi
Just got back from Lake Garda 2 days ago. We stayed on a superb last minute package in Limone (HB, 4*, £420 with Inghams) BUT if you wish to bike then you must be in Riva or Torbole which are at the north end. NOT Limone, Malcesine or south of there.
99% of people there are German. All signs are in German, most beer is German and whilst everyone speaks English they cater mostly for...Germans! Nevertheless here are a few very useful facts:
1. Bike hire is everywhere - Specialized, S-Works, Cube, Cannondale - all nearly new bikes. Best grade MTB for 127Euro per week (Cannondale Jekyll etc) to road bike CAAD-8 for 105Euro per week (7 days). Includes usual repair kit, helmet etc. Great set-up and orgainsation.
2. Organised rides everywhere but cost is high. You can bikebus to start for downhills at 59Euro for min 4 people but very well organised.
3. All MTB done at north end of lake with tons of good info available and clear guides if you speak German or Italian. Cycling is 80% MTB and 20% road btw.
4. Roads are typical Italian and busy but they expect to see cyclists. Good off road cycleways too for family runs out of Torbole. Torbole to Riva short trip on cycleways, great for kids and families as it is safe and picturesque along beaches.
5. Very popular is the trip by ferry which goes from Riva-Torbole -Limone - Malcesine. The return Limone - Riva trip is 6Euro each with an adder (think it's 5Euro) for a bike. Takes 30mins each way. Lots of people take single ferry to Limone or Malcesine and cycle back. (about 15km) Cheap but it depends on your kids abilities on busy roads.
6. Lots of cycle gear at expensive prices. If you want a Lezyne pump for example then most shops have a complete display of the entire range - great to see - but 20% more expensive than in UK. Bike clothing similarly expensive although there is a good sales shop next to the Garda Bike shop in Riva that offers high discount. You will see Castelli, Gore and Nalini but little else there. Certainly not Santini which i was after!.
7. EVERYONE wears lycra and not MTB gear as in the UK. And it gets very hot - 32deg last week with full sun most days. By everyone I mean everyone. I can now prove categorically that Assos makes 7XL gear as there was this lady.....mmm! The strength of modern materials!
8. European riders do believe that they have right of way btw as most cycle paths are also walkways. Even though it looks naff, a bell would be useful.

Flying into Verona the transfer by bus takes about 1.5 - 2hrs and you will feel as if you are on a Saga holiday as the average visitor age from UK is 65+. The 'foreigners' though make up for this as their enthusiasm for cycling is infectious and people of all ages are on bikes. Riva is 'Bike City' Italian style with parties of bikers cycling right down to the harbour constantly and into the cafe's for a cool beer or cappucino before taking off again. Why don't we have that over here! Oh yes It rains...
Flying out of Verona is a nightmare as the queues for check-in are hundreds of feet long and after that there is a 200m (I do not exagerate) long queue for security and then a 100m long queue for passport control before your gate. Leave masses of time for the airport and don't be late as you'll have no chance.

If you are interested then German beer of all types is 4Euro for 400ml, a G&T (not a cyclists drink I know but I had the missus with me) was 7Euro each. Aperol Spritz is a refeshing local standard (Cinzano, etc) is 3.5Euro and Coke etc is 2.5Euro everywhere. Service in the bars etc is absolutely excellent. The whole place is spotless - even the back streets. Toilets in bars are brilliantly clean everywhere - and remember this is high season. However, do be prepared to squat over those continental style stand-up-only-hole-in-the-floor-types but if you are saddle sore then you may prefer that:)
Water can be drunk in the hotels (we filled up our bottles from the tap everyday and put them in the room fridge and saved 1Euro per time. And there are free running water fountains in the streets which can also be drunk as we did problem free.
Eating out is expensive too if you do it the Itailan way with 4 courses. Lunch is usually a handheld slice of pizza in the street for 2Euro and a can for 1.5Euro. Shops selling this are everywhere and it is delicious. If you shop around you'll get Lasagne for 8Euros but anything fancy starts with a 1.
Think that's all. Hope that helps and if you do go you will not be disappointed as it is extremely picturesque as well as great for cycling.
Enjoy!
Gerry