How to Get Around Lake Garda Without a Car: Everything You Need to Know

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When I first started planning our trip to Lake Garda without a car, I quickly became overwhelmed by the logistics. You don’t quite realise just how big the lake is until you start looking at where everything is and how to get from one town to another.

My first thought was that hiring a car would be the easiest option. But after spending hours researching car hire companies, insurance, and parking, I found myself feeling even more overwhelmed. It felt like I was creating more stress than I was solving!

In the end, we decided to see if we could explore Lake Garda without a car—and I’m so glad we did. It turned out to be much easier than I expected, with ferries, buses, and cable cars making it simple to get between many of the lake’s most beautiful towns.

That’s exactly why I wanted to write this guide. If you’re wondering whether you can visit Lake Garda without a car, I’ll share everything we learned, the best ways to get around, and a few tips to make planning your trip as easy as possible.

Can you visit Lake Garda without a car?

Yes! In fact, I’d recommend skipping the car if you’re planning to explore several towns.

During the summer months, roads around the lake can become very busy and parking is often limited, especially in popular destinations like Malcesine, Limone sul Garda and Sirmione. Public transport is well connected and allows you to enjoy the scenery without worrying about traffic or finding a parking space.

Getting to Lake Garda from the Airport – Read my blog post on this!

The best ways to get around Lake Garda

Ferries

If you’re visiting Lake Garda, taking the ferry isn’t just a way to get from A to B—it’s part of the experience, as you see the lake from a different angle.

The ferry network connects many of the lake’s most popular towns, making it easy to explore without a car. Along the way you’ll enjoy incredible views of the mountains, pretty towns and crystal-clear water.

Popular ferry routes include:

• Torbole to Limone sul Garda
• Riva del Garda to Limone sul Garda
• Riva del Garda to Torble
• Trouble to Malcesine
• Malcesine to Limone sul Garda
• Malcesine to Riva del Garda
• Limone sul Garda to Riva del Garda

Top tip: Some towns have more than one ferry stop, so double-check which one your ferry departs from before travelling.

You can even get from Riva del Garda to the south of the lake Pescihera del Garda. Although the boat is 5 hours so its a long one, but shows you have you can travel without needing a car.

You can book ferries here.

Should you buy a ferry pass?

If you’re planning to visit several towns in one day, a day pass can work out better value than buying individual tickets.

However, if you’re only making one or two crossings, single tickets are usually the cheaper option.

Check the latest prices and timetables before you travel, as services vary throughout the year.

Buses

Buses cover much of Lake Garda and are ideal for travelling between towns that aren’t connected by ferry.

They’re also useful if you’re arriving from nearby cities such as Verona or Rovereto which are great for getting to Verona airport.

Although buses are affordable, they can get very busy during peak season, so allow extra time and be prepared for queues. The buses can also be late by we didn’t experience many issues.

We got the bus from Garda to Torbole and it went along the lake shore. It was such a pretty journey and it was 5 euro each. The buses can bit longer especially if people are getting on and off at stops, but we found the bus to the North wasn’t as long as we expected it to be. For the bus times, I used Google maps to plan our routes. Some towns such as Garda have a bus station where the employees will be able to help you with your journey.

If the town has a bus station, you will be able to buy your tickets there or at the bus station ticket machine. You can pay for the buses by card with tapping on or via cash.

Walking

Many lakeside towns are compact and easy to explore on foot. Places like Riva del Garda, Torbole, Limone sul Garda and Malcesine all have beautiful promenades, historic streets and plenty of cafés and restaurants within walking distance.

Most of the lake is walkable, We stayed in Garda and walked to Bardolino which is about 3-4km walk which takes around 50mins – 1 hour. In the north we stayed in Torbole and would walk to Riva on an evening and it would take us around 45 minutes from our hotel. Great for walking off that late night pasta!

There are also several scenic walking routes connecting nearby attractions, including the famous Busatte-Tempesta Trail and sections of the lakeside cycling and walking path.

Cycling

Cycling is a great way to explore parts of Lake Garda, especially in the north of the lake where dedicated cycle paths and quieter roads make riding more enjoyable. It’s also easy to get around in the South of the Lake, we stayed in Garda and cycled to Lazise which was such a nice cycle and went past a couple of towns. Many towns offer bike and e-bike hire, allowing you to cover more ground while taking in the scenery at your own pace. Just keep in mind that some lakeside roads can be narrow and busy during the summer months. 

The lake does not have a cycle path the whole way round, therefore make sure to plan your route beforehand in case you end up on a busy road with no cycle path

Trains

Although there is no railway running directly around Lake Garda itself, trains make it easy to reach the lake and nearby cities.

Stations such as Peschiera del Garda and Desenzano del Garda on the southern shore, as well as Rovereto to the north, are well connected to Verona, Milan and Venice. From these stations, regular buses and ferries provide convenient onward travel to the towns.

These stations are great for when you arrive from the airport to get to Lake Garda. You can easily get tickets at the station via the machine or ticket desk. You can also book trains via the trainline app.

Cable Cars

Cable cars is another of exploring the lake especially if you don’t have a car in lake Garda and want to do some hiking. One of the main attractions of northern Lake Garda is taking the cable car from Malcesine up to Monte Baldo. We didn’t actually do this as decided to do a hike which was walking distance from Torbole called Busatte-Tempesta.

From research, Monte Baldo offers amazing panoramic views over the lake, and once you reach the top you’ll find walking trails, mountain huts and viewpoints.

Is Lake Garda easy to get around?

Yes absolutely, Lake Garda is very easy to get around without a car.

Using a combination of ferries, buses and walking meant we could visit multiple towns without the stress of driving or finding parking. The ferry journey was also one of the highlights of the trip and gave some of the best views of the lake.

If you’re visiting between late spring and early autumn, you’ll have plenty of transport options, making it easy to explore at your own pace. In the summer months the transport will be busier so always bear that in mind.

My top tips for getting around Lake Garda

Stay in one town and public transport or walking/cycling for day trips. We stayed in Garda in the South and then stayed in Torbole in the North of the lake. This was easier for us exploring the full lake than you can cycle or get the buses or ferries to towns closer by.

Top Tips:

• Book accommodation close to a ferry terminal or bus stop.

• Download ferry and bus timetables before you travel.

• Allow extra time during July and August, as services can be busy.

• Wear comfortable shoes—you’ll do more walking than you think!

• If you’re planning to visit Monte Baldo, arrive early to avoid long queues for the cable car. (we actually didnt visit Monte Baldo as we couldnt fit this into our trip but I found this onresearch)