The largest lake in Italy, located at the junction of three Italian provinces: Trentino, Veneto, and Lombardy. It’s a mecca for cyclists, but as it turns out, not just for them. There are so many attractions around Garda that it could easily fill a trip lasting at least several weeks.
O tym przeczytasz
Driving to Lake Garda
This idea came to us quite spontaneously, as most of our ideas do. However, in this case, the spontaneity and pace of preparations even overwhelmed us. We had to postpone the trip by a week so that we wouldn’t have to rush everything. And there was a lot to organize, as our plans were ambitious: a rooftop tent, five bikes, a dog, a trailer for Basia, and for the first time, a dog trailer, a hammock, a second tent. You may ask, how did we fit all of this? Well, we’re still wondering how we managed, but it was mainly thanks to our over ten years of experience in packing car Tetris and, to be fair, the spaciousness of our Volvo XC90.
Loaded to the roof, we set off on a 1,500-kilometer journey to Lake Garda.
How to get to Garda from Poland?
There are a few routes from Poland to Lake Garda. If you are traveling from central or eastern Poland, the GPS will probably direct you through the Czech Republic, Austria, and then into Italy. Another option is to go through the Czech Republic, a bit of Germany, Austria, and Italy. The second option is visually stunning, even from the highway, but it is also more expensive—you’ll need to buy an extra ticket for the bypass around Innsbruck (€11) in addition to the Austrian vignette.
If you have more than one driver, you can attempt the route in one go. On the way to Garda, we stopped in Graz (Austria), but on the way back, we drove straight through. The second option is exhausting due to sleep deprivation, but for the first time, we both agreed that we had never driven as comfortably as in the Volvo.
Family Camping at Garda
The plan from the beginning was to stay at a campsite. However, we didn’t know which one or where exactly. Now we know that Lake Garda can be divided into two main areas. The south—warmer, highly touristic, crowded—and the north—cooler, less crowded, intimate, perfect for active parents. There are few campsites on either side of the lake.
Our friend Marta helped us choose a campsite, and that’s how we ended up at the best (so far) campsite we’ve ever been to—Camping Zoo in Arco. Cozy, clean, located in a quiet area, with a family-friendly and, most importantly for us, active approach to life. There are three saunas (including one for families), hot baths, pools (one with warm water for children). It’s pet-friendly—they even have an obstacle course for dogs. After 11 years of life, our dog Makaron got the chance to walk on a balance beam.
The campsite also features a climbing wall, a very good restaurant, a grocery store with fresh bread, and prices similar to those in the nearest town, Arco.
What to do with kids at Lake Garda?
Our kids would probably shout in unison: eat ice cream, pizza, and pasta. And there’s a lot of truth in that, because in Italy, it’s hard not to be impressed by the food! But Garda offers much, much more.
Cycling with kids at Garda
We’ve described our cycling routes with kids around Garda in a separate post. But yes, cycling is what drew us to Garda. Especially the northern part of the lake is a paradise for every type of cyclist. Planning routes is made much easier by the Garda Trentino website. However, what you’ll need when cycling around Garda, whether with or without kids, is a map. There are so many bike routes that navigating through the maze of signs is extremely difficult. We got lost or veered off the designated route several times.
If you want to ride along breathtaking trails, be aware that there are significant elevation changes. If you don’t regularly cycle uphill as a hobby, leave your regular bike at home. Our older kids (unlike us, unfortunately) brought their electric Woom Up 5 and 6 bikes from Warsaw, and it was a brilliant decision. After struggling with the elevations on the first day, we decided to rent e-bikes (€35 per day/bike).
By the way, Ryszard Kulik, in his brilliant book Wystarczająco dobre życie (A Good Enough Life), perfectly describes how we felt on regular bikes without assistance on the routes around Garda:
“To go downhill, you first have to go uphill. Climbing uphill is earning the right to descend.”
And for those descents and the pleasure they bring, it’s definitely worth the climb.
Via Ferrata at Garda with kids
Just 800 meters from Camping Zoo, you’ll find a spot where you can take the kids for a real adventure—Via Ferrata on Monte Colodri. Ferratas are mountain paths where you climb while clipped into a rope. It’s a bit of a combination of rock climbing and mountain trekking. At the bottom, for €15 (with a 15% discount from Camping Zoo), you can rent a helmet, harness, and carabiners to clip into the rope along the trail.
You can take kids from 7 years old on the ferrata. However, no one will stop you from bringing along a capable 6-year-old, as height, not age, is the limiting factor. The rope to clip into can sometimes be too high for a child, and the gaps on the metal ladders may also be insurmountable.
The entire adventure (climbing + the return route through Arco—you descend on the other side of the mountain) took our kids 2 hours. The views are worth the effort, as is often the case with climbing.
You can also just relax…
Now we’ve probably stirred up families, as the words “relax” and “child” usually don’t go together. Well, in this case, they do. Our kids ran around the campsite on their own—either on the playground or the climbing wall. They quickly made friends. We’d just get messages like, “I’m going to…” or “We’re heading to…” It was hard to drag them into their sleeping bags.
Since the campsite is located by the Sarca River (the only tributary of Lake Garda), you can just send the kids with a hammock to the river (or stream), where they can throw stones or make friends with the local goats and sheep. Perfect. This break is also handy for recharging after cycling or climbing.
… or get lost in Arco or Riva del Garda.
If you have an image of Italian towns in your mind, Arco and Riva del Garda will perfectly fit that picture. Riva del Garda (40 minutes by bike from Camping Zoo) is located right by the lake and is much more crowded, but still charming. After spending two years in Thailand, we didn’t realize how much we had missed the beauty of medieval and Renaissance European architecture, the fresh scents, and the cobblestone streets. It’s divine.
As for Arco, which has a more outdoor vibe (the number of stores, cafes, and restaurants offering climbing, cycling, and hiking gear even surprised us), you can walk there from the campsite, but to reach Riva, you’ll need a bike—the road is quite straightforward and about 7 km to the lake.
Lake Garda with kids in September
We unanimously agreed that Garda with kids in September is the perfect idea. The biggest crowds are gone, it’s still warm and pleasant. There’s fantastic food (after all, it’s Italian), and plenty of activities, which is what we love most. Generally, there’s enough to do for at least a few weeks. We highly recommend it and will definitely return! After all, we still have plenty of activities to explore: kitesurfing, sailing, rock climbing, or trekking in the mountains!
