We learned where to stay at Lake Garda the hard way, in Sirmione. In 2024 we stayed outside the historic centre – a pool, free parking, about 2.5 kilometres from the centre. In 2025 and 2026, Daniel and I went back and slept right in the historic centre. In season, staying outside town works out a bit cheaper, but then you take the bus into the centre, or walk 35-45 minutes. And the experience of the town was completely different.
Every day we walked the same little streets, and every day it thrilled us all over again. When we stayed outside town, we always had to get into the centre first. Since then, at the lake we don’t pick a hotel first – we pick a place, because it’s the location and the parking that decide whether you actually enjoy your holiday.
We’ve covered a lot of ground around the lake: in some places we slept, in others we just stopped for the day. In this overview you’ll find seven towns. For each one we tell you which part to stay in and what the parking situation is like, and we add a link to our detailed article. If you’re still putting together your whole holiday, start with our guide to Lake Garda with kids – this article covers accommodation only.
Want to drive right up to your hotel? Around Garda that’s almost never possible. As in most Italian towns, the historic centres here have a ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato) – a limited-traffic zone that only cars with a permit may enter. It’s usually watched by cameras that read number plates. Just to give you an idea: in Sirmione, the fine for driving in without a permit is €83-333.
For you as a guest, that means:
ZTL in Sirmione: the whole historic centre is inside the ZTL, with a single entry point and cameras. In 2026 the summer rules apply from 23 March to 13 October, and on the busiest days (31 days in the season) the centre closes completely between 14:00 and 19:00, even to cars with a permit (Sirmione town council).
Sirmione is our favourite. A narrow spit of land juts out into the lake, and the historic centre at its tip is literally surrounded by water. There’s only one way in and out – across the bridge by Castello Scaligero. That’s why it can feel crowded during the day, with a queue at the gate. But the town makes up for the wait many times over.
Where we stayed: in 2024, at Hotel Vittoria outside the centre – with a pool and free parking, and we have no complaints about it. It was only a year later that we realised what we’d been missing by not staying in the centre. In the evening, once the day-trippers leave, the little streets of the centre are wrapped in the most heavenly calm. And in the morning you step out of the door straight into the spot everyone else is only just arriving at.
In 2025 and 2026 we stayed at Hotel Mavino. For me, it’s the best-located hotel in Sirmione – you’re a few minutes’ walk from the castle, the thermal spa, restaurants and the little train to Jamaica Beach. Reception is open round the clock, which we appreciated in 2026 when we arrived two days early and checked in at ten at night. Our second stay only confirmed it was a good choice: great staff, a bar and a solid breakfast, though with a smaller selection. Pay extra for a Superior room if you want the lake view – it’s the only room type that has one. It’s not the most expensive or the most luxurious hotel in Sirmione, but it’s definitely worth the money.
Parking if you’re staying in the centre: there’s no public parking in the historic centre, and most hotels don’t have their own. But hotels can arrange a space for you at Grifo Parking – note that this isn’t a public car park: you only get in with a QR code from your accommodation. At Mavino, a golf cart takes you from the car park to the hotel (and back again when you leave). If you’re only coming to Sirmione for a day trip, you park outside the gate.
Pros: evening calm in the centre, everything within walking distance, a 20-minute boat ride to Desenzano. Cons: crowds during the day and a queue at the single entrance. Your car sits at Grifo Parking for the whole stay, about a kilometre from the hotel.
We’ve written up what to see in Sirmione, where to eat and how much the castle and the thermal spa cost, in our article Sirmione: a treasure on Lake Garda. You’ll find a detailed review of Mavino in our article Italy by car: accommodation.
In the centre of Sirmione we got to know a completely different town from the one we saw from a hotel outside it – and in season it cost us only a little more.
You can compare current accommodation prices in Sirmione and the surrounding area directly on the map:
ZTL in Desenzano: since 1 February 2026, a new ZTL has been running on a trial basis in the historic centre, in Rivoltella and along the lakeside promenade. You may only drive in with a permit from the local police, and only Monday to Saturday, 6:00 to 10:00. Hotel and apartment guests get only a temporary permit for loading and unloading luggage. As it’s a trial, the rules may still change (Desenzano town council).
With around 30,000 residents, Desenzano is the largest town on the lake. It has a railway station on the Milan-Venice line and a harbour with boats running all over the lake – it actually struck us as bigger than the one in Sirmione. Thanks to the train, it’s the best base for anyone arriving at the lake without a car: you get off, you’re in town, and you can take a boat to Sirmione and beyond.
We came here from Sirmione by boat for the Tuesday market – the trip takes about 20 minutes, and a one-way ticket costs €3.50. If you’d like to stay right here, choose accommodation within walking distance of the harbour and the lakeside promenade.
Parking: if you do have a car, reckon on paid blue-zone parking around the centre (usually €2 an hour in season, payable from 9:00). Outside them parking is free, it’s just a 10-15 minute walk into the centre. So accommodation with its own parking is a big plus here.
Pros: the train, the harbour, a lively centre, the Tuesday market. Cons: it’s a town, not a romantic little village. And the new ZTL is still in a trial phase.
We cover the market, the boats, Villa Romana and parking in our article Desenzano del Garda: market, harbour and the boat from Sirmione. Desenzano lies on the Milan-Venice line, so you can take the train from here to Venice too. We cover what to see there in our article What to see in Venice.
You can compare current accommodation prices in Desenzano directly on the map:
ZTL in Lazise: the historic centre inside the walls has a ZTL, and the town council keeps a record of permits. The exact boundaries and hours aren’t clearly published on the town’s website, though – if you’re staying inside the walls, arrange entry and parking with your accommodation in advance.
Lazise surprised us with how calm it was. Our photo of the main street was taken at 9:23 in mid-August and shows only a handful of people – in Sirmione, in season, you’d already be queuing at the bridge by that time. The old core is small, walled, and has no single big square where everyone piles up.
Where we stayed: Hotel Giulietta Romeo, a few minutes’ walk from the harbour. In mid-August we paid €269 a night – BUT with the hotel’s own guarded parking, free of charge. So we didn’t have to worry about parking in Lazise at all, and once you work out what parking in the centre would have cost, the difference against a cheaper hotel with no parking shrinks a lot.
A cheaper option is the municipal campsite Camping Lazise right inside the historic core. In high season (12 July-22 August 2026) a pitch costs €22, plus €11.70 per adult per day, plus a €1 tourist tax (Lazise town council’s 2026 price list). South of the town, a whole strip of large campsites with pools and entertainment programmes runs along the shore.
Pros: calm, a historic centre, a direct boat to Sirmione, Gardaland ten minutes by car. Cons: there are few hotels compared to campsites, and in season they commonly cost over €200 a night. No nightlife.
We cover campsites, hotels and seasonal prices in detail in our article Where to stay in Lazise.
You can compare current accommodation prices in Lazise directly on the map:
ZTL in Bardolino: the camera-monitored ZTL runs from 1 March to 2 November in 2026 (and the town also switches it on over Christmas), but each gate has different hours. If you’re staying inside the zone, you may stop for 20 minutes with a parking disc, and your accommodation has to report your number plate to the council. You’ll find the schedule for each gate in our article on Bardolino.
We arrived in Bardolino with no great expectations, just another stop along the way. We left thinking it’s one of the most pleasant places on the lake. We expected a tourist trap with overpriced dinners – and found nothing of the sort. For me, it’s exactly the place to go when you’d rather have a quiet dinner by the water than a noisy terrace where every table is trying to out-shout the next.
Where to stay: within walking distance of the promenade, but outside the main ZTL. With apartments, always ask about parking – not every one has its own space, and without it you’ll be paying for a car park every day. Families will appreciate the four campsites right on the water, all with mobile homes.
Our tip: Piazzale Aldo Moro is disc-controlled during the day, but after 20:00 you can park there for free with no restrictions.
Pros: peace and quiet, wine and olive oil, a 15-minute boat ride to Garda for €3.50, a cycle path to Lazise and Garda. Cons: no castle or major sights. Anyone after nightlife will be bored.
You’ll find accommodation, thermal spas, beaches and parking in our article Bardolino: accommodation, thermal spas, beaches and what to see.
You can compare current accommodation prices in Bardolino directly on the map:
ZTL in Malcesine: the historic centre has had a pedestrian zone (Area Pedonale Urbana) with electronic gates since 2021, which works similarly to a ZTL (Malcesine town council). We couldn’t find published hours anywhere, so arrange access to your accommodation with the hotel in advance.
We drove to Malcesine from Sirmione for the Monte Baldo cable car. Along the eastern shore it’s about 65 kilometres, but in August, with the traffic jams on the way into town, it took us over two hours. At the Campogrande car park we grabbed one of the last 43 free spaces – ten minutes later a police officer was already turning cars away. We were lucky – next time we’d set off at least two hours earlier, and we’d advise you to do the same 🙂
Why are we telling you all this? Because the simplest solution is to sleep right in Malcesine, close to the lower cable car station. Then you can walk to the first cable cars of the morning and never have to worry about traffic jams or finding a space at all. Just watch out for the underground car park right by the cable car: after 19:30 you can’t collect your car from it until morning.
Pros: the cable car, a medieval centre with a castle by the water, a boat to Limone. Cons: in season, traffic jams on the way into town and few parking spaces.
We cover cable car prices, parking, queues and specific hotels near the cable car in our article Monte Baldo cable car from Malcesine: prices, parking and queues.
You can compare current accommodation prices in Malcesine directly on the map:
ZTL in Riva: the centre (“Riva Centro”) has a camera-monitored ZTL. If you’re staying inside it, your accommodation will issue you a permit only for the start and end of your stay – for loading and unloading luggage, with a maximum stop of 15 minutes (Riva del Garda town council).
Honestly, it never occurred to me that we’d ever make it to Riva. It was pure chance: we were driving from Limone to the waterfalls, saw the town from the car and decided to stop. We parked right in the centre for €8 a day – and after a short walk we knew we wanted to come back.
Who Riva works as a base for: active types. Thanks to the winds, it’s one of the best spots in Europe for windsurfing and kitesurfing, hiking trails into the mountains start just outside town, and you can reach Limone, Malcesine or Torbole by boat. The Cascate del Varone waterfalls are about five minutes from town.
Pros: mountains right behind the town, water sports, boats all over the north of the lake, a waterfall round the corner. Cons: far from Sirmione, Gardaland and the southern towns.
We’ve written up what to see in Riva and where to eat in our article Riva del Garda – beauty at the head of Lake Garda, and the waterfalls have a whole article of their own: Cascate del Varone.
You can compare current accommodation prices in Riva and near the Cascate del Varone waterfalls directly on the map:
ZTL in Limone: the whole historic centre, from the harbour to the lungolago Marconi, is inside the ZTL, and you can’t park inside it. So leave your car at your accommodation or in a paid car park near the centre (Limone sul Garda town council).
We drove to Limone from Sirmione along the western shore, which is about 60 kilometres. And honestly, the roads on the left side of the lake are completely different from the right side, where you’d drive to Malcesine, for example. The Gardesana Occidentale road is narrow and runs through dozens of tunnels, most of them cut straight into the rock. For me, as the passenger, it was wonderful. For Daniel behind the wheel, rather less so – dodging buses on the bends was quite a feat!
Along the way we saw only a handful of cyclists – we’d expected more. Then I noticed a long promenade for cyclists and pedestrians running along the lake. No cars, no scooters, just space where you can move around more freely with a view straight onto the lake. Limone is also the start of the famous stretch of the Ciclopista del Garda cycle path, opened in 2018 and bolted straight onto the rock face above the water.
The first time, we stayed at a hotel above Limone, reached by a steep uphill slog. So on our second visit we wanted to stay closer to the centre, but we left booking accommodation until the last minute, and in season the prices were higher than we’d budgeted for. We ended up about a kilometre from the centre. It was a pleasant walk, if shadeless – though there were plenty of shops along the way where we could cool off with some water. And we passed several bike and scooter rental places too. Bikes are big here, precisely because of that cycle path.
The centre itself was exactly as we’d expected: full of lemons, yellow everywhere you looked. If you want to see how lemons used to be grown here, drop into the Limonaia del Castèl – admission costs €2, children under 10 go free, and in summer it’s open daily until 22:00, in spring and autumn until 18:00 (Visit Limone sul Garda).
But here’s the important thing to say out loud: Limone’s centre isn’t big lengthwise, it’s big vertically. And that’s brutal. Limone is one big hill – every shop and restaurant except those on the promenade sits on a slope, and of course the best cafés have the steepest steps of all. I won’t lie, by the evening we were completely done in.
Limone isn’t for people with limited mobility. Away from the promenade, you won’t get far.
Our parking tip: just before the centre there’s a huge car park – if we’d known, we’d have driven there too. 😃 The town has three paid car parks near the centre; the first hour costs €3.50 and each additional hour €2.50 (2026 town council price list).
So, where to stay: if you want everything within walking distance, stay as close to the centre as possible – just be ready for steps. If you’ll be staying further out, choose accommodation with its own parking and walk into the centre along the flat lakeside route, or drive to the car park near the centre.
Pros: lemons, views, a cycle path above the lake, boats to Malcesine and Riva. Cons: steep little streets and steps, a narrow road with tunnels, expensive last-minute accommodation in season.
You’ll find a review of the hotel above Limone where we stayed on our Italy road trip in our article Italy by car: accommodation.
You can compare current accommodation prices in Limone sul Garda directly on the map:
| Town | Best for | Not for | Parking | Our article |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sirmione | couples, romance, thermal spas | anyone who can’t stand daytime crowds | only through your accommodation (Grifo Parking with a QR code) | Sirmione |
| Desenzano | no car, by train | anyone after village charm | paid blue zones, about €2/hour; free further from the centre | Desenzano |
| Lazise | peace and quiet, families, anyone camping | anyone after nightlife | choose accommodation with its own parking | Lazise |
| Bardolino | quiet evenings, wine | anyone after major sights | Aldo Moro free after 20:00 | Bardolino |
| Malcesine | Monte Baldo, mountains | anyone who can’t stand traffic jams | full in season, stay close to the cable car | Monte Baldo |
| Riva del Garda | active types, water sports | anyone planning to explore the south of the lake | we paid €8/day in the centre | Riva del Garda |
| Limone sul Garda | views, cyclists | people with limited mobility, nervous drivers | €3.50 for the first hour, €2.50 for each further hour | Limone sul Garda |
Where should I stay at Lake Garda on a first visit? For us, the south or south-east – Sirmione if you want romance, Lazise or Bardolino if you want peace and quiet and easier parking. From there you can reach most of the towns on the lake by boat.
Can I drive right up to a hotel in a historic centre? Usually only to unload your luggage, and with a permit your accommodation arranges for you. Without one you risk a fine for entering the ZTL. Always ask about this before you book.
Is it worth staying outside the centre to save money? It depends on the town. In Sirmione, not really – in season a hotel outside town works out a bit cheaper, but then you take the bus into the centre, or walk 35-45 minutes. In Lazise you’ll save more through the type of accommodation than through location: the municipal campsite right in the centre costs €47.40 a night for two in high season, while our hotel cost €269.
If we were coming to Lake Garda for the first time again, just the two of us, we’d stay in the historic centre of Sirmione and take the boat on day trips. With kids, we’d go for Lazise or Bardolino, and for the mountains and Monte Baldo, Malcesine or Riva. And in Limone, we’d head straight for the car park near the centre and leave the car there.
We recommend choosing the town first, then the location within the town, and only then the specific hotel. And if you want to plan your whole holiday by the lake, take a look at our guide to Lake Garda with kids.
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