AIRPORTS
Lake Garda is situated in an area very well served by public transport, and also very rich in airports: in fact, it is located on the border between Lombardy and Veneto, and is connected to the main cities of these two regions (Milan, Venice and Verona) by a dense network of trains and buses.
So don’t worry if you’re coming by plane: getting to your destination on the lake won’t be difficult at all. Here are our suggestions on how to get to Lake Garda by plane: it’s time to plan you trip!
What is the nearest airport to Lake Garda?
Verona is undoubtedly the nearest airport to Lake Garda, but is it always the best choice? It depends.
First of all, it depends on where you are heading on Lake Garda, since it has an area of 370 square kilometers (143 square miles) and 150 km (93 miles) of coastline, divided into three regions.
Secondly, it depends on where you take off, because of course not all the airports in the area are served by the same companies and are therefore not involved in the same routes.
Finally, the means by which you will move once you land in Italy is also an element to consider: if you do not rent a car, it may be more convenient to an airport further away, but better served by public transport.
The closest airports to Lake Garda are:
Verona Catullo is the closest airport to Lake Garda, but – as we said – the choice depends on where you take off and where you’re heading to. It is located in Sommacampagna, not far from the city of Verona, which is connected by a shuttle bus.
This shuttle will take you to Verona Porta Nuova railway station, the main hub of the city: from here you can move by bus to reach the destinations of the eastern shore of Lake Garda (precisely, that of Verona), or by train to reach the south coast.
In conclusion, Verona Catullo airport is ideal if you have to reach the Verona shore, of course, as well as the southern shore (therefore, towns like Desenzano, Sirmione, Peschiera or Lazise). You can also use it to reach Garda Trentino, the area in the north, but we do not recommend it to reach the Upper Lake Garda on the Brescia side, in the west.
The distance from Bergamo to Lake Garda is about 80 km (50 miles), so it’s not as close as the Verona Airport, but since it’s a much more important hub, you might want to land here.
Don’t worry: it’s perfect if you want to reach the southern shore or the western shore of Lake Garda. Milan Bergamo offers a shuttle bus service that will take you in Brescia in one hour (€12).
From Brescia you can travel by train or by bus, depending on where you’re going: it will take half an hour to get to Lower Lake Garda, or about 1 hour and a half to reach Upper Lake Garda (western shore).
If you rent a car, things will be even easier: Milan Bergamo airport overlooks the A4 motorway, the main artery of northern Italy that connects Milan, Bergamo, Brescia, Verona, and arrives in Venice. By car, you can reach Brescia in half an hour, or – if you keep driving on the A4 highway – you can get to the Lake in 50 minutes.
Linate is Milan’s airport located southeast of the city, at a distance of about 100 km (63 miles) from Lake Garda. Also in this case there’s a shuttle bus that will take you to Milan Central Station in about 25 minutes.
From Milan you should take a train: take a look at our suggestions about reaching Lake Garda by train!
Alternatively, you can rent a car: from Milano Linate take the A35, then the A4 and you will be on the lake in just over an hour. As for Milan Bergamo, this airport is convenient to reach the western shore of the lake, but it is uncomfortable to reach the veronese coast (east).
Venice airport is often the arrival point for long distance travel: it is not very close to Lake Garda, but if you arrive from afar you may have to land here.
Once again, don’t worry: Venice is very well connected to Verona, so you just need to reach the city of Juliet and Romeo and then continue by train or bus, as we explain in detail in the dedicated pages.
The airport shuttle will take you in Venezia Mestre, the railway station outside Venice city centre (on the mainland), in about 20-25 minutes. From here, high-speed trains will take you to Verona in about an hour.
From Milan Malpensa to Lake Garda the distance is about 190 km (112 miles), so this is definitely the farthest airport, but it is also the one most used for intercontinental flights. as we said for the other airports of Milan, it is convenient to reach the west coast and the south coast of the lake.
This airport is well connected to Milan Central Station by the Malpensa Express train, which takes about 45 minutes. Once in Milan, you can take a train towards Brescia or Desenzano: check out our tips on how to move by train on Lake Garda.
If you’re not heading to Desenzano (or the southern coast in general), the most convenient solution is definitely to rent a car: consider that getting from Malpensa to Lake Garda by car will take between two and three hours (depending on whether you are heading to Upper or Lower Lake Garda).
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