Driving from Venice Airport to Lake Garda

We are planning our "precruise" time before our Venice to Rome, via Dalmation coast cruise next year. We would like to go to Lake Garda, and it looks like driving is the best option. Has anyone done this and how difficult is it to drive leaving the airport and the highway to Verona?

We are planning our "precruise" time before our Venice to Rome, via Dalmation coast cruise next year. We would like to go to Lake Garda, and it looks like driving is the best option. Has anyone done this and how difficult is it to drive leaving the airport and the highway to Verona?

It is a very easy drive...mostly all on high speed Autostrade (with tolls). You might want to consider picking up your car at the nearby Piazale Roma rather then having to take a taxi (or transfer) all the way out to the airport. Leaving from the P. Roma..you simply drive onto the causeway which is actually the beginning of the same road you would be taking from the airport. If you can handle your luggage you can easy use the inexpensive People Mover to get to the P.Roma where many of the major rental car companies have offices (they are usually located in one of the parking garages).

Hank

Excellent planning tool is viamichelin, has all sort of trip options, here is an example http://goo.gl/Z619LL

Thanks Hank. I was thinking about leaving from the airport when I arrived, so I did not have to in to Venice and then back out the next day. The flight I was considering gets in to Venice in the morning. I was thinking of going to Verona for a couple of nights and then to Malcesine, then to Venice for a few days prior to the cruise. Would that be a good plan?

Verona would be an incredible addition to the trip - many people I met when I was there that had also been to Venice had loved it as much as, if not more than Venice. In a way, of course, no place can compare to Venice (I loved Venice!) with all the water/canals, St. Marks, Doges etc...it's history. But, Verona has it's own beauty, charm and history - a great first stop on the way to Malcesine.

Here is the Arena di Verona website, see if they be in season during your visit, in the event anything on the schedule appeals to you, get tickets! Nothing like seeing a show in an almost 2,000 year old Roman amphitheater

http://www.arena.it/arena/en/pages/schedule-arena-di-verona.html

The Centro Storico - historical center - is beautiful with main Piazzas, Piazza Bra and Piazza Erbe are lovely. The Juliet's Balcony? Overcrowded and I just don't get it. Via Mazzini is a long ambling shopping street between the main piazzas. There are many great restaurants and hotels in the Centro Storico and it's beautiful to walk down near the Adige River.

Here is a thread with a lengthy, pictorial, partially completed trip report covering Verona & Lake Garda that you might enjoy :)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2277223

Venice - well, you know...it's phenomenal. Enjoy! :)

Thanks Hank. I was thinking about leaving from the airport when I arrived, so I did not have to in to Venice and then back out the next day. The flight I was considering gets in to Venice in the morning. I was thinking of going to Verona for a couple of nights and then to Malcesine, then to Venice for a few days prior to the cruise. Would that be a good plan?

Cannot speak to Malcesine, since we have never been there. As to Verona, it is the home of one the biggest disappointments in my forty+ years of international travel. We went there one night to see Aida at the Opera (the Arena is the largest opera venue in the world). Just as the huge orchestra (everything there is huge) started to play the Overture, a nasty T-Storm hit. Over 10,000 of us took shelter in the inside of the Arena to wait for the storm to pass...but it just kept raining. So they had to cancel (we did get our money back)! Still breaks my opera loving heart.

Hank

Driving between lake Garda and Venice is no problem - we use a TomTom GPS and like detours (like visiting Verona), we usually head for the city center and then look for parking as we are close to the center. We made a day trip to Verona - nice. As there are less tourists and more space to breath in Italian atmosphere we like Padua or Modena. We did a two-day stay in Pauda, saw some of the big museums (the Padua card, was o great use), and like the botanical garden. And I am not sure why - but we totally liked Treviso (nothing all to special about it, rather small, easily walkable, students, never met many tourists).

Venice - we always had a great time.

We spent a lovely afternoon and evening in Verona and thoroughly enjoyed it. However that was enough time for us to see it. There was no performance at the arena, however.

We have driven in this area of Italy several times and it is not at all difficult.

Thank you everyone for your replies. This really helps in my planning, which I love to do!