Events on Lake Garda
Lake Garda or Lake Como?
They're the two big northern Italian lakes most often searched for together, and the choice between them mostly comes down to what you're after: Garda is bigger and more varied, with beaches and parks; Como is smaller, more mountainous and more refined.
Side by side
| Lago di Garda | Lago di Como | |
|---|---|---|
| Surface area | ~370 km², the largest in Italy | ~146 km² |
| Length | ~52 km | ~46 km, in an inverted "Y" shape |
| Regions | Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino | Entirely in Lombardy |
| Shoreline shape | Wide and open in the south, narrow and mountainous only in the north | Narrow and hemmed in by mountains for almost its entire length |
| Nearest airport | Verona Villafranca or Brescia Montichiari (~30 min from the lake) | Milan (Malpensa or Linate, ~1 hour) |
| Big parks and family attractions | Yes: Gardaland, Movieland, Caneva, Parco Natura Viva, Parco Giardino Sigurtà | None of a comparable scale |
| Beaches | Widespread on almost every shore, free and equipped | Rarer, shores are often steep |
| Atmosphere | More varied: mass tourism in the south, mountain sports in the north | More uniform, elegant historic villas, a celebrity presence |
Common questions
Is Lake Garda or Lake Como better with kids?
Lake Garda: it has the big theme parks (Gardaland, Movieland, Natura Viva), more equipped beaches and shorter distances between attractions on the southern shore.
Which of the two lakes is cheaper?
Neither is cheap in the most touristy spots, but Lake Garda has a wider price range: the hinterland and less central areas cost noticeably less than Lake Como's best-known centres.
Can you visit both lakes on the same trip?
They're about an hour and a half to two hours apart by car or train (via Milan or Brescia), so it's possible, but it takes at least 4-5 days to avoid reducing both to a rushed stop.