The other half and I have been on the look out for a European short break destination for a while. Due to a variety of reasons we can’t manage a week away this year and so we’ve been scouting for potential locations for a long weekend. I was all up for a civilised break in Palma or perhaps a sun-drenched trip to Seville and then I wrote a Rock My Style post about Prosecco.
As always, you lovely RMS readers had some fab comments to make not only on your favourite fizz but also where you like to drink it. There was a rather large bias pointing towards Italy and more specifically the largest of the Italian Lakes, Lake Garda.
I don’t want you think I succumb easily to peer pressure but after the not-so-subliminal messages about how great a trip to Lake Garda would be, I was well and truly hooked.

Several hours of research later and the flights to Verona were booked and I was planning my holiday wardrobe. We’re going next month so I don’t have high hopes for hot weather; thin jumpers and some form of fancy patterned trouser are currently on my list.
The main things, getting there and the accommodation, are booked.

Flights

After noticing that the early morning EasyJet flight times weren’t going to offer us the best use of of four day trip, I was pleasantly surprised to find that BA flights offered far more convenient flight times and were cheaper too!
One of the most exciting things about flying British Airways is that I get to put my luggage in the hold AND take on TWO pieces of hand luggage. I apologise for the capital letters but I am used to battling with my carry-on suitcase and miniature toiletries. I regularly fear that my entire make-up bag will be confiscated by airport security as I desperately try to cram the contents into a plastic pouch.

Accommodation

I quickly realised that getting a lakeside hotel was out of the question. Erm, how much?!
Instead we’ve booked a jolly nice hotel up in the hills of Bardolino that came highly recommended through Booking.com. Even though it’s quite some distance away, our room has a view of the Lake.
We’re no strangers to lengthy drives, so the plan is to use the hotel as a base and then hire a car to explore the area. As glam as it would be to hire a convertible Fiat 500, we’re more likely to end up with a Fiat Panda.

What to do

With the hotel and transport sorted I would love to hear about your suggestions about places to visit. I’ve heard great things about Salò and also Malcesine too. We would love to squeeze in a trip to Venice but with only four days it might be a bit unrealistic.

Has anyone visited Lake Garda and would like to recommend a village or town to visit? Where would you suggest to eat and drink? What were your favourite lakeside resorts to visit? Any ferry trips or water sports? I’m all ears!

Image source : Malcesine