Come in spring, early summer or autumn if you can - you'll get warm, sunny days and beautiful landscapes, without the crowds of July and August. Book well ahead if you plan to visit Verona during the summer opera festival, as tickets and hotel rooms can sell out months in advance. Many hotels around the Lakes close during winter, but some stay open and it's a fantastic time to visit for snowy mountains and cross-country skiing.
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ITALIAN LAKES & VERONA: BY AIR
From the UK: carriers include British Airways, Alitalia, easyJet, Ryanair, BMI Regional,
Flybe and TUI.
Within Europe: try easyJet, Aer Lingus, Air France, KLM, Brussels Airlines, Iberia, Lufthansa, Air Berlin, TAP Portugal, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Finnair, Alitalia and Ryanair.
From the USA: If you’re coming from outside Europe you’ll need to fly into Milan Malpensa then catch an internal flight. It’s served by American Airlines and Delta.
By train from the UK: See Seat 61 for details. There are several train stations serving the area, including Como Nord Lago, San Giovanni, Rovereto, Desenzano and Brescia.
There are buses from the airports to most major towns on the Lakes, and frequent ferries (some of which take cars). There are also good train services, particularly on the line linking Milan and Venice, which stops at Brescia, Desenzano, Peschiera del Garda and Verona.
It’s worth hiring a car. The A4 Milan-Venice, A9 Linaite-Chiasso and A22 Modena-Brennero motorways provide fast and convenient links to the Lakes and Verona, but make sure you bring plenty of change for the tolls. Lakeshore roads are often clogged during summer.