Lake Garda in summer: boat, cable car and ferry instead of traffic jams

In August, the waterfronts of Bardolino and Sirmione feel like an overcrowded train station. Parking lots by the water fill up by ten in the morning, and at cafes you stand in line for a table. And still people come back here every year.

Lake Garda has a side most visitors never see. You just need to know where to look and what time to get up. Below are three strategies for high season and the rules that turn a crowded August into a relaxed vacation.

Ad: this article contains affiliate links, we earn a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.

A summer trip to Lake Garda: the essentials

💡 In short:

• Best time for a relaxed stay: June and September; July and August are very crowded.
• In high season, get up before seven and take a siesta from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
• A license-free motorboat, the Costabella cable car, and the ferry to the markets replace the car.

A quick season overview is in the table below.

In summer, the lake lives by the rhythm of the heat. Mornings are for errands, afternoons for shade, and evenings for strolls. Those who accept this rhythm stop fighting the crowds and start relaxing.

June and September instead of July and August

If your dates are flexible, you can easily skip July and August. In June the water is already warm, and the air is not yet scorching. September is more beautiful than both months: the light turns golden, the crowds disperse, and the locals finally exhale.

In peak season, one rule applies. Get up early, claim your spot early, wait out the heat during the siesta, and head out again in the evening. That way you get the same lake, but without the feeling of being in an overcrowded shopping mall.

It gets especially crowded around Pentecost, when school holidays begin in Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg. On those days the shore fills up just as densely as in August. In September, however, the water stays warm long enough for swimming, and you can still catch the lake without the lines.

Our tip. Visit sights and parking lots before 9:00 AM or after 5:00 PM. Parking lots fill up from 10:00 AM, so an early start saves you an hour in line. In the heat from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, seek shade, food, and a book, and return to the waterfront in the evening.

Renting a boat: seeing Lake Garda from the water

A boat is the most powerful move in high season. You take a small boat, leave the harbor, and leave behind traffic jams, packed parking lots, and lines. Motorboats up to 40 hp (about 30 kW) in Italy can be driven without a boating license; the class maximum speed is 12 knots (as of 09/2026, Nautica Benaco).

Prices depend on the operator and season, so compare on the spot. Half a day is usually a better deal than a full day and is plenty for the island and lunch in a cove. If fuel is included, check that the tank is full when you pick up the boat. During the briefing, ask right away where you are not allowed to anchor.

Book in advance or arrive at opening time. By midday there are no boats left, and the best spots in Garda harbor are taken first.

If you are renting a boat for the first time, start with a short route from San Felice del Benaco to the island off the western shore. It is calm and requires no navigation experience. Another plus of a small boat is that you can enter coves where a larger boat cannot go: here you can cut the engine, swim, and return the same way.

From the water, Lake Garda looks completely different. The mountain ridge, the small coves, the old villas right at the water's edge reveal themselves only from the lake. Here you choose where to cut the engine and where to swim. And just around the bend lies Isola del Garda.

© Ввласенко · CC BY-SAPhoto: Ввласенко, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

Isola del Garda and a snack on the water

Isola del Garda is the largest island on the lake. The interior is shown only as part of a boat excursion, but with your own boat you can approach from outside and drop anchor nearby. Few people know about the small floating kiosk near the island: you wave your hand, a small boat comes over, takes your order, and brings it back after a while.

© This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a · CC BY-SAPhoto: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

The floating kiosk operators change often, so ask the rental company before heading out who to go to for an order.

Important: safety on the water. Even without a license, listen carefully to the rental company's briefing. After 4:00 PM, the strong Ora del Garda wind picks up on the lake, so plan your return trip in advance. Respect the buoys, reserved spots, and swimming zones: fines here are high. Near Isola del Garda, stay well away from shallow water and keep life jackets within reach.

Where to rent a boat:

• in Garda harbor, a convenient starting point

• Boat Garda in Bardolino and Castelletto

• San Felice del Benaco, but be careful with shallow water there

• and many other spots along the shore

Monte Baldo without the lines: going up the eastern shore

Monte Baldo is on everyone's list, and by midday it is packed. We recommend going up early: later it is not only crowded, but the sun burns harder too. There are two calm ways to see the same panorama without the big crowds.

© Lucianoposani · CC BY-SAPhoto: Lucianoposani, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

The Costabella cable car in Prada

On the middle part of the eastern shore, above Brenzone, in the village of Prada, there is a small cable car called Costabella. It has two stages: first a chairlift, then an open standing cabin. No lines, no ticket crowds here.

From the top, a mountain trail and a lake panorama open up, no worse than the view from the large cable car in Malcesine, but without its tour groups and with a greater sense of adventure. In the morning it is cool at the top, and you can walk the trails for hours almost alone.

The large cable car in Malcesine carries groups all day, so it is worth arriving there at opening time. Costabella saves you from that race: here you just get on and go.

The hut on the Costabella ridge sits at 1,911 m; from the lift station it is a 20-minute walk along an easy gravel road. At the top there is a bar, a restaurant, and 21 beds (as of 09/2026, verified on the official website).

The hike from Magugnano to Campo

Our personal route is the climb to the medieval village of Campo in the municipality of Brenzone. The old village on the slope offers one of the best views of the lake. The climb takes 2-3 hours (as of 09/2026, Brenzone tourist office).

• start at Magugnano, past the cemetery or right after the post office turn right, through a small underpass

• bring water and sun protection; there is almost no shade on the trail

• look around Campo and descend the same trail

© Adert · CC BY-SAPhoto: Adert, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

The municipalities around Monte Baldo also organize guided hikes; ask about them locally.

Tip. Campo is worth returning to in winter: the local Christmas nativity scene exhibition draws visitors from across the region.

Tickets for the lifts and mountain excursions are easier to book in advance on GetYourGuide.

Ferry and markets: getting around the lake without traffic

Lake Garda has an excellent ferry network that connects the towns along the shore all day. In summer it is the calmest and fastest way to travel without traffic, and sometimes the only one. If you know the market days, a ferry ride turns into a local experience.

Market days by town (as of 09/2026, Visit Lago di Garda):

Take the morning ferry, stroll between the stalls, buy olives, cheese, and vegetables, have an espresso, and return just as calmly. You do not need parking, you are not stuck in traffic, and you are not rushing.

Markets open in the morning and wind down by lunchtime, so take the ferry on the first departures. You will also see the shore from the water and spend not a minute looking for a parking spot.

Ferry tip. Day passes and multi-ride tickets are cheaper than single tickets and are sold right at the pier. The crossing from the eastern shore to the western shore, for example from Malcesine to Limone, takes about 20 minutes and is considered one of the most beautiful (as of 09/2026, Navigazione Laghi). Not all ferries take bicycles and cars, so check the route in advance.

Rules that save you in high season

Over years of trips, we have developed simple rules that make summer Lake Garda manageable. They are all about time and place, and they are easy to follow.

• Choose accommodation slightly away from the center and with a restaurant nearby: kitchens, roads, and parking lots are all overcrowded.

• Skip the main towns on Sundays and holidays; choose small villages inland.

• Prefer a boat, ferry, or bicycle over the car wherever possible.

• Keep the siesta: it is culture, not weakness.

• Dine away from the hyped restaurants; even one street over is calmer.

• Leave room for spontaneity: the best finds on Lake Garda happened off plan.

• If restaurants are packed, get takeaway food.

How to get there and where to leave the car

In summer, the road to the lake requires patience. Over the Brenner Pass and on the approach roads, there are traffic jams on Friday and Saturday, so we try to arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Parking: in the small towns of the eastern shore, finding a spot is easier than in Sirmione or Riva del Garda. Even a hotel with parking does not guarantee you a spot by the entrance.

If you do not have your own car, you can still reach the lake without one, and once there use the ferry, boat, and bicycle.

Where to stay on Lake Garda in summer

In July and August you need to book months in advance, otherwise the only option is to take a last-minute risk. We prefer small hotels slightly away from the hyped centers: on the eastern shore, around Brenzone and Torri del Benaco, you sleep noticeably more peacefully than in Bardolino or Garda, and you can walk to restaurants and shops.

In August, always check for air conditioning: rooms heat up a lot, and at night the air barely cools down.

Book a hotel with its own parking in advance if you are arriving by car: a spot by the house here is worth more than free time.

Hotel prices by the lake are easier to compare in advance on Trip.com.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

When is Lake Garda least crowded?

The least crowded months are June and September: warm, but without the August peak. The exception is the school holidays around Pentecost, when the shore is almost as full as in summer.

Can you rent a boat without a driver's license?

Yes. Small motorboats in Italy are rented without a boating license, and dozens of places on Lake Garda offer them. The easiest starting points are Garda harbor, Bardolino, or the eastern shore.

How do you get to Isola del Garda?

The island's interior is accessible only with an organized boat excursion, so tickets should be booked in advance. With your own rented boat you can approach from outside and drop anchor nearby. The floating kiosk near the island takes your order right from the water and brings it back.

What is the Costabella cable car and why do so few people know about it?

It is a small two-stage lift above Brenzone, in the village of Prada: first a chairlift, then an open standing cabin. It takes you up to the Costabella ridge to a hut with a lake view, reached by a short trail. The large cable car in Malcesine is better known, so tour groups almost never make it here.

How do you get to a market by ferry?

Ferries connect the shores on a schedule all day. Pick a town with a market based on the day of the week, buy a day pass at the pier, and arrive on the first departure. You will return just as calmly, without hunting for parking.

When is Lake Garda at its busiest?

The busiest time is July and August, at the peak of Italian holidays. In those weeks it is better not to come if your dates are flexible. From early September it gets quieter, but the weather is less stable: rain and cool evenings are possible.

In short: what to book

A relaxed summer Lake Garda is built on three things. If you have a car, leave it for the day: take a motorboat, ride the Costabella cable car, and take the ferry to a market. In July and August, book accommodation months ahead and ask about air conditioning.

If you have a week, stay on the eastern shore and dedicate one full day to a boat. Finding a hotel is easy on Trip.com.