Italy is somewhere that was always on my wish list of places I would love to go one day, it didn't really matter where as it all looks so beautiful.
Ben and I decided to go last year and visit a few places while we were there to make the most of it. We would fly to Venice, move on to Lake Garda and see a few towns there and then do a trip to Verona before heading back to Venice.
As excited as I was for the trip I did feel a little apprehensive of what it would be like with a toddler in tow. Daisy would have been around 20 months old so not always the easiest time for her to travel. I wondered how she would be in Venice where she couldn't just run free when ever she fancied, how would she take the train journeys between places and how would we entertain her? Never mind feed her when she was just turning into the worlds fussiest eater! We really didn't need to worry Lake Garda is a lovely destination for children of all ages. There is plenty to do with a little planning and most things are accessible. We didn't get to sit and enjoy the cafe patios with an Aperol Spritz quite as much as we would if we were there as just a couple but we still had a fantastic holiday and had plenty of gelatos!
I will go into detail about Venice on a separate post, this one will be all about Lake Garda.
We got one of the high speed trains to the Lake from Venice and although I am not a big fan of train journeys back home these are a different experience altogether. They run to the minute, aren't late, are clean and comfortable. As well as being speedy of course! The train journey was around 2 hours long and with a bit of help from Peppa pig it went smoothly.
We stayed in Peschiera del Garda which is a town in the Verona province and stayed at a campsite called Camping Bella Italia. The town is set within the walls of an island fortress surrounded by quaint canals. Hidden behind the town walls you'll find the pedestrianised centre with cobbled streets and plenty of pavement cafés and restaurants. It's a quiet, pretty town that won't take you long to wander around but with give you a nice sense of being in Italy.
We stayed in a Canvas Holidays lodge but there are lots of options on this site. It is based right on the front of the lake and had all the amenities you would need like restaurants, supermarkets, pool etc. We first started considering the camping option because it was something completely different from our few nights in Venice and also is so much more affordable than a hotel. You also get that degree of independence too, which is always good when you have a small child that needs space to tear around in!
It was perfect for families as lots to do including things like bike hire and a kids club. We actually did hire bikes on one of our last days here which was great fun! Something we hadn't done before so it was memory I will keep forever.
I should note that we travelled in October and so it was out of season and the park was half empty, I am unsure if I would love it quite so much if it was really busy and hot. Although both Ben and I both said how nice it would have been to swim in the lakes if it had been warm enough, maybe something for the future.
From Peschiera we were able to get the boat or bus from the centre of town to a few places such as Sirmione and Lazise. It was a great location for travelling about. The transport there is punctual and easy so there is no excuse not to see more of the Lake. They were completely child friendly too so you don't need to worry about that. We did find though due to the nature of cobbled streets and tight little alleys and hills to walk up that the child carrier was much easier to use than a pushchair!
We also had a day trip out to Verona which was just beautiful. I will share those photos separately too.
So I will let the photos do the talking now...
We would certainly travel to Italy again with our children and travel about to see as much as possible. We found October to be a great time to go as it was warm and dry most days but not uncomfortable to walk around in, it was just right for Daisy.
If you have any further questions please feel free to ask,
Hayley xx
Please do not copy photographs without our permission
You have some lovely pictures. My boys aren't great with heat so getting the timing right with weather is important #TriedTested
ReplyDeleteLake Garda is one of my Dad's favourite places. I've never visited Italy myself.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your review on #TriedTested this week x
I read this with intense jealousy lol! The Italian lakes are definitely high on my list of holiday destinations I'm desperate to visit. Sounds wonderful X #triedtested
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