Lake Garda from Milan: trains, Sirmione and a one-day plan

Train times and fares come from Trenitalia’s official booking site and Italo’s route page. Bus and boat times come from the Arriva and Navigazione Laghi timetables, and castle and museum prices from the Italian Ministry of Culture. Everything was checked on 5 October 2026.

Milan to Lake Garda by train

Lake Garda has two railway stations on the Milan to Verona line, both at the southern end of the lake: Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione and Peschiera del Garda. All the direct trains leave from Milano Centrale. Times and fares below were checked for two Tuesdays: 6 October 2026 (the next day) and 10 November 2026 (about five weeks ahead).

Train	Journey time	Trains per day	Next day	5 weeks ahead
Frecciarossa to Desenzano	51 min	9	€30	€10.90 to €28
Italo to Desenzano	50 min	4	Check on italotreno.com	From €8.90 (advertised)
Regional to Desenzano	1h23	15	€10.50	€10.50
Frecciarossa to Peschiera	57 min	11	€32 to €49	€11.90 to €30
Regional to Peschiera	1h32	15	€12	€12

Regional trains leave Centrale at 25 minutes past the hour, from 6:25am to 9:25pm, and stop at both lake stations. Their fare is the same whatever day you buy. The first Frecciarossa to Desenzano leaves at 6:45am and arrives at 7:36am, and on 10 November 2026 it cost €10.90. Two EuroCity trains a day also reach Peschiera in 1h07 (€17.90 five weeks ahead).

Italo runs 4 trains a day from Milano Centrale to Desenzano, stopping at Brescia, and advertises fares from €8.90. Its Milan to Verona trains also stop at Peschiera. A ticket is valid only with the company that sold it.

You can book on Trenitalia’s or Italo’s own sites, or compare both on Trainline’s Milan to Desenzano page, which usually adds a booking fee. Our Milano Centrale guide explains the departure boards and ticket gates. If you are traveling on a rail pass, our Italy rail pass guide explains how it works on these trains.

Frecciarossa or regional train

Booked a few weeks ahead, the Frecciarossa costs about the same as the regional (€10.90 against €10.50 on several trains on 10 November 2026) and saves about half an hour each way. Last minute, the regional wins: the next-day Frecciarossa was €30, almost three times the regional fare.

Regional tickets have no seat reservation and cannot sell out. If you buy a paper regional ticket at the station, validate it in the machine before boarding. A cheap Frecciarossa fare is tied to one train, so choose a return time you will keep.

Desenzano or Peschiera: which station

Get off at Desenzano for Sirmione, the town most day-trippers come for. Desenzano itself has a small old harbor and lakefront squares, and Navigazione Laghi boats leave from its pier.

Get off at Peschiera for Gardaland or if you are going on to Verona. The same LN026 bus also links Peschiera station with Sirmione, for the same €2.20 fare.

From Desenzano station to Sirmione

You have two options: the bus all year, or the boat until 1 November.

Option	Where it leaves	Time	Fare
Bus LN026	Desenzano station, north side (via Masaccio)	About 23 min	€2.20
Navigazione Laghi boat	Desenzano pier	About 20 min	€3.50

Bus LN026 (run by Arriva) leaves the stop on the north side of the station, called “Desenzano - via Masaccio, FS lato nord”, at 5 minutes past the hour from 8:05am to 8:05pm, every day including Sundays. It arrives at Largo Faselo, at the edge of Sirmione’s old town, at 28 minutes past. Going back, buses leave Largo Faselo at 12 minutes past the hour and reach the station at 35 past. On weekdays the last bus leaves Sirmione at 9:02pm, and on Sundays at 8:42pm. These times are from the winter timetable valid until 8 June 2027.

Pay €2.20 in the Arriva MyPay app or on board. You can also tap a contactless card on the green reader when you get on, and tap again when you get off so the system charges the right fare.

The boat costs €3.50 one way and lets you see Sirmione from the water. The autumn timetable runs from 5 October to 1 November 2026, with the first boat leaving Desenzano at 8:50am, and some departures run only until 11 October. From 2 November 2026 to 12 March 2027 there are no boats to Sirmione at all. Check the times on the Navigazione Laghi site before you plan around a boat.

When you buy a Trenitalia ticket to Desenzano or Peschiera, you can add the Lower Lake Garda Daily Pass for €21.60 (€13.50 for children aged 4 to 14). It covers boats between Desenzano, Peschiera, Gargnano and Torri, and you must use it within three days of your train journey.

What to see in Sirmione

Sirmione sits on a narrow peninsula that sticks out into the southern end of the lake. The old town is pedestrian, and its two paid sites are run by the Italian Ministry of Culture. A combined ticket for both, plus the Roman villa in Desenzano, costs €20 and is valid for 7 days. If you drive, leave the A4 motorway at the Sirmione exit and use one of the paid car parks outside the pedestrian zone.

Scaligero Castle

The Scaligero Castle (Rocca Scaligera)Map stands at Piazza Castello 34, at the entrance to the pedestrian old town. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8:30am to 7:15pm, with the ticket office closing at 6:30pm. It is closed on Mondays. A ticket costs €10 (€2 for EU citizens aged 18 to 25) and includes the climb of the keep. The castle’s walled dock can only be visited on a guided tour.

Grotte di Catullo

At the far tip of the peninsula, the Grotte di CatulloMap are the ruins of a large Roman villa, with an archaeological museum. Hours on 5 October 2026 were Tuesday to Saturday 8:30am to 7:30pm, Sunday 10am to 7:30pm and Monday 9am to 1pm, with last entry 40 minutes before closing. A ticket costs €10. Bring a card, as the site asks for cashless payment. The paths are gravel with steep slopes, so wear good shoes and carry water in summer.

Jamaica beach

Below the Grotte di Catullo, Jamaica beach (Spiaggia Giamaica)Map is a shore of smooth white rock slabs. You reach it through a gate just before the Grotte entrance, then down a steep dirt path through an olive grove. Part of it is free and part has sun beds for hire, and there are free showers. Dogs must be on a leash, and camping and fires are not allowed.

Sirmione also has thermal spas, which need booking, so leave them for a longer stay.

A sample day at Lake Garda

This plan works Tuesday to Sunday, when both sites are open. Train and bus times are for a Tuesday in November 2026.

1. 7:25am Regional from Milano Centrale, arriving in Desenzano at 8:48am (€10.50). For an earlier start, the 6:45am Frecciarossa arrives at 7:36am (€10.90 booked five weeks ahead).
2. 9:05am Bus LN026 from the north side of the station to Sirmione, arriving 9:28am.
3. 9:30am Scaligero Castle and the keep.
4. 11am Walk through the old town to the Grotte di Catullo at the tip of the peninsula.
5. 1pm Lunch in the old town.
6. 2:30pm Jamaica beach in warm weather, or a boat back to Desenzano if one is running.
7. 4:12pm Bus from Largo Faselo, arriving at Desenzano station at 4:35pm.
8. 5:07pm Regional back, arriving in Milano Centrale at 6:35pm. The 5:23pm Frecciarossa arrives at 6:15pm.

The last direct Frecciarossa from Desenzano to Milan on that date left at 9:23pm (arriving 10:15pm), and the last regional at 10:07pm (arriving 11:35pm).

On a Monday, the castle is closed and the Grotte di Catullo close at 1pm. Go straight to the Grotte in the morning, then spend the afternoon in the old town or on the lakefront.

If you would rather have a guide and a boat ride arranged, GetYourGuide lists walking tours, boat trips and Grotte di Catullo visits on its Sirmione page.

Gardaland from Milan

GardalandMap is about 2 km from Peschiera del Garda station. For more ideas in the city, see our guide to things to do in Milan with kids. A free shuttle bus runs between the station and the park every 30 minutes, starting 30 minutes before the park opens and finishing 30 minutes after it closes. Frecciarossa trains reach Peschiera in 57 minutes and regionals in 1h32. Opening days and hours change through the year, with Halloween and winter events, so check the calendar on the Gardaland site before you buy train tickets.

Lake Garda or Lake Como for a day trip

Both work from Milan without a car. The main difference is the time and money it takes to reach the water.

	Lake Garda (Sirmione)	Lake Como (Como, Varenna)
Train from Milano Centrale	51 min (Frecciarossa) or 1h23 (regional) to Desenzano	About 40 min to Como, 64 to 65 min to Varenna
Cheapest fare	€10.50 regional	About €5.40 to Como, €7.40 to Varenna
Last leg	23 min bus to Sirmione	Como Lago station (from Cadorna) is on the lakefront
Main sights	Castle, Roman villa, rock beach	Villa gardens, ferries between villages

Lake Garda is Italy’s largest lake, and on a day trip you only see its southern tip. Lake Como is quicker and cheaper to reach, and the ferries link several villages in a day. Our Lake Como day trip from Milan guide has the routes and ferry fares, and the Lake Como guide covers the towns. For Varenna, the train goes straight to the village.

Going on to Verona

Desenzano and Peschiera are on the main line to Verona, 20 to 28 minutes from Desenzano by train. Our Milan to Verona guide shows how to add a lake stop on the way. To turn it into a longer trip with Lake Como and Venice, see our Northern Italy itinerary. For more trips of about an hour from Milan, including Turin and Bologna, see the full list of day trips from Milan.