Duomo di Milano at night
My better half and I took another trip to Italy back in September.
This time, the destination was Milan and Lake Garda.
We don’t have direct flights to Milan from Washington, DC, so we chose a flight that stopped in Copenhagen.
Apparently, a couple other flights landed about the same time we did, so it took almost an hour to get through customs.
This is why I always go by the rule that you should shoot for a minimum layover of 3 hours when traveling to Europe these days.
With that said, the Danes did prioritize people who needed to make a connection, which is not similar to experiences we’ve had with layovers at Heathrow and in Germany.
The airport in Copenhagen is actually quite nice and won’t have a problem stopping there again, as we had a much easier time getting through customs on the return trip home.
From there, we flew into Milan Malpensa airport, and then took the train into Milano Centrale train station. From there, we grabbed a quick cab ride to our hotel, which was just a couple blocks to the south of the Duomo di Milano.
We stayed a couple nights in Milan. On our full day there, Vogue was holding its Vogue World 2026 event, so models were everywhere! I’ve never seen so many tall, beautiful women in my life!
Milan is quite different from other cities we’ve visited in Italy, but it definitely has its own charm and vibe. It’s definitely worth a visit!
From Milan, we took the train over to Desenzano Del Garda where we would be staying for the next six nights.
Desenzano del Garda
Desenzano is located at the southern tip of Lake Garda, and it is a perfect base from which to explore the lake.
While it does not get as much publicity as some of the other towns on the lake, it was actually my favorite town on this trip. That is probably due to the fact that it was less crowded than every other place we visited on this trip.
Our accommodation was an apartment about 1/2 mile from the historic area, and a bit less than that from the train station, so it was an ideal spot.
Around the corner was a small, local grocery store and butcher shop. A little over 1/4 mile away was a large Italmark grocery store, which was fabulous.
The town is a bit hilly, and our apartment was effectively near the top of the hill. Thus, we did a significant amount of walking just in Desenzano.
From Desenzano we took three day trips.
Arena di Verona and Piazza
The first was over to Verona, which should be on traveler’s bucket list. The train ride took about 25 minutes.
The station is about one mile from the main piazza around the ancient stadium. We like to walk, but if you are not prepared to do a lot of walking, then grab a taxi or bus into the city center.
The historic district is absolutely stunning, but it is also full of tourists, which was the theme of this trip.
Pro tip – do NOT get a meal anywhere near the Arena di Verona. The area is extremely crowded and you can expect mediocre food.
Wander away from this tourist area and look for a more authentic spot where the locals gather.
For some really nice views along the river, head over to the Castelvecchio at the west side of the historic district. There is a museum there as well, but we did not visit.
Ultimately, this was our heaviest walking day as we put in over 22,000 steps.
The next day, we took a ferry over to the town of Garda. There were stops in Sirmione, Lazise and Bardolino on the way to Garda.
Garda Promendade
The ferry ride took about 90 minutes and gave us great views along the lake.
Garda is small, and felt very compact and crowded. It had some nice views along the lake, and there was actually a nice promenade that connects all the way to Bardolino, with beaches along the way.
Ultimately, Garda was our least favorite town on this visit, which is saying something because it is still quite beautiful.
Our last day trip on this venture was to the very famous town of Sirmione. Sirmione is close to Desenzano, and the ferry ride only takes about twenty minutes.
Sirmione is known for its castle, the historic area around the castle, and then the beach area and ruins of a Roman villa at the northern tip of the peninsula.
While it is also small, Sirmione didn’t feel quite as compact as Garda.
However, it is a very popular tourist destination and it was jam packed on this day.
Sirmione piazza
With that said, I highly recommend a visit to simply take in the spectacular scenery.
Our trip ended at the Villa Malpensa hotel near the airport.
If you have an early flight leaving Milan, it is best to stay out near the airport, given that the train ride takes about 50 minutes.
Traffic in Milan is quite heavy, so just getting to train station from our hotel when we were heading over to Lake Garda took at least 20 minutes for a two mile ride.
While Villa Malpensa is a beautiful property on the outside, it is in need of some TLC and the food service there was subpar at best.
Final thoughts
We are a bit restricted in our travels to Italy in that we prefer not to drive anywhere. However, that is probably the best way to visit some of the towns at the north end of Lake Garda, such as Riva del Garda and Malcesine.
With that said, if you don’t mind a ferry ride, it is a great way to experience the lake and it is truly stunning.
While I am not a big city fan, Milan is definitely worth a visit, and I would actually go back to do some more exploring.
Ultimately, if I would choose a place for a longer stay, Desenzano would be on my list.
It has a great strategic position on the train line between Milan and Venice, and the town itself is really quite enjoyable and beautiful.
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