Verona Villafranca Airport (VRN) → Peschiera del Garda, Desenzano and the east shore
Bus and train, the direct seasonal bus, taxi or hire car: how to get from Verona Airport to Lake Garda, with times and fares.
Verona Villafranca is the closest airport to Lake Garda and ranks first in our guide to the best Lake Garda airports. The airport puts Peschiera del Garda about 20 km away. There is no railway station at the terminal, so every public transport route starts with a bus.
This page compares the four ways of doing it and then gives onward directions to eight towns. Bus times come from ATV’s timetable in force from 10 September 2026; train times and fares are Trenitalia’s for Wednesday 14 October 2026.
Take the ATV Aerobus (line 199) from outside arrivals to Verona Porta Nuova station: every 20 minutes for most of the day, 15 minutes, €7.00. From Porta Nuova, regional trains reach Peschiera del Garda in 13 to 17 minutes and Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione in 21 to 26 minutes. Trenitalia sells both legs as one ticket: €11.05 to Peschiera, €11.80 to Desenzano.
From late March to mid October, check ATV bus 482 first. It runs directly from the airport to Peschiera centre in 40 minutes, about once an hour between 09:25 and 19:25, and connects there with bus 483 for Lazise, Bardolino, Garda and Malcesine.
| Option | Time | Cost | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerobus 199 to Verona Porta Nuova, then a regional train | From 41 minutes to Peschiera | €11.05 to Peschiera, €11.80 to Desenzano | Bus every 20 minutes; regional trains about hourly, plus faster Frecciarossa |
| ATV bus 482 direct to Peschiera del Garda | 40 minutes to Peschiera centre | ATV extra-urban fare (see ATV fare table) | About hourly, 09:25 to 19:25, daily until 18 October 2026 and again from 21 March 2027 |
| Hire car | |||
| Taxi or pre-booked transfer | By quote or meter; no fixed lake fares are published | On demand |
The ATV stop is outside the terminal on the arrivals side. Line 199 is the Aerobus to the station; line 482 is the seasonal bus to Peschiera.
Use the ATV machine in the arrivals hall or tap a bank card on board the Aerobus (€7.00, no surcharge). If you bought a through ticket from "Verona Aeroporto" on Trenitalia, the bus is already included.
The bus stops at bay E1 in the forecourt directly in front of the station. Buses for Lazise, Bardolino and Garda leave from the same forecourt.
Peschiera del Garda is the first lake stop, 13 to 17 minutes away; Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione is the next, 21 to 26 minutes. A paper regional ticket must be stamped in the machine on the platform before boarding.
At Peschiera, ATV buses and the ferry pier serve the east shore. At Desenzano, Arriva buses leave from Via Masaccio in front of the station for Sirmione and Salò.
“Lake Garda” is not a station. The Milan to Venice railway touches the lake at two places: Peschiera del Garda, at the south-east corner, and Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione, at the south-west. Coming from Verona, Peschiera is the first stop and Desenzano the second.
Use Peschiera for Lazise, Bardolino, Garda, Malcesine and the theme parks. Use Desenzano for Desenzano itself, Salò and the west shore. Sirmione sits between the two and has a bus from both. For the north end, the nearest station is Rovereto on the Brenner line. Our Verona to Lake Garda train page goes through the rail leg stop by stop.
If you are staying in Lazise, Bardolino or Garda and the 482 is not running, you do not need a train at all. ATV bus 164 leaves from the forecourt of Verona Porta Nuova, where the Aerobus drops you, and runs via Peschiera station and Gardaland up the shore. On the weekday timetable a bus leaving the station at 08:36 reaches Peschiera at 09:16, Lazise at 09:30, Bardolino at 09:40 and Garda at 09:45. Bus 163 takes an inland route through Bussolengo to the same three towns.
There are around a dozen departures on weekdays and fewer on Sundays and holidays, so look at the timetable before choosing this over the train. The Trenitalia site sells these buses together with a train ticket under the name Garda Link.
The Aerobus covers most flights: 05:35 to 23:10 from the airport and 05:15 to 22:50 from the station. The gap is in the connections. The last regional trains from Porta Nuova towards Peschiera and Desenzano leave at 21:43 and 21:53, there is a late Frecciarossa to Peschiera at 22:20, and the last 482 leaves the airport at 19:25.
If you land after about 21:00, book a transfer or a hire car in advance, or spend the first night in Verona, which is no hardship. For an early flight home, the first regional train from Peschiera and the first Aerobus are the things to check; our Lake Garda to Verona train page has the return timings.
ATV sells passes for 1 day (€11.00), 3 days (€22.00) and 7 days (€44.00) that cover every ATV city and provincial bus, including the Aerobus. If you plan to use the lake buses during your stay, starting the pass at the airport makes the €7.00 transfer part of it. Passes are sold at the airport machine, ATV ticket offices, tourist offices and in the Ticket Bus Verona app. They do not cover trains or ferries.
About 20 km to Peschiera del Garda, the nearest lake town, according to the airport. By road Lazise is about 25 km away, Bardolino about 30 km and Garda and Desenzano about 40 km. The north end is much further: about 65 km to Malcesine and 85 km to Riva del Garda.
Yes, in season. ATV bus 482 runs from the airport to Peschiera del Garda in 40 minutes, about hourly from 09:25 to 19:25. The current timetable runs daily until 18 October 2026 and starts again on 21 March 2027. Outside those dates, take the Aerobus to Verona Porta Nuova and a train or bus from there.
Not from the terminal. The airport has no railway station, so you take the Aerobus to Verona Porta Nuova (15 minutes, €7.00) and a train from there. Peschiera del Garda is 13 to 17 minutes away by regional train and Desenzano 21 to 26 minutes. Our Lake Garda trains guide explains the two lake stations.
There is no published fixed fare, so it depends on the town and the time of day. The airport advises asking the driver or the taxi company for the fare before you set off. For a firm price, ask for a quote by phone or arrange a transfer through your accommodation, then compare it with the €11.05 per person that the bus and train cost to Peschiera.
Take the Aerobus to Verona Porta Nuova, a regional train to Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione or Peschiera del Garda, then the Arriva LN026 bus, which links both stations with Sirmione for a €2.20 fare. In high season the bus stops outside the old town and a shuttle covers the last stretch on the same ticket.
At the ATV ticket machine in the arrivals hall, in the Ticket Bus Verona app, or on board the Aerobus by bank card with no surcharge. The Aerobus single is €7.00 and is valid for 75 minutes. A through ticket bought from Trenitalia with "Verona Aeroporto" as the origin includes it.
The last Aerobus to Verona Porta Nuova leaves the airport at 23:10 on the timetable in force from 10 September 2026, and the last direct 482 to Peschiera leaves at 19:25. The last regional trains from Porta Nuova towards the lake are at 21:43 and 21:53, so late arrivals should plan a taxi, a transfer or a night in Verona.
© 2026 Best of Lake Garda · Independent guides to every town on the lake, written and checked by Alex Burgoyne and Nicole. No one pays to be listed.
