Lake Garda Ferry Prices and Passes: Fares, Day Tickets and Car Ferry Costs
Lake Garda ferry fares explained: the seven distance bands, sample singles, fast-boat supplements, day passes by zone and car-ferry prices.
Lake Garda Ferry: How the Boats, Fast Boats and Car Ferry Work
Lake Garda Ferry Map and Routes: Stops, Crossings and Journey Times
Every Lake Garda ferry stop by basin, the car-ferry crossing, and how long the most useful boat hops take.
There are no numbered lines on Lake Garda. The operator prints one timetable, Desenzano to Peschiera to Riva del Garda, and every boat is a run somewhere along it. In practice the lake splits into three basins with their own short hops, tied together by a few long through boats and the fast services.
This page lists the stops by basin, shows which towns the fast boats serve, and gives journey times taken from the 2026 summer timetable. It belongs to our Lake Garda ferry guide; fares are on the prices page and first and last boats on the timetable page.
The short version
In summer the boats serve 26 towns: 10 around the wide southern basin, 12 along the narrow middle of the lake and 4 at the northern end. Short hops within a basin take 15 to 45 minutes. The whole lake takes about 5 hours by ordinary boat, or from 2 hours 15 minutes by fast boat.
The one decision is whether to stay within a basin or cross between them. Within a basin the boat usually beats the car. Between basins, pick a fast boat or accept that the trip is the day out. The only place to take a car across is Maderno to Torri del Benaco.
Ferry stops by basin
The grouping into south, central and north is ours, to help you plan. The operator sells passes by its own zones, which are drawn slightly differently.
| Basin | West (Lombardy) shore | East (Veneto) shore | Winter service |
|---|---|---|---|
| South | Desenzano, Sirmione, Padenghe, Moniga, Manerba (Dusano) | Peschiera, Lazise, Cisano, Bardolino, Garda | Desenzano, Sirmione, Peschiera, Lazise, Bardolino, Garda |
| Central | Portese (San Felice), Salò, Gardone, Maderno, Bogliaco, Gargnano, Tignale, Campione | Torri del Benaco, Castelletto, Brenzone, Assenza | Portese, Salò, Gardone, Maderno, Gargnano, Brenzone |
| North | Limone (centre and multi-storey car park pier) | Malcesine | Limone, Malcesine |
| North end | Riva del Garda | Torbole | Riva, Torbole |
Stops in the summer timetable valid 16 May to 4 October 2026 and the winter timetable valid 5 October to 1 November 2026 and 13 to 25 March 2027. Not every boat calls at every stop. · Checked October 2026. Prices and times change — confirm with the operator before you travel.
Journey times for the most useful hops
Scheduled times of individual runs in the 2026 summer timetable. Other runs on the same hop can be a few minutes quicker or slower, and some go the long way round.
| Hop | Ordinary boat | Fast boat (SR) |
|---|---|---|
| Desenzano to Sirmione | 20 min | 11 min |
| Sirmione to Garda | 45 min | 21 min |
| Sirmione to Bardolino | 40 min | n/a |
| Peschiera to Lazise | 28 min | n/a |
| Garda to Bardolino | 15 min | n/a |
| Desenzano to Salò | 1h37 | 54 min |
| Malcesine to Limone | 20 min | 10 to 17 min |
| Limone to Riva del Garda | 35 to 45 min | 25 min |
| Desenzano to Riva del Garda | 5h05 | 2h15 to 3h |
Summer timetable 16 May to 4 October 2026. Runs used: 28, 22, 8, 14, 62, 82 and 6 (ordinary); SR 110, 112, 156 and 160 (fast). · Checked October 2026. Prices and times change — confirm with the operator before you travel.
Where the fast boats stop
Fast services skip the small piers. These were the calling points of the main summer 2026 fast runs.
| Run | Calls at |
|---|---|
| SR 112 (Desenzano 14:30) | Sirmione, Garda, Salò, Gardone, Gargnano, Malcesine, Limone, Riva |
| SR 160 (Desenzano 9:20) | Garda, Salò, Gardone, Gargnano, Castelletto, Brenzone, Malcesine, Limone, Riva |
| SR 110 (Peschiera 8:50) | Sirmione, Garda, Torri, Salò, Gardone, Gargnano, Malcesine, Limone |
| SR 151 (Riva 8:20) | Torbole, Limone, Malcesine, Brenzone, Gargnano, Maderno, Gardone, Salò, Portese, Garda, Sirmione, Desenzano |
Summer timetable 16 May to 4 October 2026. Fast boats need a supplement and do not carry bikes. · Checked October 2026. Prices and times change — confirm with the operator before you travel.
The official map
The operator’s Lake Garda tickets and timetables page has an interactive map of the landing stages (double-click to zoom) and a journey search. For a printable overview, its day-pass zone map shows every stop on one sheet with the seven pass zones, and is the clearest picture of where the piers are.
South basin: Desenzano, Sirmione, Peschiera, Bardolino, Garda
This is the busiest water on the lake and the easiest to use. Desenzano and Peschiera are the two terminals and both have railway stations, so they are where most day trips start. Boats fan out to Sirmione and then across to Lazise, Bardolino and Garda on the east shore, or up the west shore to Padenghe, Moniga and Manerba.
Sirmione is the hub. From there the east-shore wine towns are 40 to 45 minutes away by ordinary boat, which is quicker than driving round through Peschiera in August. The small west-shore piers at Padenghe, Moniga and Manerba see only a few boats a day in summer and none in winter, so check the return before you set off.
Central lake: Salò, Gardone, Maderno, Torri, Gargnano
North of the Garda headland the lake narrows. On the west shore the boats work along the Riviera from Portese to Salò, Gardone Riviera, Maderno, Bogliaco and Gargnano. Salò to Gardone is under 15 minutes and makes a good short trip for the Vittoriale or the botanical garden.
The car ferry is the backbone here: Maderno to Torri del Benaco in 30 minutes, with 17 crossings each way in summer 2026, every 35 to 40 minutes for most of the day. In winter 2026-27 there are 14 crossings each way until 1 November and from 13 March, fewer in between, and none on 25 December. East-shore villages north of Torri (Castelletto, Brenzone, Assenza) and the cliff-foot piers at Tignale and Campione get a handful of calls a day in summer.
North: Limone, Malcesine, Torbole, Riva
The top of the lake has its own dense shuttle. Boats run between Malcesine and Limone about every hour through a summer day, more often at peak times, and many continue to Torbole and Riva del Garda. Malcesine to Limone takes 20 minutes; by road it is a drive right round the northern end.
Limone has two piers, the centre and one at the multi-storey car park, and a few boats use only one of them. A classic day is Riva to Limone to Malcesine and back, with the Monte Baldo cable car from Malcesine in the middle.
Good to know
Where do the Lake Garda ferries go?
Along the whole lake between Desenzano and Peschiera in the south and Riva del Garda in the north, calling at 26 towns in the 2026 summer timetable. The busiest stretches are Desenzano to Sirmione to Garda in the south and Malcesine to Limone to Riva in the north.
How long is the ferry from Desenzano to Sirmione?
About 20 minutes on an ordinary boat and 11 minutes on a fast boat, according to the 2026 summer timetable. It is fare band 1, the cheapest on the lake; see ferry prices.
How long does the ferry take from Desenzano to Riva del Garda?
The quickest fast boat in summer 2026 took 2 hours 15 minutes and the others about 3 hours. The through ordinary boat took 5 hours 5 minutes. Going up by boat and returning another way makes a long but good day; our timetable page lists the through departures.
Is there a ferry from Malcesine to Limone?
Yes, and it is one of the most frequent hops on the lake in summer. The crossing takes 20 minutes. In the reduced autumn and March service there are still several boats a day, but none from 2 November to 12 March.
Where does the Lake Garda car ferry cross?
Between Toscolano-Maderno on the west shore and Torri del Benaco on the east shore, in 30 minutes. It is the only vehicle crossing in the operator's 2026 timetables and it runs all year.
Can I get from Sirmione to Malcesine by ferry?
Yes in summer, on a through boat or a fast boat, but it is a long ride: fare band 6, and about three and a half hours on the through ordinary boat. A fast boat from Sirmione reached Malcesine in under 2 hours in summer 2026.
Where should I start a ferry trip if I arrive by train?
At Desenzano or Peschiera del Garda. They are the two ferry terminals in the south and the two lake towns with a station on the Milan to Venice line. Our Lake Garda trains guide explains which to choose.