Milano Centrale → Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione / Peschiera del Garda
Milan to Lake Garda by train takes 51 minutes by Frecciarossa or 1h 23min by regional train for €10.50, arriving at Desenzano or Peschiera.
Milan is the easiest big city to reach Lake Garda from by rail. Direct trains leave Milano Centrale for both lakeside stations all day, and you are on the shore before most people have cleared the Milan ring road.
This page covers the journey out and how to get from the station to your town. For a day in the city from the lake, see the train from Lake Garda to Milan. Flying into Bergamo instead? Read Milan Bergamo airport to Lake Garda.
Take the hourly Trenord regional train from Milano Centrale to Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione: 1h 23min, €10.50, no booking, no changes. It leaves at 25 minutes past the hour and carries on to Peschiera del Garda nine minutes later (€12).
If you can book ahead, a Frecciarossa does the trip to Desenzano in 51 minutes, with fares from €10.90 six weeks out and €15.90 to €34 a week out. Italo runs it in 54 minutes from €8.90. Choose Desenzano for Sirmione and the west shore, Peschiera for Gardaland and the east shore.
| Option | Time | Cost | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trenord regional (RE6) | 1h 23min to Desenzano, 1h 32min to Peschiera | €10.50 to Desenzano, €12 to Peschiera | Hourly with the odd gap, 06:25 to 21:25 |
| Frecciarossa (Trenitalia) | 51 min to Desenzano, 57 min to Peschiera | From €10.90 booked well ahead; €15.90 to €36 a week ahead | About 9 direct to Desenzano and 11 to Peschiera on a weekday |
| Italo | 54 min to Desenzano | From €8.90 | Several a day; fewer call at Peschiera |
Search for "Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione" or "Peschiera del Garda". For the regional train any machine at Milano Centrale will do, or buy on your phone up to five minutes before departure.
The regional is shown on the boards as a train for Verona Porta Nuova. Stamp a paper ticket in the machines at the head of the platform. Digital tickets need nothing.
Desenzano comes 1h 23min after Milan, Peschiera nine minutes later.
Buses leave from outside both stations. In Desenzano the harbour is about 15 minutes downhill on foot; in Peschiera the lakefront is about ten.
Book Desenzano for Desenzano itself, Sirmione, and the west shore up to Salò and Gardone Riviera. Arriva’s RegioLink 204 bus to Salò is timed to meet the regional trains from Milan and runs every half hour from 7:00 to 23:00.
Book Peschiera for Peschiera, Gardaland, and the east shore: Lazise, Bardolino and Garda.
For Riva del Garda and the north, do not get off at the lake at all. Stay on to Verona Porta Nuova and change for Rovereto; our Lake Garda by train overview explains that route.
The Frecciarossa saves about half an hour. When we priced a Wednesday one week ahead, direct trains to Desenzano cost between €15.90 and €34 against a flat €10.50 for the regional. Six weeks ahead the same trains started at €10.90, which makes the choice easy.
So: booked early and sure of your plans, take the Frecciarossa or Italo. Booking late, or landing at Malpensa or Linate and unsure when you will reach Centrale, take the regional. It runs every hour and the ticket is good for whichever one you catch.
Regional trains have no luggage limits and no reserved seats; on summer Saturdays they fill up, so board early at Centrale where the train starts. Under-4s travel free, and on Trenord trains within Lombardy children under 14 pay half.
Italo only accepts folding bikes. If you are bringing a bike for the lake’s cycle routes, use the regional train.
From Milano Centrale to Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione it is 51 minutes by Frecciarossa, 54 by Italo and 1h 23min by regional train. Peschiera del Garda is six to nine minutes further.
The regional fare was €10.50 to Desenzano and €12 to Peschiera in October 2026, whenever you buy. Frecciarossa fares ranged from €10.90 booked six weeks ahead to €34 a week ahead. Italo advertises from €8.90.
Milano Centrale. The direct regional and high-speed trains all start there. A few Frecciarossa services use Milano Porta Garibaldi instead, which the planner shows as a metro connection from Centrale.
Yes. Regional, Frecciarossa and Italo trains all run direct from Milano Centrale to Desenzano, and the regional and many Frecciarossa trains continue to Peschiera del Garda. No change is needed.
On the weekday we checked in October 2026, the last direct regional left Milano Centrale at 21:25 and the last direct Frecciarossa to Desenzano at 20:45. Later departures at 22:25 and 23:25 used a replacement bus from Brescia. Check the day you travel.
Take the train to Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione, then Arriva bus LN026 from the station or the ferry from Desenzano harbour. See our Sirmione guide for what to do when you arrive.
Paper regional tickets must be stamped at the station before boarding and are then valid for four hours. Digital regional tickets validate themselves at the departure time of the train you selected. Frecciarossa and Italo tickets are tied to one train and need no stamp. More in our Lake Garda by train guide.
© 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.
