Venezia Santa Lucia → Peschiera del Garda / Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione
Venice to Lake Garda by train takes about 1h 30min by Frecciarossa; the €13.55 regional route usually needs a change at Verona.
Venice and Lake Garda sit on the same main line, so moving from one to the other is a single train ride across the Veneto. Peschiera del Garda is the first lake station you reach coming from Venice, Desenzano the second.
This page is for the journey out to the lake and getting from the station to your hotel. For a day in Venice from the lake, see the train from Lake Garda to Venice.
Book a direct Frecciarossa from Venezia Santa Lucia: 1h 28min to Peschiera del Garda or 1h 33min to Desenzano. A week ahead we were quoted €17.90 to €21.90 to Peschiera and €22.90 to €31.90 to Desenzano; six weeks ahead Desenzano was €13.90.
The regional fare is fixed at €13.55 to Peschiera and €14.05 to Desenzano, but only two regional trains a day ran direct (16:10 and 20:10, about two hours). The rest need a change at Verona Porta Nuova and took around 2h 46min because of the wait there. All trains also call at Venezia Mestre about ten minutes after Santa Lucia.
| Option | Time | Cost | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frecciarossa (Trenitalia) | 1h 28min to Peschiera, 1h 33min to Desenzano | From €13.90 well ahead; €17.90 to €31.90 a week ahead | About 8 direct to Peschiera and 10 to Desenzano on a weekday |
| Regional train, usually via Verona | 1h 54min to 2h 07min direct; about 2h 46min with a change | €13.55 to Peschiera, €14.05 to Desenzano | Hourly at 10 past with a change at Verona; 2 direct a day |
| Regional to Verona, then Frecciarossa | About 1h 40min | About €22 to €28 a week ahead | Several a day |
| Italo | 1h 32min to Desenzano | From €11.90 | A few a day |
East shore and Gardaland: Peschiera. Sirmione, Desenzano and the west shore: Desenzano. Then search for a train that stops there.
Santa Lucia is the terminus on the Grand Canal. If you are staying on the mainland, board at Venezia Mestre, about ten minutes down the line.
Verona Porta Nuova is the last big stop. Peschiera is about 14 minutes beyond it, Desenzano about 20 on a fast train.
ATV buses and the Gardaland shuttle leave from Peschiera station; Arriva buses leave from Desenzano station.
Peschiera del Garda suits most people arriving from Venice. It is the nearer station, the fare is lower, the lakefront of Peschiera is about ten minutes on foot, and the buses for Lazise, Bardolino and Garda start here. Gardaland is 2 km away by free shuttle.
Stay on to Desenzano for Sirmione and the west shore towards Salò. The station is about 15 minutes’ walk above the harbour.
For the east shore there is also a third way: get off at Verona Porta Nuova and take the ATV bus from the forecourt straight to Lazise, Bardolino or Garda. Trenitalia sells it as a through “Garda Link” ticket, with a bus supplement of €3.90 to Lazise and €4.60 to Bardolino or Garda on top of the rail fare.
From Milan the regional train is a fair alternative. From Venice it is weaker, because most regional journeys involve a long change at Verona and end up over an hour slower than the Frecciarossa for a saving of a few euros.
Our advice is to book the Frecciarossa as soon as your dates are fixed. If you are buying on the day, look first at the 16:10 and 20:10 direct regionals, then at a regional-plus-Frecciarossa combination via Verona.
The last trains from Venice that reached the lake without a bus leg were the 19:48 Frecciarossa to Desenzano (arriving 21:21) and the 20:10 direct regional, which reached Peschiera at 22:08 and Desenzano at 22:17. Check the last bus from the station before you commit to either, and have a taxi number ready if your hotel is not within walking distance.
A direct Frecciarossa from Venezia Santa Lucia takes 1h 28min to Peschiera del Garda and 1h 33min to Desenzano. Direct regional trains take about two hours, and regional journeys with a change at Verona around 2h 46min.
Yes. Frecciarossa trains run direct to Peschiera and Desenzano through the day, along with a couple of EuroCity and Italo services. Direct regional trains are rare: we found two a day, at 16:10 and 20:10.
The regional fare was €13.55 to Peschiera and €14.05 to Desenzano in October 2026. Frecciarossa tickets cost €17.90 to €31.90 a week ahead and from €13.90 six weeks ahead. Italo advertises Venice to Desenzano from €11.90.
Venezia Santa Lucia, on the Grand Canal, if you are staying in Venice itself. Every lake-bound train also stops at Venezia Mestre on the mainland about ten minutes later.
Peschiera del Garda. It is the first lake stop coming from Venice and the right one for the east shore and Gardaland. Desenzano is one stop further and better for Sirmione and the west.
Only part of the way. Take a train to Verona Porta Nuova, change for Rovereto on the Brenner line, then take bus B332 to Riva. Our Lake Garda by train page sets out the northern route.
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.
