which best area to stay in Lake Garda for non-biking holiday?

at end of march or beginning april months? torn between Malcesine and Bardolino. if you can recommend me a place please. cheers

I loved Malcesine, have no experience of the other one.

Family hols? Bardolino puts you nearer the theme parks etc, but is more commercialised as a result – still a nice town. Malcesine is lovely but a bit of a hike from the attractions.

Bardolino is ace, I’d go back in a heartbeat.

Have stayed in Malcesine a few times (for sailing). Good little town, cable car.

Not sure about the weather that early, worth checking

I’m not sure there’s much open in Malcesine in April.

We have been going there for several years and were told almost everywhere save for a couple of shops for local folk closes October to May.

Thinking of going to Lake Garda at the start of September, what will the weather be like then?

I like Bardolino too.

Loved Bardolino. Stopped in a place found on air bnb and highly recommend it. try searching ‘camera in casa’. Only problem is you have to walk past a nice bike shop on the way into town…

I think anywhere on the west side of the lake is nice – the Mrs and I drove round the lake a few months back and spent a few nights in Riva Del Garda…

Thinking of going to Lake Garda at the start of September, what will the weather be like then?

I was there early Sep 2014. Lovely in the daytime, thunderstorms most evenings!

@OP – when I was at Garda I didn’t have a car, and think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I did…

I would go for Riva, its a decent size without being big. Lots of restaurants and walks nearby. If you have a car i would recommend a drive up the mountains to Tenno and Canale . For a restaurant if you want to splash out Castel Toblino about 25 minutes in land from Riva is a stunning location and the food is excellent.

Riva has the most drop dead gorgeous backdrop; if you’re into walking there are crazy paths up those peaks.

Thinking of going to Lake Garda at the start of September, what will the weather be like then?

Might be crap, might be lovely, might be somewhere inbetween, I suspect that the weather could also be quite different north end and south end, as north end is very mountainous and on the edge of the alps. We were north end mid Sept 2012, weather was good by British standards, but we were lucky, apparently it had been really rubbish for 2 weeks before, always very warm tho at that time of year. seemed to follow a pattern of being nice until about mid pm, by which time thunderstorms built up, then cleared in the eve, repeat every day, typical alps mountain weather in certain conditions, probably stayed ok down the south end. Alps mountain weather is always a lottery, much like British weather ( but with heat), so no indication of what you will get.

Riva is lovely and should be scorching in early September.

thanks all, might choose bardolino, will only stay for long birthday weekend (fri,sat,sun,mon evening back to sunny UK).. sadly I can’t drive anywhere where driving is on the right side of the road, I can’t switch my head to adapt for some reason 🙁 …I was in lake como last summer where ferry is convenient, i assume the same for lake garda?

how did you go from Verona to Bardolino? thinking of getting a bus from Verona Station to Bardolino (about an hour bus ride) … or would train be better? Verona to Peschiera then bus/taxi to Bardolino?

IMHO ferry is better in Como, Garda ones cross the lake rather than provide a “toir” type option. Having a car is recommended, if you don’t have one there may be better location choices. April is early how about Scilly (hotter, smaller and easier to get about without a car) ?

Nice red wine from Bardolino region.

We stay in Salo every year in the Euro camp place. Salon is a nice town with features to keep the misses happy. The camp pool and beaches keep the kids happy. Salo is close enough to the mountainous part of the lake to allow me to get out for rides. there are lots of paths and tracks for some good riding. The wife likes the mountains too so good for exploring by car and hikes.

Another Bardolino person here and we loved it as a couple in our late 20’s/early 30’s. If I was to go again I’d probably go to one of the northern towns like Malcesine just to get better access to walking the mountains a bit more. Bardolino was situated perfectly for getting to the other towns though.

We went around mid September and weather was still perfect.