On the Benaco (this is the second name of the Garda Lake) it can often be suggestive to travel inside the lake; in this case, navigation can be private, if you decide to rent a boat, but mainly the public transport service via ferry and boat is used, active all year round.
Navigation on Lake Garda depends, in fact, on the Ministry of Transport with the initials Navigarda and ensures you a fleet of over 20 boats that connect the localities of the lake with each other, with a service that in summer is very extensive and includes hydrofoils and catamarans.
In particular, for those who have to transport cars, motorbikes or bicycles, there is a ferry service on the Garda that shuttles between Torri del Benaco on the Veronese coast, and Toscolano Maderno on the Brescia coast. Another itinerary has been enhanced with the connection between the shores of Malcesine and Limone sul Garda, and the one between Desenzano del Garda (province of Brescia) and Riva del Garda (in Trentino).
The service was designed to avoid clogging of the roads during the high season on the lakefront, and dates back to the end of the 1950s.
Indice dell'articolo
Information on Garda ferries
The main things to know before taking a ferry on the Benaco certainly concern the tickets, from costs to the possibility of discounts.
The ferry ticket can usually be purchased at the port only on the day of departure. From 20 minutes before the ferry leaves, to 5 minutes after it leaves. Not a small detail, since it becomes important to be timely if you want to take a ferry on Lake Garda!
An important novelty, however, is that from last summer 2019 you can buy tickets online for ferries on Lake Garda, by accessing the section dedicated to ticketing on the website www.navigazionelaghi.it.
These are travel tickets with which you can immediately access the ferry without going through the ticket office or having to queue 20 minutes before. In addition, the online service also offers the combination of the ferry ticket with that of Trenord, which includes the Lombard railway stations.
There is also the possibility of buying a Free Circulation card, which allows you to spend a day on the lake by taking the ferries with no limit of routes, stops or times to be respected. But let’s take a closer look at the ticket prices for passengers and for embarked vehicles.
The costs of tickets for the Garda ferries
Maderno – Torri del Benaco
For the ferry on the Maderno – Torri del Benaco route, the rates are various and are distinguished between passengers and vehicles:
- Passengers pay € 6.50 for one way ticket.
- For children from 4 to 12 years old, the cost is € 3.60 – this same cost is applied to people with disabilities.
- For groups and tourist groups, however, the cost is € 5.30 per person.
Cars or motorcycles transported on the ferries of Lake Garda pay higher rates for transport by ship.
- Bicycles without motor: 8 euros
- Motorcycles up to 250 cc: 8.50 euros.
- Motorcycles over 250 cc: 10.70 euros.
- Cars up to 3.50 m in length: 10.70 euros.
- Cars up to 4.50 m in length: € 12.90.
- Cars over 4.50 m in length: € 16.00
- Camper – Caravan Groups (from 15 people): € 21.30
- Bus up to 32 seats: € 20.60
- Bus over 32 seats: € 26.10
For round trips the price is doubled, and it is good to remember that for vehicles embarkation and disembarkation operations are the responsibility of the driver – the ferry service is exempt from liability in case of damage, breakdown or loss that does not depend on the navigation.
Limone del Garda – Malcesine
Even for the Limone-Malcesine ferry the costs are the same as those of the Toscolano Maderno – Torri del Benaco route: € 6.50 for one way.
Riva del Garda – Peschiera/Desenzano
For those who take the ferries from Riva del Garda to Peschiera and Desenzano, on the other hand, the prices of the navigation service on the Garda have different rates also based on the type of service chosen. In the standard version the price of this route is € 15.70 for one way ticket.
Supplements for Fast Ferry Service, Motorcycles and Bicycles
If you want to take advantage of the fast ferry service on the Garda there is a supplement, always gradual, which starts from € 2 and can go up to € 5.30.
For those who wish to embark bicycles without motor, the cost is higher, and they will have to pay a supplement, based on the distance, starting from € 3. We remind you that the embarkation of bicycles is not allowed on fast ferries service, and that in ordinary ones the boarding of bikes can be suspended in case of lack of space on the ferry or boat.
Unlimited Travel
If you plan to spend an entire day on Garda Lake and you think you need the ferry in an important way, just know that there is a special ticket with “unlimited travel” for the individual routes, it is the valid Free Circulation Card on Garda, valid for ferries on the Desenzano-Riva or Peschiera-Riva route (which have a daily cost for adults of about € 34) and also valid for the area defined as Lower Lake (Desenzano-Gargnano or Peschiera-Gargnano with a daily cost of about € 23) and finally also valid for the Upper Lake area (Riva-Gargnano or Brenzone with a daily cost of about € 20).
The timetables of the ferries for navigation on Lake Garda
Usually, the departure time of the ferries on the Benaco changes according to the season, being the summer and winter timetables different. In spring-summer there are more ferry rides, and the summer timetables come into effect from June until October.
Ferries cross the Maderno-Torri route (and vice versa) with about 40 trips a day in summer, and between Limone-Malcesine about 18 trips – here the departure is every hour.
Since the last summer there is also a new catamaran line that connects Maderno, Gardone, Salò and the Valtenesi towns of Manerba, Moniga and Padenghe, also with landings in Desenzano and Sirmione. In addition, some fast connections in the afternoon between the Veronese and Brescia shores are made with a hydrofoil to intensify navigation on the Garda.
In total, therefore, every day there are 18 lines on the lake including 10 ships, 3 ferries, 2 hydrofoils and 3 catamarans: it is impossible not to experience the thrill of sailing the Benaco! If you need more information please visit the official site of the Navigation on Garda Lake.
Ferry from Maderno to Torri del Benaco
In summer, the races are more frequent, and you can take the Maderno-Torri del Benaco route several times a day. The first race leaves at 8.00 from Maderno and at 8.30 from Torri, while the last one is at 19.20 from Maderno and at 19.50 from Torri.
On Saturdays and Sundays the last races are also at 19.55 from Maderno and at 20.25 from Torri, and this extended timetable becomes daily from 20 July to 25 August.
The cadence is 35 minutes each run depending on the phases of the day. To travel this route, the ferries of Lake Garda take about 25 minutes.
Ferry from Limone del Garda to Malcesine on Lake Garda
Limone is located on the western shore, and from here you can take the ferries (or the boat) to reach the eastern coast of the lake in the Malcesine area.
Also in this case the summer timetables are strengthened with greater and more frequent runs from Limone to Malcesine.
The first departure is at 9.10 from Limone and at 9.30 from Malcesine Centrale, while the last one is respectively at 18.10 and at 18.30.
Ferry from Desenzano to Peschiera and Riva del Garda
The navigation route in this case touches three ports: Desenzano del Garda, Peschiera del Garda and Riva del Garda.
As a rule, the connections between Desenzano, Peschiera and Riva del Garda are very active during the day, while in the evening there are 4 connections between Desenzano and Sirmione, scheduled for the months of July and August with departures from Desenzano at 8.45pm and 10pm, and from Sirmione on time 21.25 and 22.35.
There are rides with bar service on board, restaurant, in addition to the classic transport of vehicles and travelers.
Other useful information for those who have to take the ferry
Can you take your bike on the Garda ferries?
Yes. Ferries allow you to take your bike on, but not all! Those enabled are indicated with well-defined times on the indication panels.
Useful information is about the symbols on the panel:
- crossed bicycle symbol: bicycles are not transported on the ferry.
- blue bicycle symbol: the ride is recommended for boarding the bicycle.
- yellow bicycle symbol: rides with limited and traffic-conditioned boarding of bicycles.
In the latter case, it is advisable to inquire before embarking, at the land ticket office of the ferry at the time of the ticket, or by calling the toll-free number 800-551801.
Can we travel by ferry with pets?
For pet-lovers it is essential to know that both dogs and other four-legged friends can travel by ferry; free if small, while if they are over 50 cm in size they have to pay a reduced fare ticket.
In any case, it is necessary to respect the rules of “coexistence” or to make your pet maintain a behavior appropriate to the environment – the animal will be under the direct responsibility of the owner and often a muzzle is required for dogs, a leash not too much long (max 1.5 m), and the obligation not to occupy the seats.
Where the ferry does not arrive
On a private island, Isola del Garda. This can only be reached via equally private transport services, therefore with a boat rental.
