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How to travel by train from Venice to Desenzano on the shore of Lake Garda
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Venezia / Venice / Venedig to Desenzano del Garda by train
There isn't a high speed railway between Venice/Venezia and Desenzano, but high speed Frecce and Italo trains heading to Milano and beyond, provide the only direct train services on this route.
Routes you can take to go from Venezia / Venice / Venedig to Desenzano del Garda
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Option 1: taking the Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
1hr 30 min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
8 x trains per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Other Ticket Providers
Italia Rail Guide
Italiarail lives up to its name by selling tickets for rail journeys within Italy and the core feature of its service is that it is primarily designed to be used by international visitors to Italy.
So the English translations of place names are used when looking up journeys and the terms and conditions for using each type of ticket are clearly explained.
It also clearly points out the additional costs of upgrading to other classes and types of tickets while spelling out the additional benefits of doing so.
Though Italiarail will charge a booking fee, typically of around €3.
The Early Bird service
Italiarail has launched an 'early bird' pre-booking service for journeys by Frecce trains.
Tickets can be booked up to a year ahead of travel at a flat-rate price per route, before the tickets have been released for sale by Trenitalia.
If when they are placed on sale, the price is cheaper than what you have already paid to Italiarail, it will automatically refund the price difference.
Conversely, if the price is more expensive, you won't be charged the price difference.
You can also have the peace of mind of securing your seat(s) on the Frecce train(s) when you are first planning a trip.
If before the tickets are placed on sale, you decide to change your plans, you can request a refund; but once the tickets are released for sale, you will then be bound by the terms and conditions of the ticket(s) you have booked.
Trenitalia Guide
Trenitlalia is the national rail operator in Italy and in addition to its cheaper types of ticket; it also typically offers other discounts available to non-Italians, which include:
- Group Offers, provides for a discount of up to 50% when 3-5 Adults travel together.
- Family Offer for when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 11 and under.
- The Children Free Offer is available for journeys by Frecce trains, when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 15 and under.
Those aged 15 and under travel for free, but the Adults will need to purchase full price 'Base' tickets.
Save A Train Guide
Travel Information
Final Destination: Milano Cle or Torino P.N.
It's an easy journey from Venice to Lake Garda by train, though before booking tickets, check whether it will suit you best to take a train to Desenzano or Peschiera.
These Frecce trains will be heading to Milano (and beyond), but not every Frecce train from Venice to Milan calls at Desenzano del Garda, so if you will be buying tickets at the station, look up the train times on Trenitalia before heading to Santa Lucia.
Less frequent Italo train now compete with Trenitalia's Frecce trains on this route, they match the speed of the Frecce trains and can be cheaper.
Prices can be compared on the Omio and Trainline booking sites; see below.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
There used to be more Regionale Veloce (RV) trains between Venice and Desenzano, but this service has been cut back to just one departure on Mondays - Saturdays only.
If the timings of this train isn't suitable, it can be cheaper, particularly if you will be booking tickets at the station, to:
- take a RGV train from Venice to Verona
- and then (connect there into another train on to Desenzano.
If you will be using a rail pass, you can save €10 in rail pass reservation fees by avoiding these Frecce trains for this Venice to Desenzano journey.
The highlight of this journey comes at the very beginning of the trip, as the train heads out over the lagoon to the mainland, with the best of the views on the right.
Then after Padova, also on the right of the train, on a clear day, there are distant views of the Alps.
Tickets
*Save by booking in advance: Yes, for more details on how to obtain the cheapest prices for Frecce trains see the guide to Italian rail tickets.
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date; though the booking period will be typically be shorter when looking up journeys for travel after the second Sunday in December.
The express train service between Venezia and Desenzano is provided by:
(1) these Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia and
(2) alternative Italo trains
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
Tickets for the Trenitalia Frecce trains are placed on sale up to 6 months in advance, but the Italo train tickets are typically made available around 3 to 4 months ahead.
Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains - and Italo does not sell tickets for the Trenitalia trains.
So, if you're booking no more than 4 months ahead and have no particular preference for the train that you will be taking, the price and departure times of the Frecce and Italo trains can be directly compared on with Trainline or Omio, though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
Rail Pass Users:
If you will be travelling with a valid Eurail or InterRail pass, you will need to reserve prior to boarding these trains, either at the station (using a Trenitalia ticket machine or ticket desk) OR by booking them online.
How to book the rail pass reservations online is included on our guide to using rail passes in Italy.
Though rail pass users can avoid the charge completely by taking Regionale Veloce (RV) trains.
Route Information
Option 2: taking the Italo trains
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
1hr 31min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
4 x trains per day
Purchase Tickets
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Other Ticket Providers
Italo Guide
Italo trains compete with the Frecce services, provided by the national rail operator, Trenitalia, on the high speed routes which link major cities in Italy.
The Italo booking site only sells tickets for journeys by its trains.
Travel Information
Final destination: Milano Cle.
These Italo trains now compete with Trenitalia's Frecce trains on this route from Venice to Desenzano del Garda.
They match the speed of the Frecce trains and like the Frecce trains, if you book a ticket for these Italo trains, complimentary seat reservations are included
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open:: around 3 months ahead of the travel date
The train service between Venice and Desenzano is provided by
(1) these Italo trains
(2) trains operated by Trenitalia
Tickets for the Trenitalia Frecce trains are placed on sale around 6 months in advance, but the Italo train tickets are made available around 3 to 4 months ahead.
Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains - and Italo does not sell tickets for the Trenitalia trains.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day - so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
If you're booking no more than 4 months ahead and have no particular preference for the train that you will be taking, the price and departure times of the Frecce and Italo trains can be directly compared on with Trainline or Omio, though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
Rail passes are not valid on the Italo trains
Route Information
Option 3: taking the Regionale Veloce train
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
2hr 15min (approx)
Frequency
Not Every Day
Travel Info
Mon to Sat: 1 x direct train
Daily:
1 x connection per hour
Purchase Tickets
Trenitalia Guide
Trenitlalia is the national rail operator in Italy and in addition to its cheaper types of ticket; it also typically offers other discounts available to non-Italians, which include:
- Group Offers, provides for a discount of up to 50% when 3-5 Adults travel together.
- Family Offer for when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 11 and under.
- The Children Free Offer is available for journeys by Frecce trains, when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 15 and under.
Those aged 15 and under travel for free, but the Adults will need to purchase full price 'Base' tickets.
Travel Information
Until a few years there were multiple daily Regionale Veloce (RGV) trains from Venice to Desenzano del Garda but now virtually all of the trains which Trenitalia operates on this route are Frecce trains.
This train, which is usually scheduled to depart from Venezia S. Lucia at around 16:10 on Mondays - Saturdays is the only remaining direct Regionale Veloce service from Venice to Desenzano
So if you will be buying ticket last minute at the station, and travelling in the late afternoon, this train can be worth targeting, as it will be cheaper than the Frecce trains.
When looking up a Venice to Desenzano journey on the ticket booking sites, if you want to save money by avoiding the Frecce trains, there will be multiple other options to choose from.
These will all involve taking a RGV train from Venice to Verona and then connecting there into another train on to Desenzano.
The connecting time between trains in Verona will be around 3mins.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Don't forget to stamp your ticket before boarding this train.
Tickets
Book early and save: No (not on this train)
Tickets will cost the same price if purchased at the same station immediately before departure.
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