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Venezia / Venice / Venedig to Desenzano del Garda by train
How to travel by train from Venice to Desenzano on the shore of Lake Garda
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 fastest express train services on this route.
On Mondays to Saturdays in the late afternoon, there is also a direct Regionale Veloce train, which is both cheaper when booking tickets at the last minute and a money saver for rail pass users.
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Routes
Option 1: taking the Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia
Journey Summary
1hr 30 min
Daily
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.
6 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save:** Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
The express train service between Venezia and Desenzano is provided by:
(1) trains operated by Trenitalia
(2) alternative Italo trains
Tickets for the Trenitalia trains are placed on sale around 4 months in advance, but the Italo train tickets are made available around 5 months ahead.
Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains - and Italo does not sell tickets for these 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 Trenitalia and Italo trains can be directly compared on 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.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| ItaliaRail | from €14.90 | |
| Trenitalia | from €14.90 | |
| Trainline | from €14.90 | |
| Omio | from €15 | |
| SaveATrain | from €14.90 |
On this journey
Travelling On
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.
Option 2: taking the Italo trains
Journey Summary
1hr 31min
Daily
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
3 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 5 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 4 months in advance, but the Italo train tickets are made available around 5 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
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Italo | from €9 approx | |
| Omio | from €9 approx | |
| Trainline | from €9 approx |
Option 3: taking the Regionale Veloce train
Journey Summary
2hr 9min
Not Every Day
Travel Information
Final Destination: Brescia
1 x train per day
(not Sundays)
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.
This train typically departs from Venezia S. Lucia at around 16:12 on Mondays - Saturdays,
If you will be leaving Venice/Venezia at around that time and buying tickets at the station, this train will be cheaper than the Frecce trains.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Trenitalia | from €12 approx |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
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 16:12 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.
Don't forget to stamp your ticket before boarding this train.
If you will be using a rail pass, you can save €10 in rail pass reservation fees by taking this train instead of 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.
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