SunLodge at Camping Cisano San Vito

Italy’s biggest lake is a popular destination, and with good reason… Lake Garda is a scenic place, and it’s got plenty of things to do too. The best way to start is to spend some time in the lakeside villages within 10 minutes’ drive – Bardolino for its lake swims and Thursday market, Garda for its harbour and villas and Lazise for its medieval alleys and castle. You may have to travel a little further if you’re going to tick off all the top sights, but it’s worth it… especially if you get to see the castle in Sirmione (half an hour’s drive) and see it all from above at clifftop Castello di Arco (an hour). There’s a good range of things to keep the kids amused too: the rides of Gardaland, the slides of Caneva Aquapark and the cinema-themed attractions of Movieland Studios are all along the lake’s edge within a 10-minute drive, or you can head up to the hills for a safari among live animals and life-size dinosaur models at Parco Natura Viva (also 10 minutes).