Comfort season opening at Lake Garda
On Thursday morning we welcome our guests at the Windisch travel centre. On this trip our team is joined by Heidi Baumann, Senior Travel Consultant, and Nadine Hängärtner, trainee. We will run this wonderful trip to Lake Garda with two coaches, so from Windisch we will be split into two groups. Shortly after departure, muffins freshly baked by our team are served, and we offer a fine coffee to go with them. After this welcome treat, anticipation for the trip to Lake Garda spreads.
In Erstfeld we make a first stop to give guests who have come from further afield the chance to stretch their legs or get something to eat. Our two drivers, Stephan and Aziz, use the opportunity to take their scheduled break. Our journey continues through the Gotthard, along Ticino and over the border into Italy at Chiasso. We drive past Como and, having bypassed Milan without any traffic jam, we stop at a service area near Monza. After lunch we wait for our guests at the coach and, to get them in the mood for Lake Garda, serve them a typical liqueur from the region, a limoncello.
Our journey continues towards Lake Garda as far as Torbole sul Garda. Our coaches can stop directly in front of the Club Hotel La Vela and, once the keys have been handed out, guests can move into their rooms. After everyone has had enough time to freshen up and explore the surroundings, we meet in the hotel's dining room for dinner together at the generous buffet. After the meal we meet a few guests at the hotel bar and round off the evening together.
The next morning, our two friendly drivers Stephan and Aziz and our modern coaches are already waiting for us in front of the hotel. The two experienced tour guides Boggi and Jens are also ready to accompany us to Sirmione and Bardolino today. The journey towards Sirmione starts on time. On the way, our guides tell us a lot worth knowing about the region and the people of Lake Garda. After arriving in Sirmione we take a short walk to the old town centre. The guides give us the most important information about the beautiful little town and offer us an optional short boat trip. In the finest spring weather, Sirmione can be explored on your own. Some guests choose the boat trip offered by our guides, which sweeps around Sirmione at an impressive pace. Shortly after noon we all meet at the coaches, where our team serves a small digestif.
We continue with our guides to Bardolino. On arrival in Bardolino, our guides lead us to the town and we have the chance to discover Bardolino on our own or to treat ourselves to a fine gelato. The coaches then take us to Torri del Benaco, to the Auditorium San Giovanni. Here two wonderful Italian opera singers and a very talented pianist await us. The auditorium has excellent acoustics and the concert becomes a feast for the ears. The concert is briefly interrupted for a break with sparkling wine. After the interval we can listen once more to these wonderful voices. Pieces from the best-known operas are sung and, to the guests' surprise, the two singers also perform a little cat duet.
Our excursion draws to a close and our drivers take us safely back to Torbole sul Garda, to the Club Hotel La Vela. Dinner takes place in the hotel and is served buffet-style. After dinner the bar is again open to our guests. We are also happy to spend this evening in convivial conversation with our guests.
Today's programme includes Malcesine, Limone and Riva del Garda. In sunny spring weather, the drivers Stephan and Aziz and the tour guides Boggi and Jens are waiting for us in front of the hotel again. We set off on time towards Malcesine. During the drive we again hear fascinating things about the region from our guides. On arrival in Malcesine there is a varied guided tour of the town. Afterwards we have time to visit Malcesine's weekly market or enjoy a fine cappuccino at a bar.
Before lunch we continue by ferry to Limone. Once in Limone, we take the somewhat steep path to visit the lemon greenhouses, the «Limonaie». The strenuous climb was worth it: the tour is very interesting, and afterwards the Limoncello del Garda, the Crema al Limone and other lemon specialities can be tasted. We still have some time to look around Limone or have lunch before continuing by boat. We enjoy the wonderful boat trip on Lake Garda and can watch the many sailors, windsurfers and kitesurfers from the ship.
Once in Riva del Garda we have plenty of time to enjoy the famous «dolce far niente» with a gelato or an aperitif. For those who would rather go on a little shopping tour, Riva del Garda naturally also offers a number of options. After a short drive we arrive at the hotel in Torbole sul Garda. Now we already have to say goodbye to our tour guides. They have done an excellent job and thanks to them we take a great deal of knowledge home with us. The guests have a little time to freshen up before we meet in the dining room for the prize draw. This evening again, a number of guests were able to receive great prizes in the form of travel vouchers. One guest even won the end-of-season trip to Nice for two people. The winners are delighted, and we are delighted with them.
After dinner at the hotel we meet some of our guests at the bar to toast this successful season-opening trip. It is always a pleasure for us to have lively conversations with our guests and to hear about the many travel experiences from their other trips.
