Desenzano to Sirmione boat: no winter sailings, back from 13 March

In winter the boat between Desenzano del Garda and Sirmione stops running. After the last sailings on 1 November 2026, Navigazione Lago di Garda suspends the Desenzano – Peschiera – Riva line until 12 March 2027, and for that whole period the only service on the lake is the car ferry between Torri del Benaco and Toscolano Maderno.

Sailings restart on Saturday 13 March 2027 with the same timetable used in the autumn, valid until 25 March: ten boats from Desenzano between 08:50 and 17:05 and ten from Sirmione between 09:35 and 19:20, each taking 20 to 22 minutes. A single on fare stage 1 costs €3.50 for adults and children alike.

Ten sailings each way when the line reopens in March

No sailings from 2 November 2026 to 12 March 2027 (the only service on the lake is the Torri – Maderno car ferry). The departures shown apply from 13 to 25 March 2027, under the Navigazione Lago di Garda timetable for 5 October – 1 November 2026 and 13 – 25 March 2027. No timetable has been published for dates after 25 March 2027. Checked 30 October 2026.   Navigazione Lago di Garda – Desenzano – Peschiera – Riva boats, 5/10–1/11/2026 and 13–25/3/2027 (PDF) · 2026-10-30

Stage 1: €3.50 for everyone, bikes included

On the Lake Garda fare chart Desenzano and Sirmione are a single stage apart. For stage 1 the fare sheet charges the same €3.50 whether you pay the full fare, a reduced senior or group fare, or the child fare for ages 4 to 11. Returns are charged at twice the single, while children under four go free as long as no seat is taken up and an adult is with them.

A bicycle is also €3.50 on stage 1. A bag larger than the free allowance, with its longest side between 0.60 and 0.80 m or weighing over 20 kg, is charged €4.80 as accompanied luggage.

Lake Garda passenger fares in force since 1 April 2026. Checked 30 October 2026.   Navigazione Lago di Garda – Tariffe - Preise - Fares 2026 (PDF) · 2026-10-30

Where to board: Desenzano lakefront and Piazza Carducci

The timetable simply says Desenzano and Sirmione. We took the pier positions from OpenStreetMap. The operator recommends getting to the ticket desk roughly 20 minutes ahead.

Several boats can be at the pier at once, so the operator asks passengers to follow the shore and boat crew to avoid boarding the wrong one. Where a stop has no ticket office, you can buy on board at no extra cost.

From Desenzano harbour to the Sirmione peninsula

Desenzano and Sirmione are both on the Brescia side of the southern lake, and the timetable shows no stops between them. Several boats from Desenzano carry on past Sirmione to Lazise, Bardolino and Garda while others end there; on the way back some come from that shore and others start in Sirmione itself.

Worth knowing before you plan a day out

• No boats in winter

  There are no sailings between Desenzano and Sirmione between 2 November 2026 and 12 March 2027; the timetable says so in red at the top of both pages.

• Only Torri – Maderno runs

  During the closure the only boat on Lake Garda is the car ferry between Torri del Benaco and Toscolano Maderno, which has its own timetable.

• Hire cars stay on land

  These are passenger boats. On Lake Garda the operator carries vehicles only on the Torri – Maderno car ferry, which does not serve Desenzano or Sirmione.

• Bicycles

  On ordinary sailings a bike is carried if the vessel and the crowds allow it; e-bikes count as bicycles. Folded scooters under 1.10 m travel free.

• Free luggage

  The free allowance is a single bag per person: 0.60 m on the longest side, 40 litres and 20 kg at most.

• Wheelchair users

  Wheelchair users are asked by the operator to enquire about travel conditions beforehand on +39 030 9149511, or on 800 551801, a freephone number that works only within Italy.

• Fog and storms

  In fog, heavy darkness, snow or a storm the captains may cancel or cut short sailings, and the conditions of carriage rule out compensation.

Fast boats, and what happens after 25 March

The same timetable also lists fast services and other sailings marked A, which run daily from 20 March 2027. None of them links Desenzano and Sirmione directly: some start at Peschiera, and others leave Sirmione without calling at Desenzano. For this pair of towns the ten ordinary boats each way are the whole service.

The operator has not published a timetable for the days after 25 March 2027, so the departures on this page cover only 13 to 25 March. If you are planning an Easter or spring visit to Sirmione, check the timetable the operator issues for that period.

Desenzano – Sirmione out of season: questions and answers