Italy Family Road Trip
How We Did Italy in August (Family of 5) for £4K – Venice, Verona & Lake Garda
Yes, even in the school holidays.
If you’ve ever searched for an Italy summer holiday in August, you’ll know the prices can feel… outrageous. But this trip proves you can do Venice, Verona and Lake Garda as a family of 5—without spending a fortune.
And the best part? I’m sharing exactly how to recreate this trip (with clickable booking options 👇).
✈️ Step 1: Book Flights + Car Hire the Smart Way
We saved hundreds by booking a package with British Airways instead of separate flights and car hire.
✔️ London Heathrow → Venice
✔️ Milan → London Heathrow
✔️ Car hire included
✔️ 23kg luggage per person
💰 Total: £1,608.08
👉 Check availability here (affiliate): Find the cheapest Italy summer holiday flight options on Skyscanner
🛶 Step 2: Stay Central in Venice (Without Paying Hotel Prices)
Instead of booking multiple hotel rooms, we chose a spacious apartment:
🏡 Palazzo Dei Guardiani
✔️ 3 bedrooms
✔️ Walkable to all main attractions
💰 £364.78 for 2 nights
I searched for HOURS trying to find reasonable accommodation that didn't look like something out of the 80’s or that was unaffordably extortionate and I couldn’t believe the value that this place offered. Modern, super clean and spacious and with 3 separate bedrooms and an additional open plan living space. I wouldn’t stay anywhere else if returning to Venice! In a quiet, but stunning location in central Venice, all main attractions were accessible by walking. There was a nearby square - Campo Santa Margherita lined with many restaurants and for breakfast we stopped for coffee and pastries at Majer bakery and coffee bar on Rio Tera Canal.
👉 Check availability here (affiliate): Search these family apartments on Skyscanner—these go FAST for August.
👉 Top Tip: If you want to arrive in style (and without any hassle) you can book a water taxi direct from the airport right to the water entrance of these stunning apartments! Book your water taxi airport transfer here (affiliate).
✨ Must-Do Experience: Gondola Ride
You can’t visit Venice without it. We booked this 30 minute “Off the beaten track” private Gondola ride in advance to secure an afternoon timeslot. Honestly, it was expensive, but perfect and we would highly recommend! 30 minutes was more than enough time for this experience and I wouldn’t recommend a longer tour with kids.
We pre-booked via GetYourGuide to avoid queues:💰 £137.30
👉 Book your skip-the-line gondola: Lock in your time slot before you travel - book here (affiliate)
🚗 Step 3: Add a Verona Stop (Hidden Gem!)
On the drive to Lake Garda, we stopped in Verona—and it was one of our favourite parts of the trip.
Less crowded than Venice, but just as beautiful.
We parked at the Parcheggio Tribunale car park located within walking distance of the Arena di Verona (stunning - like a mini Rome Colosseum) and shops.
👉 Don’t skip this—even a few hours is worth it.
🎭 Bonus: Verona Opera Experience
This one was a goody! While stopping off in Verona on our way to Lake Garda, we discovered that it was the Opera Festival set within the Arena itself.
Having never been to the Opera before, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to experience this and it did not disappoint! As it was on late and the duration of the show was long, we decided this would be a girls night, so I took my stepdaughter back for the opera (core memory moment 💫). It was absolutely spectacular and I would highly recommend trying to get tickets if you are visiting Verona during Opera Festival season.
🏨 Stayed at Moxy Verona using Marriott Bonvoy points (FREE stay!)
🎟️ Tickets: €64.20
👉 Top Tip: If you collect hotel points, this is where they really pay off.
🎢 Step 4: Stay Near Gardaland (Game-Changer for Families)
For Lake Garda, location is everything.
We stayed at:
🏡 Garda Di Vino Casa Chiaretto (Airbnb)
✔️ 3 bedrooms
✔️ Shared pool
✔️ WALKABLE to Gardaland
💰 £937.19 for 5 nights
Again, after hours of research I found this place to stay that was walkable to Gardaland and perfectly located for exploring the wider lake area. We’re not massive fans of crowded accommodation pools and facilities and this place had a gorgeous pool that we had to ourselves most of the time - it was a bit chilly, but nice and refreshing to cool off from the heat. With three separate bedrooms, this place gave us our own space to save our sanity. In terms of restaurants, it was a very short drive to the stunning Lazise with beautiful shops and restaurants. I would highly recommend a stay here.
👉 Check availability here (affiliate): Search for availability at this place on Skyscanner
Why this is a MUST:
Teens can come and go independently 🙌
No parking stress
Easy to dip in and out of the park
🎟️ Gardaland Hack (Saves Money + Stress)
Instead of day tickets, we bought annual passes:
💰 €415 total
✔️ Unlimited access
✔️ 1 fast pass per day
👉 Top Tip: Always check park passes vs day tickets—it’s often cheaper for multiple visits.
👉The cheapest place to buy Gardaland tickets is always direct! Buy your tickets or annual passes here (affiliate).
🌅 Step 5: Finish with a Lake View Villa
After the busy days, we slowed things down:
🏡 Villa Francesca Toscolano via Booking.com
✔️ 3 bedrooms
✔️ Shared pool
✔️ Stunning lake views
💰 £1,053.02 for 3 nights
The price of villas with lake views tend to be extortionate on Lake Garda, but I stumbled upon this place offering amazing value. Is it perfect? No. But for the price it offers amazing value with 3 bedrooms upstairs and an open plan kitchen-living area on the ground floor. The real highlight was the amazing pool with beautiful lake views! Technically a shared pool with one other place, but we didn’t see anyone else while we were there. The beautiful town of Toscolano Maderno was a short drive away and I would highly recommend eating at Ristorante La Foce for stunning lake views and delicious food - we actually ate here twice!
Why am I saying it isn’t perfect? The house had some signs of wear, the garden was a bit overgrown and the outdoor furniture was a bit passed its best. I would still recommend a stay here, but worth managing expectations a bit in terms of “you get what you pay for”. You also definitely need a car to stay here.
👉 Check lake view villas here: Booking.com has the best filters for families.
🚘 Extra Costs to Budget For
Venice parking at Garage San Marco
💰 €81
👉 Tip: You must park outside Venice—plan this in advance.
💸 Total Cost Breakdown (Family of 5, August)
Flights + car hire: £1,608.08
Venice apartment: £364.78
Lake Garda lodge: £937.19
Lake Garda villa: £1,053.02
Gondola ride: £137.30
Gardaland passes: €415
Opera tickets: €64.20
Parking: €81
👉 Total: ~£4,100 + €560
💡 Why This Itinerary Works
✔️ Booked early (January for August)
✔️ Used apartments instead of hotels
✔️ Mixed locations (city + theme park + relaxation)
✔️ Chose walkable stays (huge with kids!)
✔️ Pre-booked key experiences
📌 Final Thought
Italy in August doesn’t have to be expensive or overwhelming.
With the right strategy, you can create a trip that feels:
✨ effortless
👨👩👧👦 family-friendly
💸 surprisingly affordable
