Visiting the Lake District in Italy with your dog
How to organize your trip to the Lakes region in Italy? Which lakes to visit with your dog in Italy between Lake Maggiore, Lake Como, Lake Iseo or even Lake Garda? I tell you everything here.
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Do you know the region of the lakes in Italy? Located in the Lombardy region, these lakes are a must to discover in Northern Italy with your dog! It's really magical. If you want to spend timeless holidays and discover sumptuous landscapes, then let Joé and Laure guide you.
Our two Wouafer's share with you their wonderful holidays together. Unmissable, stages, advice, transport… Laure tells us all about her trip to Italy with her dog. All you have to do is relax, stretch your legs, and let yourself be transported to wonderland...
Laure and Joe, a shocking duo
My name is Laura and I live in Orleans. I am an occupational therapist, I work with people with disabilities and the elderly. I had the chance to do training to work with my dog. It is therefore now a service dog.
My dog's name is Joé, he's a beagle 4 years old! He is trained to be a support dog, so he works with me. We left together for training when he was 4 months old.
For this great project, I chose a breeding that did not breed dogs but companions. With the breeder, we chose Joé according to his character and not his physique. Luckily, he has it all!
He is a very cuddly dog and he loves joining me in the morning to come under the duvet and give me a big hug in bed.
He just has to look at me so I know what he wants! With the training, I got to know him by heart… We have a great bond! He is a very calm and soothing dog.
Together, we love walk in the forest, on the banks of the Loire, on the beach, cani-vtt and spending time with family… And let's not talk about cuddling times… it's our favorite moments I think!
Of course, we love going on vacation. For me, holidays are with my dog!
Italy with a dog: instructions
We like to change our vacation destination! This summer, we decided to go to Italy in the region of the great lakes to discover this area and get away from it all with the language, the gastronomy, the culture... We wanted an accessible destination for the whole family so we said that around the lakes, we could surely find our happiness, and we were not disappointed!
Musher and Sophie : “To travel to Italy with your dog, you must follow a few rules:
Your dog must be at least 15 weeks old.
Your dog must be identified. It is mandatory, just like with us in France.
Your dog must be up to date with his vaccines and in particular his anti-rabies vaccine.
You must be in possession of your dog's European passport, completed by a veterinarian.
Bring a muzzle which may be required in Italy.”
Discover Lake Maggiore and Lake Como in Italy with your dog
We left by car, in family, direction mesenzana between lake maggiore and Como lake.
During our journey, we visited all the lakes in the area:
Visit of Lugano and its lake on the Swiss side! Very nice visit.
Visit of Not him around Lake Maggiore. We looked for a place to land near the lake and we found banks equipped, it was very family friendly and dogs were accepted on a leash.
Visit of Stresa around Lake Maggiore, very chic. There is a nice urban walk to do by the lake. We see the islands to visit. The islands are also accessible by boat where dogs are accepted except on Beautiful island because there are peacocks on the loose!
visit the Lake Orta à Orta San Guilo, medieval village all in cobblestones with many steps. It is a very atypical and beautiful village. You must also visit the mountain with the 20 chapels, accessible to dogs but not to strollers.
Lake Orta is a little less touristy than its big brothers because it is smaller, so it is a little more “wild”.Visit of the Balbiano villa next to Como lake. There was a water bowl at the entrance for dogs and they are welcome. Then we took the boat to visit Bellagio ! The transport boats are all accessible to dogs but some require the wearing of a muzzle sold directly in the boat. They usually charge a ticket for the dog as well.
visit the Taranto Botanical Garden at the end of the day. It was royal, there was only us in the park, we were even able to let go of Joé! This garden is very beautiful and peaceful, there are rest areas, hammocks, deckchairs...
- Visit of Como where there is a superb cathedral and an airport on the water! Total intrigue for our dog 😉
Discover Lake Iséo in Italy with your dog
After Lake Maggiore and Lake Como, change of destination, we left for the Lake Iseo...
Visit of Monte Isola a pretty island on Lake Iseo. It is accessible by boat, then there are developed banks. Monte Isola is the largest lake island in Europe, forbidden to cars… It was really a nice visit.
Beach side getaway Sarnico. Finally, it was rather a grass plan on the edge of the lake with difficult access to the water… The beaches in general are difficult to find because it is not really the thing of the Italians I have the impression. They use the lakes mainly as a means of transport with the boats and for the pretty view. There is often a road that runs alongside the lake and therefore direct access is limited and noisy.
- Visit ofIséo city and Pisogne a pretty medieval village
Discover Lake Garda in Italy with your dog
After discovering Lake Iséo, change of destination, passage through Brescia, a pretty town very nice to visit. Finally, head to Garda lake :
Discovery of the paying beach for dogs at Pinta San Vigilio, there is a swimming area reserved for dogs by the way! It's a nice beach but there are usually a lot of people.
Visit to the Botanical and Artistic Park Heller in Gardone Riviera, a little crush! It's not very big but so pleasant… It's divided into several parts representing different continents, over there it was my dog who chose the path because there is no way to visit!
Visit of Salo : it is a city with a lot of charm, located on the edge of the Lake Garda.
Visit of Sirmione, very pretty town, also very touristy but it is worth the detour. I advise you to go there. We even saw a walking dog ice cream parlor!
We also visited Desenzano del Garda & Peschiera del Garda as well as the city of Bergamo : the fortified city center is definitely worth a look! It is a city surrounded by Venetian fortifications, which are listed as World Heritage.
Note that in Italy with your dog, the restaurants are quite welcoming and often offer water for the dogs before we have to ask 😉
Regarding accommodation, we opted for Airbnb. It was the easiest way for us to travel with our dog.
What mode of transport should you choose to travel with your dog?
During this trip to Italy, we have traveled by car with our dog. We did the road at night and took advantage of the destinations during the day. My dog is in the trunk when we drive, we can't hear him from the trip, he is adorable.
On the spot, we had the car and we took boats: the companies accept dogs but some require a muzzle. They sell it at the counter for around €4, as I mentioned a little earlier.
Musher and Sophie : “Laure chose to travel by car with her dog. But there are so many ways you can travel with your dog! Discover travel by motorhome, cruise, train, ferry, plane… in the article: What means of transport to choose to travel with your dog"
One last tip for visiting the Great Lakes region with your dog
For me, the must-sees are clearly Lake Orta, the botanical and artistic park of Gardone Riveira and Sirmione! You cannot make this trip without discovering them…
I also advise you to do an olive oil tasting. We had a wonderful one but unfortunately dogs weren't allowed.
Italy really is a super dog-friendly country! We had no trouble finding accommodation, there are water bowls all over the street for the dogs to drink from and Joé was very much in demand from the Italians! They always wanted to pet him and take his picture! My dog has made his star!
More seriously, dogs are really accepted everywhere, restaurants, bars, visits etc… I will return to Italy with my dog, that's for sure!
In addition, all walks are possible with dogs in Italy so take advantage of it! Be careful all the same with mosquitoes around the lakes, I advise you to provide an effective lotion!
I don't know about you, but I can't wait to discover this region with my dog! I admit that this story made my mouth water… If you want more, also discover other articles dedicated to Italy with his dog: Sardinia with his dog, road trip in Italy with your dog: the unmissable things to discover, Discover Florence and Italy with your dog
While waiting for your holidays, I hope to see you again on our Facebook and our account Instagram : )