Catherine & Raphael

We are excited for everyone to join us on our special day! Our guests come from all over the world and we are so grateful to everybody traveling so far to celebrate with us in Italy.

Our venue, the Convento Dell’Annunciata, is a magical historical convent tucked away in the countryside of Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. For ease of travel and coordination, we recommend that our guests stay near Lake Garda. We have chosen two beautiful towns on the southern border of the lake for our guests to stay: Desenzano and Sirmione. On the day of the wedding, we will have a shuttle take guests from these two locations to our Convento in Medole, which is about a 20-minute drive south of the lake. Lake Garda is halfway between Milan and Venice, two amazing cities to potentially explore if you plan to extend your stay in Italy. Verona, the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, is also nearby and worth exploring (click on map on upper right).

Desenzano is a beautiful town with many attractions as well as a lively nightlife. Here you will find cute canals, nice restaurants, and trendy places in addition to many beaches, the Castle of Desenzano, an archeological museum, and cathedral. Compared to Sirmione, Desenzano is a larger and more central town, with more to do and closer to the main train station. The lake-side activity the day after the wedding is in Sirmione, so if you stay in Desenzano, you will have the opportunity to explore both places.

Sirmione is a charming small town situated on the tip of a peninsula that stretches out into the southern part of the lake. It is a historic town with interesting sights including a castle, panoramic views of the lake, and fine restaurants. Compared to Desenzano, the town is smaller and a little further away from the main train station but local buses or a car can take you conveniently here. Catherine and Raphael will be staying in this town. The lake-side activity the day after the wedding will be here if you want the convenience of staying in one location.

The two closest international airports are Milan Malpensa Airport (MIL) and Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE). From either airport, it is about 1.5hrs by car (without traffic) or about 2.5hrs by public transport to Desenzano or Sirmione on Lake Garda.

MIL Airport to Lake Garda:
1) Take the Malpensa Express from the airport to Milano Centrale Railway (35–55min, €13). Trenord website
2) From the Milano Centrale Railway Station, take a train to Desenzano del Garda Sirmione station (1hr 23min, €9.30). If you are staying in Desenzano, hotels are within a 15-min walk from here. Trenord website (scroll down to "buy")
3) If you are staying in Sirmione, take an additional local bus to Sirmione (15–20min, €2 euros).
4) Using Google Maps will give you the most up-to-date train times for this route.

VCE Airport to Lake Garda:
1) Take bus 25a or 15 from Aeropuerto Marco Polo to Mestre Stazione (25min, €1.30). Alternatively, you can take a 20-min taxi for this segment.
2) From the Venice Mestre Railway Station (Venezia Mestre), take a train to Desenzano del Garda Sirmione station (1hr 25min, ~€21). If you are staying in Desenzano, hotels are within a 15-min walk from here. Trenitalia website
3) If you are staying in Sirmione, take an additional local bus to Sirmione (15–20min, €2).
4) Using Google Maps will give you the most up-to-date train times for this route.

Milano Centrale Railway Station to Lake Garda:
1) From the Milano Centrale Railway Station, take a train to Desenzano del Garda Sirmione station (1hr 23min, €9.30). If you are staying in Desenzano, hotels are within a 15-min walk from here. Trenord website, scroll down to "buy"
2) If you are staying in Sirmione, take the local bus to Sirmione (15–20min, €2).
3) Using Google Maps will give you the most up-to-date train times for this route.

If you're driving from Switzerland, it's about a 5.5h drive.

If renting a car, there are many companies at the airport and main train stations. We recommend booking online ahead of time because they do run out of cars. Especially for American guests who don’t drive stick, reserve an automatic car ahead of time.

If you are taking a car, remember to call hotels or Airbnbs to secure parking.

We will ensure that everyone can feel safe. Fortunately, the general situation is improving rapidly. There is currently no COVID testing required to enter Italy or the US. Masking may still be required in some public transportation and stores. Travel safely!