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Set between the shores of Lake Garda and the foothills of the Dolomites, it’s easily one of the most scenic spots of the region. With dramatic mountain backdrops, crystal-clear water, and a charming old town you can explore on foot, it’s a destination that shines in every season.

Just 21 minutes by car from Riva del Garda, the Strada della Forra is a must if you’re after a 007-style experience. This spectacular 6 km scenic road runs along Lake Garda’s western shore, climbing from the lake up to Tremosine sul Garda through the narrow and dramatic Brasa River gorge. Its cinematic curves were even featured in Quantum of Solace, with Daniel Craig as James Bond racing along this unforgettable stretch.

Why Riva del Garda is a smart Lake Garda base

Riva del Garda is also a practical base for short trips. You can explore lakeside towns or head towards the Dolomites (among the most wonderful mountains in the World), then return to the calm promenade.

• Easy lake walks with cafes and viewpoints.
• Water sports culture when the wind picks up.
• Day trips to Limone, Malcesine, and the Trentino valleys.
• Good mix of hotels, apartments, and family options.

Verona Airport to Riva del Garda: distance and timing

Verona Villafranca Airport uses the code VRN. The road distance to Riva del Garda is about 85 km. In good traffic conditions, the drive is close to 1 hour. Public transport can work, but it is slower; many routes take about 3 hours with changes.

Three ways to get there

1) Train and bus connections

This option is best if you travel light and land in the daytime. You usually reach Verona Porta Nuova first, then connect toward Rovereto or another hub, then a bus to Riva.

• Best for: backpack travel and flexible schedules.
• Not great for: big suitcases, kids, or late arrivals.
• Main risk: missed connections can add a lot of waiting.

2) Taxi on site

A local taxi can be fast. It can also mean queues at busy arrival waves. Price can vary by tariff and timing, so it helps to confirm the approach before you commit.

• Best for: travellers who land at quiet hours.
• Watch for: language gaps and child seat availability.

3) Pre-booked private transfer

If you want the simplest route, book the car before you fly. A private ride is direct and door-to-door. It is also easier when you travel as a group.

Kiwitaxi offers transfers from Verona airport to Riva del Garda with a price you see before you confirm.

Your useful pins for this route

• VRN arrivals hall as your meeting point reference.
• Your hotel address in Riva del Garda, not only the name.
• A backup cafe in Riva for your first snack and wifi.
• A supermarket near your stay for water and breakfast items.
• A lakefront walk start point for the first evening stroll.

What you get with a Kiwitaxi transfer on this route

The Kiwitaxi route notes a few practical advantages that matter after a flight. The driver knows your arrival time in advance and waits at the appointed place. The booking is private, so you do not share the car with strangers.

• Price is shown in advance and stated in the voucher. This protects you from any unpleasant surprises at the moment of the payment.
• Airport pickup includes 1 hour and 30 minutes of waiting time in most cases.
• Cars are regularly inspected and are no older than 7 years.
• You can request a child seat, extra luggage space, or a pet option.
• Driver or dispatcher contacts are provided in your booking communications.

How early should you book

Standard vehicle classes are usually best booked at least 16 hours before pickup. Premium class vehicles and larger minibuses usually need at least 24 hours.

A quick checklist before you confirm

Most transfer problems are small details. Fix them now, and you travel calmer.

• Flight number and scheduled arrival time.
• Passenger count, including children.
• Suitcases plus bulky items like strollers or bikes.
• Exact drop-off address in Riva del Garda.
• Child seat request with the right age group.
• A phone number that will be on and reachable after landing.

Arrival routine at VRN that saves time

• Screenshot your voucher before landing.
• After baggage claim, take two minutes for water and a snack.
• Stay inside the terminal until you have your bags.
• Follow the meeting instructions and look for your driver.
• If baggage is delayed, message support and don’t rush outside.

Your first hour in Riva del Garda

Keep the first hour light. You can do the big plans tomorrow. Check in, unpack essentials, then take a short walk to the lakefront.

• Buy breakfast basics so the morning feels easy.
• Find the nearest ferry point or bus stop for day trips.
• Pick one viewpoint for sunset, then stop scrolling.

One service for the rest of your route

If you are planning a wider trip to Italy, consistency helps. You can check other routes on Kiwitaxi and keep the same simple routine for airports and stations.

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For Kiwis, Brits, Americans, or anyone else, a working holiday in Australia is an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

Offering you the best of both worlds, you can earn good money doing something you love or are good at. Then, when you are not working, you can explore any one of its 10,000 beaches, fabulous cities or regional areas, and its many natural wonders.

They don’t call Australia “The Lucky Country” for nothing. And if you are one of the 321,000 people who were issued one last year (according to the Sydney Morning Herald), you are very lucky indeed.

So, why not make the most of your time Down Under? Here is how you can best enjoy your working holiday while you are there.

Why is Australia One of the Best Countries for a Working Holiday?

Australia is considered by many industry experts to be a top working holiday destination for several reasons. To start with, it offers a high minimum wage of $24.95 per hour. It also offers abundant job opportunities across many sectors, especially hospitality and agriculture. And, of course, has a famously laid-back, outdoor-focused lifestyle.

Between them, the Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) and the Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462) are available to around 40 countries. Some of these include Chile, Mongolia, Peru, much of Europe, the USA, Canada, and the UK. New Zealand nationals can live and work in Australia indefinitely.

When they are not working, anyone granted a visa can enjoy easy travel, especially if they have access to a vehicle. (You can find out more about Tradie Ute Hire here.) This allows them to explore diverse landscapes at their leisure, including beaches, the Outback, cities, coastal towns, and regional areas.

What Are The Best Places in Australia To Start a Working Holiday?

If you know someone you can stay with for a while, it is a good idea to do so initially when you first arrive in Australia. This way, you’ll be able to adjust to your new surroundings, get your bearings and possibly even be introduced to a connection or two who might need to hire someone with your skill set.

Should you not know anyone, you’ll most likely end up flying to one of the capital cities of its six major states or two territories. They are:

• Canberra (ACT
• Sydney (New South Wales)
• Brisbane (Queensland)
• Melbourne (Victoria)
• Adelaide (South Australia)
• Perth (Western Australia)
• Hobart (Tasmania)
• Darwin (Northern Territory)

Whether you remain in them or not will be largely influenced by what type of work you are after. For instance, if you want to work in cattle farming, you will need to head out to regional areas in Queensland. Should you want to do corporate work, Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane is your best bet.

You can get a better idea of where your skills and experience might be most in demand here.

How to Balance Work and Travel on a Working Holiday

The key to enjoying a working holiday in Australia is to fully understand what you want from it.

For instance, is it more important for you to work for a company that will advance your career? Or do you want to enjoy and explore a destination, at a moment of your life, that you’ll never be able to do again? Once you know this, you will be able to approach your time in Australia accordingly. 

Either way, you can still work and travel. But the decisions you’ll make will be influenced by your mindset. For instance, if you want to explore as much of Australia as possible during the 12-month to three-year period in which it is valid, you should prioritise seeking casual work. This will enable you to move around the country and see as much of any given area as you want in between shifts and jobs.

Should you want to secure employment, such as a corporate role, that might help you climb the career ladder, then it would be a good idea to set strict work-life boundaries. This could involve travelling to certain places or enjoying iconic parts of Australian life, such as bushwalking in the Blue Mountains or bbqs on Noosa beach, during weekends and public holidays.

How To Settle Into The Australian Way of Life

Many people on an Australian working holiday are thousands of miles from home. So, if you do make the move Down Under, it is important to settle into the local way of life as quickly as possible.

A good way to do this is to try to make friends. If you play sports, joining a local football, rugby, netball, or cricket team will introduce you to new people. You can also participate in your local church group or sign up for programs based on your hobbies or interests. Other ways to connect with people include volunteering, community meet-ups and joining local social media groups.

Even if you don’t make friends at first, it is worth embracing the Australian way of life. Find a regular cafe to enjoy a latte. Go for regular walks. Join a gym. If you are in a small town or regional area, definitely visit the local pub or RSL club.

Australians are a friendly bunch. So, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can make friendships when you put yourself out and about.

Should I Apply For a Working Holiday Visa For Australia?

At the end of the day, only you can answer this. There are plenty of advantages to living and working in Australia for a while, including the great weather, wonderful work/life balance, and, of course, the chance to experience the country’s charms.

For some, it might require stepping out of their comfort zone. They may also need to recognise that it may test their self-reliance. But the opportunity to visit the Lucky Country for an extended time on a Working Holiday Visa won’t be available to you once you turn 30. So, why not take advantage of it now, whilst you can?

Every traveller has heard of Barcelona’s Sagrada Família and Madrid’s Prado Museum. These cities rightfully earn their spots on bucket lists worldwide. But Spain holds dozens of regions that most visitors never explore, places where medieval villages cling to mountainsides, coastal fishing towns serve seafood caught that morning, and local festivals remain refreshingly free of tour buses. Understanding how these regions differ from one another transforms a generic Spain trip into something that feels less like checking boxes and more like actual discovery.

The challenge isn’t finding these places on a map but fitting them into a realistic itinerary that accounts for travel time, seasonal variations, and the simple fact that Spain rewards slow exploration over rushed visits. Many travellers find that booking vacation packages to Spain solves the logistics puzzle while preserving flexibility, bundling trains, accommodations, and local guides who know which market days to hit and which hiking trails offer the best views without the crowds. Whether you’re drawn to Andalusia‘s whitewashed villages, Galicia‘s green coastline, or the volcanic peaks of the Canary Islands, Spain delivers variety that makes each region feel like visiting a different country.

Andalusia: Where History Layered Itself in Stone

Andalusia packs centuries of cultural collision into landscapes that shift from snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains to sun-scorched coastal plains. Granada’s Alhambra represents the most obvious draw, a fortress-palace complex where Islamic architecture reaches heights that still impress architects today. But reducing Andalusia to the Alhambra misses villages like Ronda, perched on cliffs divided by a dramatic gorge, where you can watch the sunset turn the valley below into shadow while locals gather in plazas for evening paseos.

Seville brings flamenco venues tucked into neighbourhoods where the art form remains a living tradition rather than a tourist performance. The city’s tapas scene operates on a different logic than Barcelona’s, with bars specialising in single dishes perfected over generations. Córdoba’s Mezquita demonstrates architectural layering at its most striking, a mosque transformed into a cathedral that preserves both identities in arches that seem to multiply into infinity.

The white villages scattered across Andalusia’s hills, pueblos blancos like Frigiliana and Vejer de la Frontera, offer narrow streets where getting lost becomes entertainment. These towns were built for foot traffic and shade, with houses painted white to reflect summer heat. Markets sell local olives, cheese from nearby farms, and wine that doesn’t appear on international lists but tastes excellent with a simple lunch eaten on a terrace overlooking olive groves.

Galicia: Spain’s Green Northwest Corner

Galicia feels like Spain borrowed a piece of Ireland and added better seafood. Rain falls frequently, keeping the landscape green year-round and creating coastal views that differ dramatically from Mediterranean imagery. Santiago de Compostela serves as the endpoint for pilgrim routes that have drawn walkers for centuries, though the city rewards exploration beyond its famous cathedral with markets selling pulpo (octopus) prepared in copper pots and wine regions producing Albariño that pairs perfectly with shellfish.

The Rías Baixas coastline offers fishing villages where restaurants serve percebes (goose barnacles) harvested from rocks pounded by Atlantic waves, a delicacy that looks strange but tastes of the sea in concentrated form. These aren’t places designed for tourism but working ports where boats still unload catches each morning. Towns like Combarro preserve hórreos, traditional raised granaries that line the waterfront, creating a skyline that hasn’t changed much in centuries.

Inland Galicia reveals rolling hills dotted with stone churches and Celtic remnants that predate Roman occupation. The Ribeira Sacra region combines dramatic river canyons with vineyards planted on slopes so steep that harvest requires rope systems. Boat trips along the Sil River pass beneath cliffs topped with monasteries, quiet spaces where monks once sought isolation and now offer accommodation to travellers wanting similar peace.

Valencia: Rice Fields, Orange Groves, and Futuristic Architecture

Valencia claims paella as its own invention, and eating the dish where it originated means rice cooked over wood fires in wide pans, traditionally featuring rabbit and snails rather than the seafood versions common elsewhere. The city balances historical centres with avant-garde architecture, most notably the City of Arts and Sciences, a complex of futuristic buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava that houses an aquarium, science museum, and performance spaces.

The surrounding region produces oranges that fill Spanish markets, with groves stretching across flat plains irrigated by systems the Moors introduced centuries ago. Valencia’s central market, Mercado Central, operates in an Art Nouveau building where vendors sell everything from fresh seafood to local produce, creating a sensory experience that makes grocery shopping feel like an event worth scheduling.

Beach towns north and south of Valencia offer alternatives to overcrowded Costa del Sol resorts. Places like Peñíscola, a walled town jutting into the Mediterranean, provide sand, seafood restaurants, and medieval castles without the high-rise hotels that line more developed coastlines. The combination of accessible beaches, agricultural landscapes, and urban culture makes the Valencia region feel balanced in ways purely coastal or purely inland destinations don’t.

Basque Country: Mountains, Coast, and Exceptional Food

San Sebastián has earned a reputation for pintxos, the Basque version of tapas elevated into an art form where each small plate represents a careful composition of flavours and textures. The city’s beaches curve around a bay ringed by hills, creating protected waters suitable for swimming even when Atlantic waves pound nearby coasts. Walking between pintxos bars becomes a form of progressive dining, sampling creations at each stop while locals debate which establishments deserve loyalty.

Bilbao transformed itself through architecture, most famously the Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry, but the city’s appeal extends beyond titanium curves. The old quarter preserves traditional cider houses and markets, while the riverfront demonstrates how industrial cities can reinvent themselves without erasing their past. The surrounding countryside offers hiking in the Basque mountains, where shepherds still move flocks between seasonal pastures.

Coastal villages like Getaria and Hondarribia maintain fishing traditions alongside tourism, with restaurants grilling catch over charcoal and serving it with minimal fuss. The txakoli wine produced in the region arrives at tables poured from height into glasses, creating a slight fizz that cuts through the richness of grilled fish. Basque identity runs deep here, expressed through language, cuisine, and cultural practices that differ markedly from the rest of Spain.

Castile: Plateau Towns and Medieval Walls

The high plateau that defines central Spain holds towns that time seems to have skipped. Segovia’s Roman aqueduct still stands after two thousand years, massive granite blocks stacked without mortar creating arches that carried water across valleys. The city’s Alcázar inspired Disney’s castle designs, though the real version combines practical fortification with fairy-tale turrets in ways that feel both defensive and whimsical.

Toledo packs layers of history into a hilltop position above the Tagus River, with synagogues, mosques, and churches testifying to periods when three religions coexisted. El Greco painted here, and his works still hang in buildings around the city, creating an outdoor museum where art appears in context rather than behind velvet ropes. The damascene metalwork produced in Toledo‘s workshops continues traditions introduced by craftsmen centuries ago.

Ávila surrounds itself with walls so complete that they define the city’s silhouette from miles away. Walking the ramparts provides views across plains that stretch to distant mountains, a landscape that feels unchanged since medieval pilgrims passed through. Winter brings harsh cold to this plateau, while summer sun bakes the stone streets, creating seasons that demand different approaches to exploration but reward visitors willing to adapt to the climate’s extremes.

Planning Routes That Actually Work

Spain’s train network connects major cities efficiently, with high-speed AVE services covering Madrid to Barcelona in under three hours and reaching Seville, Valencia, and Málaga with similar speed. Regional trains and buses fill gaps, though rural areas often require rental cars to access properly. The country’s size means choosing regions strategically rather than trying to see everything in one trip.

Northern regions like Galicia and the Basque Country work well together, sharing green landscapes and Atlantic influence. Andalusia pairs naturally with Valencia, connected by coastal routes and shared Mediterranean climate. Combining too many regions creates travel days that eat into exploration time, though the temptation to add just one more city remains strong when planning.

Seasonal timing matters more than calendar convenience suggests. Summer brings crowds to coastal areas and intense heat to southern cities, while spring and fall offer mild weather with fewer tourists. Winter transforms ski resorts in the Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada while making northern regions feel raw and authentic. Each season reveals different aspects of Spain’s character, and returning travellers often plan trips around specific festivals or harvests that occur only at certain times.

The best Spanish experiences come from balancing famous sites with wandering, from leaving space in schedules for unexpected discoveries. A market that happens to be running, a festival glimpsed while walking to dinner, a conversation with a shopkeeper who recommends a viewpoint not mentioned in guidebooks – these moments require enough flexibility to pursue them when they appear. Spain rewards travellers who plan enough to reach interesting places but not so much that serendipity gets scheduled out of existence.