Why I chose a holiday over a 50th birthday present for my mum (and it was so worth it)

What’s the best gift for a mum who already has everything? For me, the answer wasn’t another present – it was a holiday. If Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or a milestone birthday is fast approaching, read on for how to become the family favourite with the ultimate gift idea… 

A couple of years ago, I was trying to decide what to get my mum for her 50th birthday that actually felt meaningful – and quickly realised the answer wasn’t in a shop. Cathy is a lady who, when asked for gift inspiration, replies exclusively with “just to spend time with my family”, so I knew I had my work cut out for me. But then during a conversation about Stanley Tucci, inspiration struck. We’d not been abroad together since I was a child (we’re more of a staycation kind of family) but she’s always dreamt of going to Italy and ruining her love of a Mollica oven-pizza by sampling the ‘real deal’.  

Suddenly, the brief of ‘spending time with family’ got a lot more interesting… fast forward through a very aggressive Monzo saving challenge and our mother-daughter trip was booked!  

Why I chose Bardolino as the best base on Lake Garda 

When it came to picking a spot, I knew Cathy would want culture and history, and an easy airport transfer without the overwhelm of a massive capital city. She’d want a good blend of exploration and relaxation and wouldn’t turn down a spa day or a winery tour. Most importantly, it should have local charm and amazing food.   

Enter, Bardolino, Lake Garda. This lakeside town is known for its laidback atmosphere, stunning environment, local vineyards and easy access to Verona – it was the perfect spot.  

How to get to Bardolino: Flights, transfers and tips 

We travelled out at the start of June – one of the best times to visit Lake Garda – on a very quick and easy British Airways flight and took a quick half-an-hour Uber to Bardolino. While we both have a driving license, Cathy doesn’t like driving abroad and I’d not been behind the wheel in about eight years, so we opted for Ubers/local taxis throughout the trip. What we didn’t realise was that getting around Lake Garda without a car can be quite pricey… Taxis are much more expensive than in other parts of Europe (more similar to London prices), so my top tip for confident drivers would be to rent a car to get around.  

After arriving in Bardolino we were immediately struck with the authentic, vibrant personality of the town. Just five minutes from our hotel was a courtyard spilling with live music and locals lounging around, soaking in the early evening’s cool breeze. But we curbed our desire to explore and checked in to get an early night from the day’s excitement (AKA teaching mum, who hadn’t flown since the early 00s, about the 100ml rule).  

Day 1: What to do in Bardolino – lakeside spots & womenrun vineyards 

Our first proper day started with an early morning meander round the town, and a lakeside breakfast at Yacht Bar, where I had the most delicious and extravagant Frappuccino of my life (lovingly named The Bardolino Frappucino). This spot quickly became one of our favourites, and we’d make many pit stops there for the rest of the week.  

After a quick walk around the lake, we found a small stoney patch where you could rent loungers and parasols and set up camp for a day of swimming and sunbathing. The spot was super quiet and tranquil, and despite the small scattering of other tourists, we really felt like we had the place to ourselves.  

That night we were off to a vineyard to sample the famous Bardolino vintage. We picked one particular winery on the outskirts of Lazise on account of it being female owned and operated – we’re on a multi-generational girls’ trip after all – and we were not disappointed. Giovanna Tantini’s vineyard was set in a landscape of gorgeous sprawling fields, some of which we toured through before setting up camp with a lovely Dutch couple for an intimate evening of wine and cheese pairings, hosted by the charismatic Giovanna herself. We may have subsequently left with a few bottles of her Magico rosé to bring back home… can recommend.  

Day 2: Daytrip to Verona – what to see and do   

Today was all about culture with a full daytrip to Verona – one of the most popular spots for culture lovers around Lake Garda.  

We’d maxed out our taxi budget getting out to the vineyard, so braved the bus into the city. It was actually a very easy process, we just pre-bought our tickets on the ATV app and scanned them when we boarded. Swapping the taxi for the bus was super simple and saved us quite a few €’s.  

I’m an English grad and so a visit to Juliet’s balcony was a must. Fun fact, there is actually no official link between the building and Shakespeare’s work, other than the fact it’s ‘indicative’ of the kind of Veronese townhouse used in the play – but we’re suckers for a gimmick! It’s still one of Verona’s most famous attractions, and the house itself was beautiful. There are a few exhibition stands dedicated to the play on the inside and, of course, the balcony for a photo opp on the outside. Other than that, there weren’t hours to be spent here (there was however many tourists and a lot of queuing) and tickets cost €12, so if you’re not a Shakespeare fan you’d be forgiven for giving it a miss.  

For dinner that night, we headed back to Bardolino and tried Café Italia, a spot right on the lake front, where we indulged on creamy pasta, Aperol Spritz and tiramisu.  

Day 3: Visiting Villa dei Cedri – Lake Garda’s thermal spa 

Just a 15-minute drive from Bardolino was the gorgeous Villa dei Cedri Spa, which was the setting for day three and one of the best spa experiences near Lake Garda.  

These natural thermal springs are set in the ground of a big country house, with a Victorian-style glass pool area – the perfect spot for a day of pampering. We decided to opt for both a day pass to the main thermal pools and a treatment each at the spa centre, which was heavenly and the lush gardens were a nice change of scene to the lake.  

Top tip – the spa treatments were quite tricky to book on account of the language barrier. Luckily, I had an Italian friend to compose the outreach email for me, but setting some time aside in advance to get this booked in is advisable! 

That night we came crawling back to our faves at Café Italia to sample their pizza offering – still just as yum.   

Day 4: Ferry trip to Lazise – what to do when you get there 

We’d flirted with the outskirts of Lazise but on day four, we decided we wanted to visit it properly, which meant taking the ferry. We stopped off at our favourite café for breakfast before heading to the dock. Again, the tickets were easy enough to buy online, but we did have to wait an hour for a ferry which didn’t turn up.  But we didn’t mind too much as the sun was shining and it gave us the chance to mingle with a very lovely couple from Yorkshire and their beagle.  

When we docked in Lazise, we were thrilled to see it had all the same authentic small-town charm as Bardolino. It’s one of Lake Garda’s best spots for shopping and exploring at a slower pace. So, ofc we spent the afternoon wondering the nick-nack shops and buying souvenirs (in mum’s case, about 4x Italian leather handbags).  

For dinner on our final night, we headed back into Bardolino to Munus Restaurant, which had to be my favourite restaurant of the trip. We sat on the outside terrace, next to the fresh kitchen herb garden and in perfect view of the acoustic trio. The food was amazing, the staff were lovely and the music was delightful. What more can you want? 

Unfortunately, that drew an end to our time in Lake Garda, and after a quick whiz round the shops the next morning for mum to get one more authentic leather bag, we were on our way.  

Should you book a family trip instead of buying a gift? 

We’re now nearly a year on from the trip, and honestly it was one of the best gifts I think I’ve ever given my mum. It was an opportunity for us to do something truly different, to reconnect with ourselves and each other, in a way we hadn’t done since I was younger – in that raw, excitable, adventure seeking way that you only can when you’re doing things in places that are totally new.  

So, if you’re wondering if a holiday is a good gift for a parent or family member, I can confirm it absolutely is. Plus, it then gives you great content for a holiday picture book, which you can gift them for their birthday the following year – the gift that keeps on giving 🤝 

 
Get planning the perfect present with our Family holidays and Adults-only holidays.  

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Author: Molly Cookson (she/her)
Last updated: 11/02/2026