TY Italy Trip – Lake Garda Tour – St. Mary’s C.B.S. Portlaoise
Monday 6th April – Thursday 9th April 2026
We are looking forward to travelling to Italy with our Transition Year students for our Lake Garda Tour. Please read the important information below carefully.
Group Details
Students: 67
Teachers: 6
Group Leader: Paul Cahillane
Flights -Outbound Flight
Airline: Aer Lingus
Flight: EI432
Route: Dublin Milan Linate
Depart Dublin: 07:00(Monday 6 April)
Arrive Milan: 10:40
Return Flight
Airline: Aer Lingus
Flight: EI413
Route: Verona Dublin
Depart Verona: 19:15(Thursday 9 April)
Arrive Dublin: 20:50
Meeting Time
Students must assemble at Downey’s Auto Stop for 2:45am on Monday 6th April.
Students should arrive on time and ensure they have all required travel documentation.
Baggage Allowance
Each student may bring:
- 1 small cabin bag (max 40 × 30 × 20 cm)
- 1 small check-in suitcase (max 55 × 40 × 24 cm)
Accommodation
Hotel Sporting San Zeno
San Zeno di Montagna, Lake Garda
Students will stay here for 3 nights.
Breakfast and evening meals are included at the hotel. Lunch will generally be under students’ own arrangement during excursions.
Trip Itinerary (Overview)
Day 1 – Monday 6 April
- Early morning departure from Dublin
- Arrival in Milan
- Guided walking tour of Milan
- Transfer to Oriocenter – Bergamo
- Transfer to the Lake Garda area
- Check-in at hotel & Evening meal
Day 2 – Tuesday 7 April
- Breakfast at hotel
- Day trip to Venice
- Water taxi transfer into the city
- Guided walking tour of Venice
- Free time to explore Venice
- Evening visit to Lazise to explore castle grounds
- Return to hotel for dinner
Day 3 – Wednesday 8 April
- Breakfast at hotel
- Full day at Gardaland Theme Park
- Evening visit to Sirmione to explore the castle and lakeside area
- Return to Hotel & Dinner
Day 4 – Thursday 9 April
- Breakfast and hotel check-out
- Visit to Sirmione on Lake Garda
- Scenic boat tour on Lake Garda
- Transfer to Verona
- Visit to the Verona Arena, Romeo & Juliet’s Balcony and Free Time
- Transfer to Verona Airport & Evening flight home to Dublin
Important Notes for Students Travel Documentation
- Students must follow all instructions from teachers at all times.
- Students should respect hotel rules and other guests.
- Students are responsible for their own belongings.
- Any damage to accommodation or transport may result in charges.
Students must bring:
- Valid passport
- European Health Insurance Card (EHIC/GHIC)
Students will be issued a link teacher and will need to meet their link teacher between Wednesday 18th – Friday 20th – this will be scheduled by their link teachers to discuss some logistics around the trip and to answer any questions students may have. It is crucial all TY students are present in school during this time.
Finally, students will need to bring in €55 cash to their link teacher next week to cover bus transfers to Dublin airport, Accommodation deposit, Italian Bus deposit, City Tax for Venice and Tourist Tax for accommodation. Students will then hopefully receive €20 returned to them prior to arriving in Verona airport, once our deposits are returned.
If you have any questions please feel free to get in touch at any time pcahillane@portlaoisecbs.com
Paul Cahillane
TY Co Ordinator