Internet on Lake Garda – 2 solutions for owners and holidaymakers

Internet solutions for homeowners

Internet on Lake Garda – Getting a decent internet connection on Lake Garda was a bit of a challenge for us. We didn’t know what solutions existed and how they worked. At first, we opted for a solution with a rechargeable data card and an LTE router.

Unfortunately, the mobile phone connection in our flat is not so good, so that was not a permanent solution. After some research and discussions with other owners, we came across a satellite-based solution.

There are two relevant providers in the region around Lake Garda: Wolnet and EOLO. Both providers are represented in our condominium, we finally decided on EOLO. EOLO is based in South Tyrol, so the language barrier is not a problem.

EOLO offers internet connections on demand, there are tariffs for 2 days, 1 week, 2 weeks or 3 months. A satellite dish and the router (one-time 69.90 euros) are provided by EOLO, the connection fee is 99 euros. The download rate is 30 Mbit/s. You can find more information at EOLO.

Ordering was easy, and setting up was hassle-free. The internet speed is sufficient, we can also stream movies if needed. Since we only use our flat a few weeks a year, this solution is perfect for us.

According to my research, the other provider Wolnet only offers annual rates for holiday home owners. The annual fee is 268.40 euros.

Internet for holidaymakers

Many hotels, guesthouses, holiday flats and also restaurants offer their own WLAN. The connections are usually sufficient to do research on the internet or use social media. Unfortunately, the data rates are often not sufficient for streaming videos.

Another solution for internet on Lake Garda is to use an Italian SIM card with data tariff and an LTE router. The data SIM is simply plugged into the LTE router and configured, then the part works like a normal WLAN router. Providers of corresponding data cards are:

• Wind Tre
• TIM
• Vodafone
• Iliad

WIND and TIM offer the best solutions and the cheapest data tariffs. We have used WIND in the past and had good experiences. The data SIM is rechargeable (Ricarica), so you are flexible and do not have to pay a monthly basic fee. We bought our data SIM at Video Expert in Riva.

Of course, you can also use your own data tariff. Fortunately, roaming charges no longer apply in Italy. Depending on the data volume and contract, this is often sufficient. If you are travelling in Italy for a longer period of time (e.g. with a camper van) and only have a small data volume, the variant with an Italian data SIM and router is absolutely recommendable. The cool thing is that a mobile router like this can also be used in other countries without any problems, even outside the EU. So we had the router with us on our city trip to New York.