Alps Trip Itinerary Recommendations

We went to many of these places during a 3 week road trip last summer. If you are looking to cut , I would cut days 1-7. Fly into Innsbruck or Venice and drive to Ortesei. This would give you a lovely mix of lakes and mountains.

I would add nights in Lauterbrunnen because weather will impact those amazing views you are going for.

I will strongly endorse your inclination to cut the trip down by half. There is no benefit I can see to moving around so much—-all these mountains and lakes are beautiful, and there is no point in rushing around to see them all in one trip. spend more time in each place to really enjoy it. It has taken me probably 4 trips to include them all; combining in one trip at most 2 countries, not all 4.

So definitely add time to Malcescine and Ortesei, and consider another location in the Dolomites if you wish, or maybe someplace in the Austrian Alps.

You will likely want to drop the car in Italy before continuing to Austria, as the drop fees for crossing the border can be significant. Bolzano is easy, athen take the train from there to Innsbruck.

If it becomes difficult to find good flights out from Innsbruck you could end in Munich and fly home from there. You could make time for Fussen if that is high on your list.

Then next time fly into Zurich, spend time in Switzerland before moving to Annecy, chamonix and athen Aosta for a flight home from Milan.

Thank you so much for your responses! What fantastic advice Lola!! It's really helpful to know that dropping a rental car off in another country comes with steep fees; I like your suggestion about dropping it in Bolzano and continuing on train from there. Thank you thank you! You have helped me feel confident cutting the trip down and your suggestions are fantastic!

Hi,
I've read your itinerary. The area around Chamonix is amazing, the same as Aosta Valley where I live. Around Courmayeur, Cogne, Aosta there are different hikes and the nature & cultural heritage are simply stunning. Doing a hike close to the Mont Blanc is a really nice experience. Chamonix is a little bit more international and bigger than Courmayeur. Understanding Courmayeur and its habitants took me some years but I've found real good friends.
Hanna

Hi! With three weeks in the Alps, it’s tempting to cover Italy, Austria/Bavaria, Switzerland, and France all at once—but focusing on fewer regions can lead to a richer experience. Slowing down allows you to immerse yourself in local culture, reduce travel stress, and enjoy more time hiking, savoring regional cuisine, and admiring mountain vistas.

Why Focus?

- Quality Time: Fewer bases mean less transit and more immersive activities—mountain trails, cable car rides, village visits, and local markets.

- Cultural Insight: Longer stays let you discover regional dialects, traditions, and unique cuisines.

- Less Stress: Cutting cross-border moves saves hours of travel.

Consider the Dolomites

If you’re already heading to Ortisei (https://bestmountain.eu/en/south-tyrol/val-gardena/ortisei/), think about spending more time in the Dolomites—Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Val di Fassa—instead of rushing elsewhere:

• Val Gardena: Explore Ortisei (https://bestmountain.eu/en/south-tyrol/val-gardena/ortisei/), Selva di Val Gardena (https://bestmountain.eu/en/south-tyrol/val-gardena/selva-di-val-gardena/), and Santa Cristina (https://bestmountain.eu/en/south-tyrol/val-gardena/saint-christina/).
  
• Val di Fassa: Canazei (https://bestmountain.eu/en/trentino/fassa-valley/canazei/) and Moena (https://bestmountain.eu/en/trentino/fassa-valley/moena/) offer trails, views, and authentic Trentino flavors.
  
• Alta Badia: From Corvara (https://bestmountain.eu/en/south-tyrol/alta-badia/corvara-in-badia/) or San Cassiano (https://bestmountain.eu/en/south-tyrol/alta-badia/san-cassiano/), you can reach the Pordoi Pass (https://bestmountain.eu/en/trentino/pordoi-pass/), explore the Sella Ronda (https://bestmountain.eu/en/sella-ronda/), or head to Arabba (https://bestmountain.eu/en/veneto/arabba/) for breathtaking views.

Nearby Alternatives

For variety without huge distances, consider Alta Pusteria:

- San Candido (https://bestmountain.eu/en/south-tyrol/alta-pusteria/san-candido/)

- Lake Misurina (https://bestmountain.eu/en/lake-misurina/)

- Sorapis Lake (https://bestmountain.eu/en/sorapis-lake/)

- Three Peaks of Lavaredo (https://bestmountain.eu/en/three-peaks-of-lavaredo/)

Tips for Your Itinerary

- Pick 2-3 bases and stay several days in each.

- Limit border crossings to save travel time.

- Use trains or a car for short trips once settled.

This approach deepens authenticity and relaxation, letting you fully appreciate local landscapes and culture. Enjoy your planning!

Truth is that all the regions you list are worth visiting. And also, posters are right that sticking to a smaller area overall will make for a better trip.

That said, 3 weeks is not at all a short trip, and the places you list are not so far apart.

My recommendation for pacing would be chill/adjust to start, then faster, then a long stay on the middle (your vacation from your vacation), then higher pace again, ending with a 2 or 3 night city break for a final shot of adrenaline as you finish the trip strong.

Or some approximation.

If you vibe with the mountains, Munich is a nice big city to end by visiting. Not in the mountains, but the place kind of "feels" the mountains, like Seattle or Vancouver BC.

Tannheim in Tannheimtal just a bit above and outside of Fussen is a GREAT place to chill out in authentic Austrian mountain culture. Real working agriculture mixed with authentic villages mixed with superb mountain tourist infrastructure. It's a nice place to shack up for 5 nights, cook, do your laundry, hike, swim, ride a bike, day trip to Fussen area stuff. Not a bad long stay to catch your breath without swarms of tourist from far away - it's nearly all Germans and Austrians.

Another place that is lovely for a longer stay is the Salzkammergut. Plenty to see, do, and explore in that region, with many quality vacation rentals.

You could also do a longer stay in Ortesei.

It's hard to go wrong. I would only suggest spending your longer chunks of time in villages or just outside that are more pedestrianized. It's nice not to have to use the car all the time when you are relaxing during a longer stay.

Other than Brescia, I have visited all of the places on your list, and am returning to Malcesine and Ortisei next spring. I agree that you are trying to hit too many places, so here’s where I would cut down. Lake Como and Lake Garda are both beautiful, and offer a similar experience. I would pick just one of the two, and my choice would be Malcesine on L Garda. I feel that Malcesine, and Garda in general, have a little more to offer in terms of sights and easy transportation. It looks like you’re interested in mountain hikes, and there are several options at the north end of L Garda, not far from Riva del Garda (check out Arco). Speaking of hiking, to my mind Ortisei and Lauterbunnen offer the best hiking infrastructure in all of the alps, and I would recommend adding at least one of your Varenna days to each base. Chamonix is also one of my favourite spots, but does not offer as much variety of trails as the other two, so if you need to pare down more, I would chop Chamonix and view Mt Blanc from the Courmayeur side on your way to Aosta. I think Annecy is the most beautiful city in France, and it’s worth a couple of days. Rent some bikes (e-bikes are available) and bike all the way around Lake Annecy. Aosta is a good base for some more hikes in Gran Paradiso National Park, or to visit some interesting castles. It would be a shame to land and take off from Milan without spending a night or two there- it has lots to offer (although Turin is even more interesting). In summary, I think you should trim days from the front end of your trip, and maybe Chamonix, to give you more time to enjoy fewer places. On arrival in Milan, head to Brescia (or better still, Bergamo) for a couple of nights, then on to Malcesine. Regardless of what you decide, you will have a great experience, as you can’t go wrong with any of these places.

I completely agree with what our neighbor to the north said about Lake Como versus Lake Garda, and Malcescine in particular. I find it much more interesting and scenic than Varenna—-we have been to each of them twice and I would keep returning to Malcescine, but don’t need to visit Varenna again.

We were just there in September, traveling by train and ferry (train from Milan to Desenzano, ferry from there, with a 2-night stop in Salò to break up the long ferry ride). We had a lovely lakefront room at Hotel Venezia, which I highly recommend. I could watch my husband’s lake swim from our balcony each morning.

https://www.hotelvenezia-malcesine.it/en

For our onward travel from Malcescine, the hotel booked us a private transfer to Verona’s Porta Nuova train station. But if you are considering renting a car for the Dolomites, you might as well use it for Malcescine as well. If you cannot rent one in Brescia, continue by train to Verona and pick one up there. You can return it at Bolzano before continuing north into Austria. (Or return at Venice if you are interested in my second itinerary suggestion below).

Like others I believe you are trying to cover too much ground and should cut out some stops. I suggest you save Chamonix and the French Alps for another time, and maybe Switzerland too. Or maybe not. I see 2 good ways to do an itinerary:

1). Fly into Milan, ride the train to Brescia or Bergamo nearby. From here, you would move by car or train to Lago di Garda, then the Dolomites, then into Austria and Germany, flying home from Munich.

2). If you want to include Switzerland in this trip, fly into Zurich and head straight to Lauterbrunnen (or Wengen or Mürren). From here, take the train to Luzern for a night or 2, or continue from Luzern to Locarno by way of the Treno Gottardo over the scenic Gottard Pass route, and spend 2 nights there. Or do both Luzern and Locarno if you like. From there you continue to Brescia by train via Milan, then pick up a car for Lago di Garda and the Dolomites. Drive back to Venice for your flight home.

I can recommend a book you might like to help you appreciate the Alps and maybe narrow down your stops and decide what to save for next time. “The Alps” by Steven O’Shea, following his journey by muscle car through the Alps from west to East is a very entertaining read, but also provides lots of interesting bits about the cultures, history, and geology of the region. It is quirky and sometimes annoying, but he comes up with some interesting terms like the “lard line”—-the east-west line that divides the culinary traditions of olive oil to the south from pork fat (and butter) to the north.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30231759-the-alps