Advice on how to get from Venice to Castlerotto without a car? Advice on enjoyable hiking trails?

This info is in the Italy guide book.

Mary,

That's actually a very straight forward trip. Here's the route.....

• Train from Venezia S. Lucia to Bolzano / Bozen (about 3.5 hours, with one change at Verona Porta Nuova).
• When you arrive in Bolzano, walk about two blocks or so to the Bus depot and buy a ticket.
• Take the Bus to Castelrotto (about an hour as I recall). Ask about your stop before disembarking, as the Bus makes a couple of stops before reaching Castelrotto.

Lots of choices for hiking trails....

• Take the Chair Lift to Marinzan (just above Castelrotto). There are number of hiking trails there, including one that goes to Alpi di Siusi.
• Take the Bus to Alpi di Siusi and then the Cable Car up the hill. Once you arrive there, there are LOTS of trails, some of them accessible via Chair Lifts.

We did, in reverse, exactly what Ken is suggesting. As he mentions, there are a great many hiking trails in the Alpi di Siusse region, some of which are quite challenging. There is a tourist info office there to provide guidance. One caveat -- be sure to check the schedule for the last transport at the end of the day or you may get stuck. We very nearly were.

Thank you!