Car rental for Milan-Padova-Venice-Dolomites-Milan trip

Rent the car as you leave Venice unless it isn’t much more of a cost to rent it for the whole time.

Driving seems to make sense in the Dolomites - Except almost all hotels (all I have stayed in) hand out free "Mobi-Cards/Bus Passes" that take you anywhere you want to go. You can go up one lift, have a great walk/hike and come down another lift, and then take the bus home. I have driven in the Dolomites too (Padova-Dolomites-Julian Alps-Venice), the only advantage is being able to stay in more remote accommodations.

https://www.suedtirol.info/en

https://www.suedtirolmobil.info/en/

Thank you for this information and these links. They look very useful!

US tourists think "vacation = car". Europeans think "vacation = different and new trains". There are parts of Europe where cars are helpful. Increasingly, these are few.

We did Milan-Ravenna-Padova-Turino-Pisa-Siena-Florence. All save 1 leg was on train, and the Siena-Florence was bus. We found it relaxing and easy. Italian trains run on time (cue WWII reference) or pretty close. They arrive near the center of town (Padova train station is right on the single tram line for the town).

We have not been in the Dolomites, and it's possible that a car might be good there. But only there.

I don't agree with the above cost thought. When you have a car in Venice, you don't have a car - you have a parking expense. Same with Padova. It's not a big town and is very walkable. We got a lot of steps in, and that meant that we did not gain weight despite eating pasta.

Thanks so much, this was very helpful. We've decided to rent a car from Venice for the Dolomites only.

Italy has ZTL zones. Make sure you understand the situation with these limited transit places.