CT/Dolomites/lakes/venice

How many nights do you have in Italy?

For me, Venice and the Dolomites (yes, the mountain towns are charming) woud make a nice week. Other places on the way between the two are Padua, Vicenza, Verona and Bolzano. Bolzano has a really lovely historic area and can be a day-trip from your chosen Dolomite village. Many of us like Ortisei.

I would think that the Dolomites would be best in early rather than late September, but I have not researched the weather patterns there. You may be able to get day-by-day historical data for Ortisei on the website timeanddate.com . Note that the weather in the valley city of Bolzano is very, very different. Bolzano can be miserably hot in the summer when the mountain villages are usually pleasant.

To “see” Venice, I think that you need at least two full days plus the day you arrive, and even then you will barely scratch the surface. It takes a bit of time to get a handle on Venice.
People report not infrequently that Venice did not do it for them, and many of those people made a very brief visit.
Venice is a very intimate city; intimacy takes time to develop.

Would you stay in Monterosso or maybe Portofino instead?

If you only have 7 nights, pick a maximum of two places to rest your head. Venice is lovely only if you spend enough time. As Aussie mentioned, those who don’t like Venice are usually those who stopped for 1 or 2 nights and only saw the crowds.

The Dolomite areas you might enjoy and the Cinque Terre both require some serious travel time to reach from Venice. Venice to Ortisei is 5 hour requiring 2 trains and a bus or taxi, Venice to Monterosso is also about 5 hours and multiple trains. In either situation you will need to go to an airport hub (probably Milan) the night before your departure, so you have to save a night for that. Traveling between, for example Ortisei and Monterosso, is an 8 hour journey with three trains and a bus.

So pick two or add a few days to your trip.

We were going to drive (drive times seem much more reasonable). Is driving a bad move? We like having the control and flexibility of having a car

We flew into Venice and spent two nights, a third would have been ok. We then drove to Selva Val Gardena for 3 nights. I think the Dolomites are a bit different from the Alps, Rockies, etc. I’m very glad we went there. Next we drove to Bologna and stopped for lunch in Torbole on Lake Garda. Wished I could windsurf for a few days there and saw lots of people on mountain bikes.

After leaving the car in Bologna we took the train to CT for two nights. It’s very crowded, I was last here in 1993. Still, we went swimming in a few places and it was nice. I could handle another night here but that’s it.

Car might be faster but also a hassle, especially in the Cinque Terre. Renting in Venice means being very careful leaving Piazzale Roma as the speed limits are fiercely enforced and the limit is quite low. Read up on Italian traffic laws, especially ZTLs. The Val Gardena tries to limit auto use so as to reduce congestion and pollution, as such, each hotel or B&B provides each guest with a pass to use the buses to get to lifts and trailheads. Parking is often a problem at popular places there, as well. Do not expect the equivalent of American convenience when you have a vehicle.

Ortisei in the Dolomites is charming with a rushing stream, traditional buildings. Then take a gondola or funicular to the high mountain meadows for hiking and stunning scenery.

Too many places, too little time. I'd spend the week in Venice and get to know the city. If you feel the need to keep moving. pick one more place near where you could fly out.

Just picking up on the car vs train way of travelling. Rome2Rio gives transit times between places, and mostly indicates that cars are faster than trains.
What this does not take into account is the time taken to hire a car, and more importantly finding a car park, and walking to your final destination. For places like Cinque Terre, parking is a fair distance from hotels.
Trains in Italy are really good, the bigger intercity routes blast along at 200 km/hour, from Rome to Naples, the speedo hits 300 while you enjoy a drink in the bar.

Thanks! Great advice! We definitely don't want to spend a full week in Venice. But I do think we will rethink car vs. train. Thinking we will fly into Milan and take train straight to CT and then train from there to Lake Guarda or Bologna (or Parma) before finishing the week in Venice and flying out from there. We are also now going in October instead of September, which makes lake Guarda less appealing, and makes CT slightly more appealing (risk of rain impacting trails but hopfully fewer crowds)

Venice to CT any time would not be my choice if those were the points of interest. Fly into Bologna and head to Floreance and CT OR fly into Venice and explore Veneto. There is A LOT to see in Veneto so you could hang around there after Venice.

October - the Lakes will be quiet but Garda or Como are still doable and certainly less crowded but some restaurants might be closed.

I'd pick Provence or southern Italy in October. Not sure I think Provence is more "kid" friendly how about Provence/ Cote d Azur it doesn't have to be glam.

hey hey wdgerk
September is a busy and crowded month, seems to still be high season in a lot of different cities. have you been to Venice? don’t know where you’re flying from and if from USA how are you with jet lag? Venice is a nice place to calm it down next day, stay away from the crowds during day, roam outside canal areas, early morning later evening in tourists areas, schezzini.it alessandro does a cichetti bar tour (appetizers wine and history) lots of steps/stairs bridges to cross, alleyways to zig and zag, it’s magical. Europeforvisitors.com lots of info. Take a train to lake garda, rent a car there if need be. make sure you obtain an IDP from AAA/CAA (coincides with your drivers license). check the ferry schedules to stop at villages around the lake. check out bardolino wine festival (late sept early October) we attended few years ago in the town of bardolino and it was fabulous and fun. Eat drink and be merry!! spend couple days then train to Milan for flight home.
one week is a very short time and you don’t want to spend your time in transport, takes about half day to pack, checkout, travel to next place, checkin (if hotel allows early checkin and luggage storage) not lugging around. most due but some don’t, read fine print. check travel times, if free parking usually not near city center, a car is not as useful as people think in Europe along with ZTLs. Read the rules and laws about driving. You will have a great and fun time, just read and research what’s important knowing you can’t see and do everything you want, don’t forget to stop at a cafe sit people watch and enjoy Italy!
aloha

I would rethink flying OUT of Venice. Flights are usually very early in the AM, which may mean you will start your day around 3-4 AM in order to get to the airport on time.

Fewer cities for longer would be my advice. Travel days don't really count as days in situ. And either go north or south, but don't try to do both. RS guides can make suggestions about hotels and restaurants; not infallible, but better than guessing.

I love Venice. September will be better than August, but still probably hot and crowded. Book rooms and sites online and well ahead. Check labels on souvenirs to be sure they weren't made in China. Lace, glass and masks are the usual options--but you can watch the first two being made so you know they are authentic. See the islands. Read a Donna Leon novel before you go.

I was in Cinque Terra a few weeks ago and it was hot, horribly crowded, and expensive. I spent a week there 10 years ago and it was heaven; I think we (tourists) have killed Cinque Terra... But if you do go, eat at Aristide in Manarolo. Also, stay overnight rather than doing a day trip; it's best early morning and late evening when the tourists are gone. Wear flipflops in the water; my son stepped on a sea urchin. :) The beach is very tiny and rocky--not great for little kids.

I was also in the Lake Como area a few weeks ago, for the first time. Stayed in Bellagio (at the Hotel Florence--liked it very much). Busy during the day, but not overly so, and peaceful in the early morning and evening. I posted a review on the hotel and the places we ate (lots of great options) in the hotel and restaurant review Forum. We did a day trip to Varenna; it was smaller (more crowded and fewer choices) but sweet. Don't stay in Como proper, just shoot through and get on the boats. Speaking of boats: be prepared for the process to be awful. They are expensive, schedules are indecipherable, and the staff is pretty universally rude. That said, the water trips themselves are lovely. Visit the Villa Carlotta if you like gardens. Plan to eat ice cream at least once every day.