My husband and I have been to Venice about a dozen times but have never visited the mountains. We'll be in Venice for a week over Christmas and would like to take the train to a scenic town near the Dolomites with a view of the mountains. What would be our best option? We'd like to keep the train ride under a few hours.
The closest you will get by train is Bolzano. You could then take a bus to Ortesei. From Ortesei, take a gondola up to Seceda or Seiser Alm for spectacular views.
Alternatively, you could take a bus directly from Venice to Cortina d’Amprezzo. https://www.cortinaexpress.it/en/
Thank you!