We will be driving from Milan and spending 2 nights in the Dolomites. It is so not like me to have everything planned but wondering if we can "wing it" with the first night and just stop when we feel that we have had enough driving for the arrival day from the US. We will be taking as many scenic routes as possible.
Thanks for your advice and thoughts.
Hi Patrice,
Winging it really depends on the time of year, in my opinion. What may help is having a couple of places picked out in area's you think you'll wind up in. The Alta Badia in general is our favorite area of the Dolomites for that "quintessential" Dolomite scenery. We loved our stays at the Ciasa Montanara in La Villa, Alta Badia.
The Gardena Pass is a favorite drive of ours and the Giau Pass is excellent at the "top" where the restaurant/rest stop is.
Paul
It depends on when you go. New Year's Eve is impossible to wing it.
What really helps is to have a mobile device that can connect you to the net and do a search on the spot. That's what I usually do. Get an unlocked smart phone and get yourself an Italian SUM card (data roaming with your American phone would be very expensive).
The Val Gardena (Gardena valley) is one of the most beautiful places to stay. The town of Ortisei is my favorite. If you stay there you won't regret it.
If you have 2 nights you have only 1 actual day in the area. If you stop driving before you arrive - and Milan to, say, Bolzano, is several hours driving - you will actually have less than one day. I wonder why you will be driving so distant if you cannot commit time to your destination.
asps2 - we arrive in Milan early in the morning so we will have all day on Saturday, stay half way I suspect on Saturday night, drive another 4-6 hours through the passes on Sunday and spend a night in Alta Badia on Sunday night. Then on to Venice at a leisurely pace as we will be in Venice for 3 nights.
Have decided to stay in Bormio on night 1 and Alta Badia on night 2. Thanks for all your suggestions.
When are you doing the trip? The Stelvio pass has a narrow opening window, it closes as soon as the first snow falls (it may be late September, it may be October) and opens again in late May. Just to give an idea, as I am writing these lines, August 17th at 11pm on the top of Stelvio the temperature is 1 °C, just above freezing point. So if the weather is good the idea of staying in Bormio is feasible but if you have bad weather you mayconsider going elsewhere or you may find difficult getting to Val Badia the following day.
Hi Patrice,
Milan to the Alta Badia is a 4:30 drive. Very doable in a day and mostly highways. Then you'd have 2 days and nights to actually be in and explore the Dolomites. Just thought I'd mention it.
Paul
We will arrive in Italy on 13 Sep. Hoping that the weather holds out so that we can drive the Stelvio Pass.
Oh, ok. There are many great passes which are easy from the Alta Badia. The Gardena Pass is our favorite to drive. There's the Sella, Pordoi, Campolongo, Falzarego, etc. The Giau Pass is roughly between the Alta Badia and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Stunning vistas from the rest stop/restaurant at the "top" of the Giau. You could possibly do the Giau on the way from Alta Badia to Venice.
For up close spectacular views of the Dolomites by car, this is our own "Best of the Dolomites drive". It can easily be done in a day and covers drives over 4 Dolomite Passes.
It can be started/ended from any point really, but I'll use The Alta Badia:
Head to Corvara (Alta Badia). Here, take the Campolongo Pass to Arabba. From Arraba take the Pordoi Pass towards Canazei. Before you get to Canazei, take the Sella Pass (or stop in Canazei and go back a bit to continue). Take the Sella Pass and at the end, get right on the Gardena Pass (they branch off one another) towards Alta Badia and Colfosco. There's a cafe/restaurant/rest stop at the "top" of the Gardena, Sella and Pordoi Passes. You'll also notice a few small places to park along the passes to get out and walk among the Dolomite peaks.
For some info and photo's of the passes, check out:
www.alpineroads.com/dolomites.php
Some are listed under the German and or Italian name:
Gardena Pass - Grödnerjoch
Sella Pass - Sellajoch
Pordoi Pass - Passo di Pordoi
Campolongo Pass - Passo di Campolongo
Paul
