Dolomites

Last summer, we went initially to the Dolomites. Due to frequent flyer ticket availability, we flew into Munich. We took the train from the airport to the Munich Haptbanhof. From there, we took the train directly into Bolzano, with no need to switch trains We spent 4 nights in Bolzano which included a day trip by bus to the Alpe de Suisi and a day trip to the lovely town of Trento by train.

Afterwards, we took the train to Verona to stay for 4 nights, which included a day trip by train to Padova and one to Sermione on Lake Garda. After Verona, we took the train to Venice to fly back to the States from the airport there. From what I have read, having a car allows access to more of the Dolomites, but we don't feel comfortable renting a car abroad. We prefer seeing sites in Italy to spending days hiking, so relying on the train worked for us to access the towns we wanted to visit. Wishing you fun travels!

Hi CanadianSue,
We used Bolzano as our home base for 4 nights then did a number of day hikes throughout the area (rented an apartment through a local, Bolzano rental company.) It was a great way to experience the whole region, in my opinion.

I'll just point out that Bolzano is not IN the Dolomites. You don't need to rent a car. From wherever you land, take the train to Bolzano and then the bus into the Dolomites. Many people on this forum enjoy staying in Ortisei, and I am one of them. I would recommend at least four nights in the Dolomites to get your hikes in, but that doesn't leave much time for a major city.

There are many recommendations by travelers to stay at Hotel Grones in Ortesei, which we have booked for September. If you fly into Munich, it’s a train ride to Brixen/Bressanone and either bus or taxi from there, so you wouldn’t need a car. There are many other places to stay as well, just mentioning this as an option. Ortesei offers easy access to hiking trails.

What time of year is your trip?

One thing it's useful to know is that the valley cities like Bolzano and Bressanone (both of them lovely) can be extremely hot in the summer, and some moderately priced hotels in the area do not have air conditioning. That can be really uncomfortable in the summer.

Buses and lifts will get you to good hiking territory from Bolzano or Bressanone (as well as from other possible bases), but for multiple days of hiking, I think most would recommend staying up in the mountains. (I am not a hiker.)

If you tell us what sort of activities you and your husband are looking forward to in a major city, we can perhaps suggest logistically convenient options. For example, is it historical museums, historical sites, art museums, a broad choice of restaurants and maybe the availability of food tours, etc.?

That sounds like a great trip, alohalover!

I made a mental note of Ortisei, Jane and fraubarr. Its view of the Dolomites is stunning!

We plan to go in September of this year. We have only been to Paris so we just wanted to tour the city nothing specific. We are active and enjoy outdoor activities. Love good food, like museums too. Open to everything just wanted to check out another city while we were in the area.
thank you so much everyone, this has been very helpful!