So we are planning on renting a car in Venice and staying a few nights in Cortina to visit the Tre Cime De Lavaredo area, and then a night in Dobbiaco to visit Lake Braies. My question to the forum is how difficult is the driving among these places. Are the mountain passes easy to drive? I've read sharp turns, slow going, etc. but for a guy who is a little afraid of heights is it a manageable drive? This drive will be taking place in mid-July so it's not a weather question but a heights and sheer drop question. Thanks in advance!
Posted by
4375 posts
1) Check Youtube, as you might find some video--no sub for that!
2) Driving info on Viamichelin website could be instructive.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16254 posts
I have the same problem with heights. The good news is that as the driver you will be away from the edge, unlike the front-seat passenger. That was my spot when we went hiking in the Dolomites a few years ago—-my husband was the driver, and I was the one near that edge.
We did not take the same roads you will be using, but I am betting there are sections with hairpin turns and steep drop-offs all over the Dolomites. I will also bet that as the driver you will be OK.
When we visit Yosemite and drive over Tioga Pass—a famous white-knuckle road with a long steep drop on one side—-I insist on being the driver, especially for the downhill drive which puts the car on the “edge” side of the road. That makes it OK for me.
Posted by
OP
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
47 posts
Lola, great analogy with Yosemite, I made that drive last year and was not a fan. If it isn't much worse than that I will be okay I think! That was the exact drive I was thinking about, was wondering if the Dolomites drive was similar. It's weird, I don't mind heights when hiking with sheer drop-offs but driving is another story.
Posted by
Paris
6893 posts
If you stick to Venice - Cortina - Dobbiaco - Lake Braies, the drive is significantly easier than Tioga Pass. No trouble, really.
The drive up to Rifugio Auronzo for Tre Cime is harder, on a narrow, exposed road.
Google Street View covers all roads in the area; be aware that it tends to make roads look narrower than they really are (due to the high vantage point of the camera).
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15165 posts
Check it out for yourself. This is very near the 3 Cime di Lavaredo. Use Google Maps streetview to find out the type of road you will be driving and if you can handle it.
https://goo.gl/maps/covde5PZFDLs8BV79
Close to the 3 Cime is the only part of the road that could be challenging for someone scared of hairpin switchbacks or heights atop ravines. The rest of your route (Venice to Cortina, or Cortina to Dobbiaco and to Lago di Braies) will not present any challenge even to a Texan who's never seen a real curve or a real mountain in his life (do they even sell cars with steering wheels in Texas? all I remember is straight flat roads 😉)