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Dolomites in May? Other suggestions?

Posted by on

Hi- We bought our plane tickets for May, knowing that May is a beautiful time to visit Italy. Unfortunately, we didn't take into account that farther north, it's still, kind of, winter.

We are trying to find lodging in the Dolomites, and keep getting messages back that everything is closed. My question - is it worth visiting the Dolomites in mid-late May, IF we find someplace that is open? Is it too risky with the weather (meaning we won't see anything because of fog/clouds). Will any shops and restaurants be open in any of the towns? We were looking at going over to the Austrian Alps for a couple days as well, but that's not sounding great either. Maybe even worse.

We're coming to celebrate our 30th anniversary, and this is a big deal for us, never having been to Europe, so we want it to be amazing.

We are planning on the first few nights in Venice (flying into Milan), and have a total of 10 nights. We like small, quaint villages/towns, with amazing scenery (since I'm an amature landscape photographer and we both love vistas, beautiful scenery, etc.) Not as much into history or museums or cities. If we decide not to go to the Dolomites, are there other areas, drivable from Milan (and not too pricey) that you recommend? I was looking at Cinque Terre too, but thought it might be too crazy crowded - especially since I hear that we're going during holiday weekends.

Thanks! I'm getting discouraged and kind of disappointed. Wishing we hadn't jumped on those tickets without checking the weather conditions farther north.

Posted by
16243 posts

May is not winter in Nothern Italy.
Average high temperatures in Milan in May are in the high 70s F. Average lows are in the mid 50s F.
Of course temperatures drop as you go up in altitude. But May at the Dolomites is not winter either and except for the highest peaks, it is not likely to snow.
For example average daily highs in Ortisei (Val Gardena) in May are in the low 60s F. At night temperatures drop to the 40s F.
And I do suggest Ortisei or any other village in Val Gardena as a possible very quaint Dolomites destination. I prefer Ortisei to the others in the Val Gardena because it's slighly bigger and it's sort of the hub in that area.

Posted by
17601 posts

No need to be disappointed. May is a beautiful time in northern Italy. The issue with the Dolomites is the altitude, not the latitude. It will be shoulder season in the mountains, in between ski season and summer hiking season. Many places do indeed close for a rest, but some are still open, and the scenery doesn't take a holiday. (Although sunny weather is by no means guaranteed).

To find lodging, use a site like booking.com to see which hotels are open,then go to the hotel website to book directly. I found 23 hotels in Ortesei using random dates in early May. Or you could stay in Bolzano, at much lower elevation, and drive up into the mountains. Bolzano will be fully open.

But note that it is unlikely the lifts will be running.

Maybe consider other scenic places nearby. When faced with the same issue some years back, in April not May, we spent 5 nights in Venice then went to Lago di Garda! specifically the town of Malcescine at the north end of the lake. Here is a photo:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Altstadt_von_Malcesine-2.jpg

This photo does not show Monte Baldo, the mountain that rises 5000 feet behind Malcescine. You can hike up or ride a gondola to the top and walk down. There are nice walks at the top and on a clear day you can see the Dolomites. I believe there is a botanical garden lower down on the slopes, although we did not go there.

You will need a car to reach this place. Rent it when you leave Venice, or pick it up in Verona. Your route could include the hill town of Asolo. We drove past Asolo on our way to the airport, and when I saw that old town perched high on a hill, I wished we had included an overnight there.

The Veneto is a beautiful area but most of it is not in Rick's book. If you want more ideas, get a guidebook such as the eyewitness guide "Venice and the Veneto". I also use the Signpost guide "Italian Lakes and Mountains". My copy has Malcescine on the cover. When I saw that photo, I got that "I have to go there!" feeling so we did.

The south end of Lago di Garda is less scenic and much more crowded/touristy, including an amusement park, Gardaland. I would not bother with the south end and would not even drive up that way. Approach the lake from the north, at Riva del Garda.

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