My family of 3 (2 fit adults + teenager) hope to travel from Cinque Terre (CT) to the Dolomites in late June/very early July. We know that it will take about 8-10 hours of travel from CT to Bolzano so we are thinking of staying overnight in Bolzano, then renting a car and heading to another home base in the Dolomites. We found an amazing place in Longiaru, but we are worried that this may be too remote in terms of accessing hiking with rifugi (our son is a true foodie and is motivated to hike by the promise of exciting food). We are also considering Ortesei or maybe Cortina di A. (Any other suggestions?) The benefit of Longiaru is that it will get us away from the crowds and we are attracted to the idea of being off the beaten path, but we also don't want to miss out out on stunning hikes and experiences by staying too far away and needing to take long drives to reach trailheads. This may be the only time we get to Italy and the Dolomites (which has been a lifelong dream) and we have limited time so we want to make the most of it. We plan to fly out of Venice or Milan afterward and could either drive there or return the car to Bolzano and take a train. Any advice about where to base ourselves, good hiking trails near Longiaru (or other areas) and whether we are crazy to consider driving in the Dolomites is appreciated. As background, we are from WA state and have experience driving and hiking in mountainous regions. Planned activities are hiking, eating and a finding a zipline. Many thanks in advance for any input you can provide.
Posted by
martinez, ca, usa
2751 posts
hey hey eekthorton
where are you flying from (USA/Canada), how many days and how are you getting to cinque terre? yes it is a long way to travel and the time it takes.
if you plan to rent a car make sure all drivers get an IDP (aaa.com/IDP), it is mandatory in italy, read the rules, laws, ZTL zones, etc. make sure car is big enough for your gang and luggage, if stops along the way the safety of bags in car, don't bring valuables unless you carry it on you. pack light, if you have a washer, i have brought a small bottle of laundry detergent, washed night or early morning and hang around to dry while being occupied daytime. don't really compare your WA state to italy. roads can be narrow and winding, slow traffic
you are traveling during high high season with many travelers wanting to do same as you. get to fly out city night before, if flying out of venice be careful looking at departure times, many are at 6am "dark thirty", getting transportation to airport, we have reserved private water taxi $$$ (motoscafivenezia.it) or check buses/taxis from piazzale roma near venice train station. keep asking questions from many posters on forum to give you info to research and being prepared. good luck and enjoy
aloha