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Dolomites with car or not?

Posted by on

After reading Rick Steve's chapter on the Dolomites we are adding this to our itinerary for 3 nights in mid september. We enjoy the mountains & love scenic drives & hiking . We thought we should really rent a car after Venice just for the dolomites so we can see all of the passes & have a little freedom from public transportation. I found an apartment at an agriturismo that we decided to stay in in castelrotto . The only problem I foresee staying here is that we would not be allowed on the main road around alpe di suisi between 9-5 because our lodging is not a "hotel" . So my question is do we skip the agriturismo & stay at a hotel so we can use our car( if we indeed have permission to drive the roads with a hotel confirmation) , OR is it best to just take the train & rely on the bus system....I really don't want to limit our options & drives . I wasn't sure how much territory the buses cover & if we tire of hiking wanted to be able to just hop in the car & take a scenic drive.

Thanks for your input - Joan

Posted by
17601 posts

Hi Joan--- if you book a hotel up on Alpe di Siusi you get permission to drive to the hotel and park. That is all. You do not have permission to drive around the area or even to drive past your lodging. If your hotel is at Compatsch you cannot drive past to Saltria, for example.

We have been to the Dolomites three times for hiking twice without a car and once with. Both worked for us. The buses go most everywhere but you are tied to their schedule, so you lose flexibility. I actually preferred our most recent trip, when we did have the car, as I got to see some new areas.

If you stay in Castelrotto you will have the option of visiting Alpe di Siusi by cablecar and/or bus, and you can drive to other areas, such as Val Gardena, Sella Pass, and Val Badia.

It is an easy and quick drive down from Venice to Castelrotto if you take the autostrada. You can check in to your apartment and then have complete freedom as to where to go next. So while I generally do not favor driving in Italy, in your case and for the Dolomites it makes sense.

Posted by
26 posts

Thanks Lola, you've answered my question. I think we will stick to the car rental so we have more options. And then take the bus when we want to go to the areas to hike. I appreciate your thoughts. Can't wait to see it.
Joan

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