Help me plan my Italy trip!

Everyone says it's better to spend more time in Venice, but we all have to make choices with our limited time, and at least this way you get a peek. If your hotel won't store the bags, there are luggage storage services in most places.
If you have sorted out all of the transport on the Trenitalia and Italotren websites, then you are all set--enjoy!

If you are staying in a hotel in Venice, it’s very typical that they will hold your luggage if you’re there before the room is ready. But, you can send them a message through Booking.com, if that’s what you use, to ask them ahead of time. Yes, to any extra days you can give to Venice!

Heading to Bolzano, it’s convenient to take the Freccia train to Verona and switch to another one up to Bolzano. Make sure you’re not taking slow trains there. www.trenitalia.com can give you the times. Venice is Venezia S. Lucia, Verona is Verona Porta Nuova. (Later on, Milan is Milano.)

Instead of stopping at Bolzano, check Ortesei, a 30-minute bus into the gorgeous area & village and see if that’s what you would like. There’s easy bus shuttles to get around in Ortesei.

Everything you’re considering can be done by train. Have a great time!

Welcome and congratulations!

Looks like a nice relaxing trip
IF you can add time I would add to Venice. I think even one more night would be nice
Most who spend just a night and jet jag day in Venice come not liking it
We love Venice!
But I wouldn’t take time away from anywhere else in your itinerary

Almost all hotels will hold luggage before check in

This whole trip is easily done by train

Enjoy!

A partial, jetlagged day in Venice doesn't really count at all. That's fine since you have so little time. But please don't think you've really been to Venice if that's what you do. I fear you will hate it because you'll only see the thronged Rialto and San Marco areas.

Bolzano and the other towns down in that valley can be very, very hot. I'd stay up in the mountains if you want to do much walking. If you opt for the valley, be sure your lodgings have quality air conditioning. (Voice of experience here.) I just booked a hotel in Bolzano and found pickings rather slim in early September. However, I needed a room with twin beds, and that seemed to be tougher. I imagine there are fewer options up in places like Ortisei, so you should get something booked quickly.

Similarly, it was hard to find lodging in the mid-lake towns on Lake Como in early September. Pay attention to location vis-a-vis the ferry dock--and the train station if you are in Varenna or one of the towns on the eastern shore. You'll want to be able to move around the lake with ease.

Be careful about referring to "Como" when you mean "Lake Como". There's a city called "Como" at the southwestern tip of the lake.

As others have suggested, see if you can work in at least one or two additional days in Venice as your arrival day might be a jet lagged daze. Venice is a super unique place, and spending just your arrival day there wont really do it justice.

Thanks everyone! Definitely will add another day to Venice. Checking out Ortisei now. Any other recos for smaller towns than Bolzano around there?

If you don’t want to go all of the way up to Bolzano or Ortesei, we have also stayed at Moena. It’s a bus ride from Trento, after taking the train from Verona to Trento. Another charming village with nice hiking. On a map you can see that Moena is looking at the same Dolomite range from the opposite side.

https://www.fassa.com/en/discover-val-di-fassa/villages/moena

Would it be helpful to rent a car when in Bolzano or another town in that area? I see some nice places in more of the countryside but would need a taxi or rental car. My husband also is an experienced motorcyclist so possibly could rent something.

You can rent a car in Bolzano at the airport which is what we did. Be advised that there were only two tiny car rental places at the airport when we were there and they were not always manned. You may have to wait around for someone at the car rental agency to show up and open the office. We spent a couple of nights in Bolzano and then took a taxi to the car rental at the airport and then back to the train station when we returned the car. Alternatively you could rent a car in Venice and drive to the Dolomites. Renting a car will give you more freedom to see the area. Funny story - we reserved a Fiat Panda in Bolzano but unfortunately all the rental agency had was an Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Darn. They charged us the same rate as the Fiat Panda.