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Input: First time Dolomites (after Venice) then Milan is final stop.

Posted by (New York City) on

After staying in Venice for a work trip in early June 2025, our final stop will be Milan. We'll have about 6-7 days to visit Dolomites/Bolzano/Verona. Seeking suggested itineraries that avoid visiting the same city twice; e.g., if we go to Verona and Bolzano on our way to Ortisei, we'd like to skip Verona and Bolzano on the return. Does this make sense? Is the final leg, Ortisei back to Milan, a full day via train (like 6 or more hours)? Train and/or bus only. We will not have a car.

  1. Venice to Verona (stay 1 night)
  2. Verona to Bolzano (stay 1 night)
  3. Bolzano to Ortisei (stay 2-4 nights)
  4. Ortisei back to Bolzano
  5. Bolzano to Milan (via Verona).
  6. Milan - final stop
Posted by
1297 posts

I would not stay a nite in Bolzano and instead would stay up in Ortisei. Bolzano is worth a visit to see Ötzi the Iceman and visit the town but it's just a one-hour bus ride each way from Ortisei. If you put an extra day into Ortisei then it's a hedge against the weather; go back down to Bolzano on a day when the weather isn't great for hiking. Most hotels include a regional bus pass with your stay.

As your trip gets closer look up the activities offered including guided hikes on the https://www.valgardena-active.com/en website (summer activities aren't posted yet). We did several from Ortisei last year and they are free if your hotel is a Val Gardena partner which most are.

As for your final leg you can look up train times on Trenitalia or the DB train site https://int.bahn.de/en They might not be posted as far away as June so just pick an earlier month to get a general idea of trip times (the specific train schedule may change for the summer though)

Posted by
151 posts

The trip from Ortisei to Milan takes 3.75 hours with changes in Bolzano and Verona. There’s no train from Ortisei to Bolzano. It’s a bus and then the train to Milan. I disagree with the other saying not to stay in Bolzano. You could visit Ortisei and say in Bolzano therefore eliminating the need to have to backtrack to Ortisei.

Posted by
27 posts

We plan to take the local bus from Bolzano to Ortisei. Does anyone know if these buses accommodate luggage? We'll have two rolling suitcases and a handbag/backpack. Do the buses get crowded when departing from Bolzano in early June?

Posted by
21892 posts

Buses take luggage as that is how many vacationers get to their lodgings in the Dolomites for their holidays.

Posted by
1683 posts

Having visited Verona, Dolomites and Ortisei multiple times by train. Here’s my suggestion.
1.
Morning train from Venice to Verona. There is luggage storage at train station which is a bit of a walk to the centro. So if you can’t get early checkin, perhaps leave luggage at station ( had lockers 5 years ago), take a backpack with only what you need for 1 night. This way you can spend whole day and evening in Verona

  1. Next morning, pick up luggage, regional velocity train to Bolzano (buy tickets online from your hotel). Bus to Ortisei €3.50 pay on bus,

  2. Coming back do spend a night in Bolzano. Get there by noon, luggage storage at station if you can’t checkin early. We really enjoy Bolzano and are spending this Thursday night there again. Train and bus stations are next to each other

  3. Next day, train to Milan mid morning, change trains in Verona is easy.

Posted by
20 posts

f the journey is the destination and you don't want to drive back to Verona, there is a very picturesque route through the Swiss Alps. Take the train from Bolzano to Malles via Merano (well worth a visit). From Malles take the Swiss post bus to Zernez. From there take the train to Pontresina (or St. Moritz) and then the Bernina Express to Tirano and from there the train to Milan.

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