I’m looking for feedback on a trip for me and my husband to Venice-Dolomites-4-5 days (Verona/Florence?).
I’m attending a group yoga retreat in the Dolomites October 6-12. My husband is tagging along, and will join some of the non-yoga excursions. We plan to rent a car for at least some portion of the time so that he/we have the option to take day trips. He’s a driving enthusiast with experience driving in Europe. He’s having some foot pain issues, so long hikes or walking tours are probably not on the menu.
We plan to take 3-4 days in Venice before the retreat. I’m still in research mode, so will probably ask for more specific feedback on neighborhoods and restaurants later; right now I’m hoping for wisdom on the larger itinerary. (Though if anyone wants to chime in now, please do!) We tend to shy away from crowded tourist locations, and enjoy just being IN a place.
We want to take 4-5 days after the retreat for something different and fly back to SFO from whatever airport makes the most sense. Ideally driving, as we really enjoy getting to know a place through scenic drives. Is it possible to do Verona and Florence? I understand that Verona has a ZTL, so if we were driving we’d need to get to the hotel during specific hours, correct?
-Is it worth driving from Badia to Verona?
-Is it worth driving from Verona to Florence, or should we take the train?
-Should we choose only one of these cities, and spend a few nights in smaller towns along the way?
possible itinerary:
10/1-10/2: SFO-Venice
10/2-10/5: Venice 3 days
10/6-10/12: Corvara in Badia 7 days
-possible driving day trips
10/12 drive to Verona
10/13 Verona
10/14 drive/train to Florence
10/15 Florence
10/16 XXX-SFO
Thanks for any input!