Kastleruth Valgardena Dolomites Last minute Booking

The period between now and the end of August is the peak of high season in Italy; I wouldn't be surprised if most reasonable accommodation is full or requires stays of more than a few days.

Maybe check directly with the Val Gardena tourist office? Valgardena.it is the website, but given the short deadline, it might be best to call them.

Where are you now? Worst comes to worst, does it have to be the Dolomites? I see plenty of accommodation in the Engadine valley in Switzerland: the landscape, while still exceptional, has nothing in common, but it is not too far away (potential border restrictions aside).

That is THE busiest week of summer and as mentioned above most places expect people to be there a week or longer in August. Try nearby Merano, perhaps?

Perhaps try bigger cities like Bolzano or Chiusa. I spent almost three weeks using bookin.com/Airbnb/Vrbo and emailing hotels back and forth directly. My trip is in Sept. All the above comments are correct--it's super busy there and even busier than normal because of Covid. Many "work from home" folks ditch crowded cities and escape to the mountains. Also, many smaller lodging operators usually require a 5-night or 7-night minimum. Some even mandate a Saturday check-in and Saturday check-out.

I sent out 50+ requests and only got three positive replies. I will stay in Bulla (near Ortisei but not walkable to it) for a week. Totally sticker shocked--my original budget was $150 plus tax per night, but am now paying $200 plus tax per night. This place requires a min of 5 nights per booking.

Perhaps have a plan B and go somewhere that has more availability and affordability. The Dolomites will still be there for you.

If you end up needing to look down in the valley in places like Bolzano and Bressanone, be sure the place you choose is air conditioned. Quite a lot of places are not. Highs in the low 80s are predicted, and I suspect most Americans would want air conditioning at that temperature.

Thanks everyone. We flew into Zurich last week with only Zurich and a few nights in Lauterbrunnen booked and planned. We are here for almost two weeks traveling by car. Our budget is $300-500 a night but could go more if needed. From BO we went to Zermatt for a couple nights and are now in Varenna for a couple nights. Plan is to start making our way north as we fly out of Munich on the 22. So far the bookings have been easy last minute and the places fantastic. This has been the best trip we have taken so far.

We ended up snagging one night on the 17th in ortisei for $500. we will see if we can do better locally. If not we will move on.

Hello bouthie, good to hear that you are at least ok for one night. Is it hot there in or around the Alps? I see that the temperatures in Bolzano/Brixen are stifling.

I used a very stupid method to find my guesthouse--basically, went to Google Maps, chose an area close to Val Gardena, zoomed in, and found what establishments existed. Some were not in booking.com. I then took the shotgun approach and emailed them one by one. No tricks. Some require a min of 5 nights, but may allow a shorter stay with a surcharge. $500/night is quite a lot. hope you find something more affordable. Bon voyage!

We were able to convince the hotel to open up one of their winter apartments for us for an additional two nights. This is a special place.

Glad that you ended up being lucky! There is no place like the Dolomites...

We stayed once in Kastelruth at the Hotel Zum Wolf ... great hotel .. great breakfast .. main bus stop was in the parking lot right behind the hotel ... we basically use trains and buses (reserve Flix Bus seats if available) ... or short plane hops etc. ... happy travels everyone !!!

Thanks everyone. Posted a trip report under Zurich to Munich Road trip