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Making reservations in the Dolomites for next June

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We are looking to spend five nights in the Dolomites late next June, probably in Ortesei as it seems the most convenient. We want an apartment so we have access to a microwave and freezer--I have arthritis in my one foot and using heat and ice makes a huge difference if I am doing a lot of walking. I have looked on booking.com and on the Val Gardena website. I contacted one apartment through the their website that is linked to Val Gardena one, but they have not got back to me. I notice they as well as others are on booking.com with no prices listed for June.

I also put the days we plan to be there into the search engine on the Val Gardena website and some places came up. Should I chose one of those or is it early and more places will be listed later?

Also, all of these require a nonrefundable deposit which I have read on other threads people do through Wise. What do you do for the rest of the payment when places don't take credit cards? I would hate to carry that much cash. This is a new world for me as I haven't reserved places you can't pay by credit card in years. I would avoid such places but it seems they are all like that!

Posted by
17360 posts

I am not familiar with Ortesei accommodations but have enjoyed a stay in the next village, Santa Cristina, twice.

Take a look at La Tambra apartments in Santa Cristina. They are above a very nice and well-regarded restaurant (if you like steak). I just checked and they accept credit cards for the deposit (30%) and final payment. They have some availability in June, and you can book directly on their website or on the Val Gardena one if you prefer.

https://www.tambra.it/en/residence-apartments

Another to check is Garni Max. It looks like they are not showing bookings for June yet but you can send a request. This a place that appealed to me when we walked by the last time we were in Santa Cristina.

https://www.garnimax.com/en/index.php

Unfortunately the non-refundable deposit thing seems to be common in this area. We encountered it with our hotels up on Alpe di Siusi. I get trip insurance to cover this in case we must cancel. But I have always been able to find places that take credit cards. It is the owner-listed apartments that are more likely to want direct deposit.

Posted by
17360 posts

ON another subject—-ask your doctor if diclofenac might help on your arthritic foot. It is a topical NSAID (over the counter) that was recommended to me for arthritis in my thumb and wrist joint. I developed metatarsalgia (inflammation of the metatarsal joint) on one foot last July and it seriously interfered with hiking, which we like to do on a regular basis. After diagnosing the problem, my recommended special metatarsal pads and that helped a bit, but not enough. My husband (also a doctor) suggested I ask my doc about using the Diclofenac on my foot. My doctor agreed it was worth a try, and the result was a small miracle. Took away the pain for 3-4 hours, and between that and the special padding in my hiking shoes I could hike in comfort on our September trip to Switzerland and Italy.

My husband also used it for a flare-up of his gout during the trip, so we ran out, but it was very easy to purchase more at a pharmacy in Verbania (on Lago Maggiore).

Posted by
2760 posts

Lola- Thanks for the referrals. They are pricier than what I was looking at but then there is the convenience of credit cards which I do appreciate.

On the feet, I actually have a tube of diclofenac from my doctor that I haven't used much. Not really sure why as I have tried about everything else. But with your positive feedback, I will give it another try.

One concern I had originally was taking it on the plane as we have done carry on. But my husband who had a rash and prescription medication just took it in its original container through security without a problem.

Posted by
6372 posts

I also ran into a lot of hotels/inns in the Dolomites that wanted a nonrefundable deposits. I wonder if its because the area is so weather dependent and maybe places get a lot of cancellations when weather is bad? What I have done a couple times is make a reservation and ask for a week or two prior to making the deposit. Just enough time to complete my itinerary and know that everything works.

We ended up staying in Castelrotto which we really liked. Its smaller than Ortesei. Mostly, I wanted to comment that we drove to Santa Christina recommended by Lola, and its stunning. We did a bit of hiking and also stopped at a restaurant for a drink and a view.

Every trip to Italy we have at least one place that wants cash. Last time was in Venice where we stayed 5 nights. That was a lot of money! But, we used a nearby ATM (affiliated with a bank with a good exchange rate) and took out cash a couple times. No biggee. I never get foreign currency before I leave home.

Regarding aches and pains, I have chronic knee pain which I pretty much have under control. I travel with old washclothes and ziplock bags. I wet the washcloth, put it in a ziplock and freeze. We typically do not stay in apartments, but when we don't have a freezer/fridge in the room, the host is willing to put it into theirs. I love the washcloths because they mold to my knee. I bring extras because they do tend to get left behind.

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