Northern Italy

Are you asking because you are planning a trip and cant decide for yourself for some reason? I'm not much into hiking, so I'd prefer a lake. You might chose differently based on your own likes/dislikes. Perhaps you enjoy hiking in the mountains, or want to eat German food in Italy. Or perhaps you prefer zipping around a huge lake in a ferry and visiting villas and gardens, while eating local favorites from that region?

Hi Meredith,

What time of year and what form of transportation?
Where will you be coming from and after your visit to either, where will you be heading?

We've never been to Lake Como. Love the Dolomites though. The answer really depends on what type of experience you're looking for. If you like dramatic mountain scenery, walks and/or hikes, a mix of Austrian and Italian food and culture, the Dolomites are perfect.

Have a look at:

www.val-gardena.com
www.altabadia.it

We have photo's of our trips at:

www.flickr.com/photos/pjbassplyr/sets/

Paul

It is personal preference. I prefer the mountains so I would lean more towards the Dolomites. Fortunately both options are great and your can't go wrong either way.

Dolomites. We've enjoyed both our trips into the Dolomites for hiking, scenery & friendly people. Also, the history of that area gives you an Austrian variety of food & culture to round out your other experiences in Italy.

Dolomites!

While Lago di Como is beautiful, the valleys and peaks of the Dolomites are like nothing I have ever seen! Even if you are not an avid hiker, you can take the lifts to various scenic points, stroll around, have a meal at a rifugio. Little Ortisei in the Val Gardena is charming and surrounded by fascinating lifts that will take you to high ground. The walk at Raciesa is easy enough that people do it with strollers, but if you are more athletic, you can take a 4 to 6 hour (or longer!) trek.

You'll definitely have to work around the weather if you're thinking about the Dolomites. So it matters a lot what time of the year you'll be visiting. If you aren't looking for a physically challenging trip, go for Lake Como. Also, I'd consider Lake Garda if you're traveling with children, adults can enjoy the towns and villages on the lake and kids can have fun at the nearby adventure park, Gardaland.