Dolomites to the Sea - Please critic my plan

Posted by andtherefore (NY, USA) on 01/26/15 02:14 AM

India-shaped route is by train
T-shaped route to the right is driving
Green-dots: where I will sleep
Yellow drops are just POI - ignore.
1st time to Italy

4/18: Milan arrival
4/19: Verona. PM train to Venice
4/20 ~ 21: Venice
4/22: to Cortina d'Ampezzo on to Lienz, Austria.
4/24: Back to Venice for transfer to Cinque Terre
4/25 ~ 26: CT
4/27: CT up to Genoa to Milan (4:10 PM flight)

Am I being realistic/reasonable - especially the driving up north part ? Please do comment, thanks

My concerns:
1. Northern-upmost pass open ? Is it uphill driving most of the way from Cortina d'Ampezzo ?
2. Need to get hold of CT train schedule as I'm looking to be hiking all over that place.

edit 1/30: edited dates

Posted by Laurel

Forest Grove, OR

01/26/15 04:43 AM

11852 posts

April 22 will be a very long travel day: a 4 hour drive followed by 5 to 6 hours in trains. Be sure your lodging in the CT knows you will arrive late. As an example, if you can be in Venice for a 12:25 departure, you will take 4 trains to arrive in Monterosso (for example) at 17:45.

You will find the CT train schedule well-posted at each station. The trains are frequent between the 5 villages.

Not sure why you'd stay in Verona for one night. I would go right to Venice from Milan when you land. One less tiring change of location.

Posted by andtherefore OP

NY, USA

01/26/15 03:44 PM

4 posts

Laurel,
I thought Verona is worth visiting for a full day. Is it not ?
For Venice I plan to take first train (5:21) from Verona, get in Venice at 6:48, walk around and get out when the big crowd starts showing up.

Posted by Laura

Rick Steves' Europe

01/26/15 07:25 PM

16895 posts

The hotel in Verona might be cheaper than what you find in Venice, but touring Verona during the day and continuing on to sleep in Venice would give you more of that overnight, quiet wandering time.

All 5 towns of the Cinque Terre are reflected on regular train schedules. Train or train/bus combinations from Venice to Lienz in Osttirol take about 7 hours each way.

You don't have to return the car in Venice if you'd prefer to drive back to Italy by a different route. You could leave it in Verona or La Spezia, for instance. Many advance car rental reservations cost about the same for 1, 2, or 3 days and regardless of which towns you pick and drop at within Italy. The price difference would come down to gas and highway tolls instead of train tickets. If the Italian rental car doesn't have an Austrian highway tax vignette attached, then you have to buy that after crossing the border. www.viamichelin.com is a useful tool for driving times.