Hello! I'm planning a four- or five-day trek in the Dolomites along a section of the Alta Via 1 route in September. I've read a fair bit about the route and the rifugios along the way, but I'm curious whether folks on this forum have advice about getting to and from the hike's start and end (I'm looking at starting at Lago Di Braies and ending at Passo Falzarego, or starting at Listolade and ending at La Pissa). Seems that most people fly into Venice. I'd really rather not rent a car that would sit at the trail for four or five days, but busses and trains don't look like they serve this area very well. Any thoughts?
Another question: It looks like some of the rifugios are already fully booked, even for dormitory beds, and even well into the third week of September. If I can wangle a reservation for a couple of them, it would make this trip more doable. Does anyone know if there are agencies or groups that hoard rifugio reservations? It might be worth it for me to book a night or two through an outfitter to get the itinerary I want, but I'm not sure whether that's feasible or not.
Thanks for any constructive advice this forum might offer!