Verona to Dolomites itinerary

There’s no train service to the Dolomites. You can go to Bolzano, then take the bus. You could rent a car in Bolzano. A car is definitely easier, but you could travel by bus between towns. We stayed in Santa Cristina Val Gardena. We had a car, but took the bus to Ortesei one day. You’ll definitely encounter ZTLs. Basically just avoid driving into the center of town. The towns are pretty small, so it’s easy to park on the outskirts or in marked parking areas.

It depends on how much you want to explore the area. We spent three nights, but could have been there a week. It is a stunning part of the world and we will return someday. Every gondola takes you to a new and completely different jaw-dropping view. The food is fabulous, with both Austrian and Italian options. We had the best steak and pizzas ever at La Tambra, where we stayed.

The closest airport is probably Innsbruck, but we drove from Munich and it was not too far. Easy drive, just be sure to get the Austrian vignette before crossing the border from Germany.

If you intend to visit Verona first, then I recommend flying into Venice or Milan. It's an easy and beautiful drive from Verona to the Dolomites so I suggest picking up your rental car in Verona. In terms of the amount of time to spend in the Dolomites, I recommend a minimum of 3 days. This will help ensure you get to enjoy the peaks. Less than 3 days and you risk visiting on a day when the weather is poor and the mountains are obsured by clouds.

The valley cities near the Dolomites (Bolazano, Bressanone, etc.) can be extremely hot in the summer (upper 80s or 90s F). You might consider staying at a town higher up, though the sightseeing options will be mostly scenery and more scenery. If you opt to stay down in the valley, read a lot of summer reviews of the hotels you're considering on booking.com to be sure they have good air conditioning. There are still some places that don't have air conditioning at all.

The archaeological museum in Bolzano, with the Otzi exhibition, is a good bad-weather-day option if you are staying in that general area and get a day that's so rainy or has such bad visibility that hiking isn't in the cards for you.

Verona has quite a list of sights, so one can stay busy for several days. I had three nights there (I was running out of time, or it would have been longer), and I didn't have time for any of the churches on my list. I did enjoy just walking around the historic area, looking at the pretty architecture.

Hotel rates are high in Verona during opera season and even higher in Bolzano in the summer. I'd guess the popular mountain villages like Ortisei are no less expensive for conveniently located hotels. If you decide on a rental car, you'll have the option of staying somewhere that's not right on a bus route, which might make considerable difference. In any case, I'd recommend investigating lodging in those areas sooner rather than later.

We have been to the Dolomites 5 times, for a week or 2 each time. Three times without a car, one time with, and once with a small group for guided hiking. It’s all good, but depending on your travel style and goals, one transport mode might be better than others.

We go to hike and stay IN the mountain villages (or up on Alpe di Siusi), not in Bolzano or other valley. We like to stay where we can pretty much hike from our door, or walk to a lift that takes us to the trailhead. For a hiking-focused visit of a week or less, I suggest going straight to the Val Gardena and staying in one of the villages there (we like Santa Cristina but it is too small for some). No car needed; just take the local bus from Bolzano (bus station right outside the train station).

For this type of visit, I highly recommend you get a copy of this guidebook, which will give you complete information on transport, lifts, hotels, trailheads, suggested hikes, etc. The authors make it easy to plan a good visit with minimum hassle or complicated logistics.

https://www.abebooks.com/products/isbn/9798374791570?ref_=pd_detail-1-d_

(I did not post the Amazon link because it is too long, but you can buy the book there).

If, on the other hand, you are thinking of a visit fueled by Instagram photos of the Tre Cime, Lago de Brailes, and other over-hyped sites (my opinion is showing), you will need a car and a good bit of time planning where to stay and how to reach these places. For example, the parking lot at the Tre Cime is at the end of a toll road. The parking lot fills up early, and once full no more cars are admitted until another car leaves. Or you can take a bus from Cortina or Dobbiaco, but the buses fill up too. . . .

We have reached the Dolomites in various ways, by flying into Munich, Milan, Bologna, Venice. Then take the train to Bolzano, where we rented a car the one trip we did that, or caught the Sudtirol bus, or, when there were 8 of us, booked a private shuttle. You can pick whichever airport offers the best price or fits best with your plans. If you are starting in Verona, then probably Milan or Bologna would be my pick. (I am not a fan of the Venice airport).