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Which route from Venice to Bolzano?

Posted by (Houston, Texas, USA) on

We'll be driving from Venice to Bolzano and are looking for a scenic but not torturous driving route. Our only stops would be to eat and to take phtos of scenic outlooks. We've driven in the Rockies in the US and other mountainous areas but on this trip prefer not to drive on very narrow roads with lots of switchbacks, if possible. Rick Steves suggests the following route but parts of it look like it has lots of what we'd like to avoid:

Venice to Belluno to Cortino d' Ampezzo to Pordoi Pass to Fassa Valley to Bolzano (Google Maps says this route is 175 miles, 5 hrs 30 minutes.

Route 2 is the one suggested by Google Maps and is listed as 174 miles, 4 hrs 13 mins - Venice to Belluno to Cortina d'Ampezzo to Dobbiaco Toblach; take S 549 to A22 to Bolzano. This looks like a less challenging drive.

I'll add that if we take Route 2, we would be repeating part of the A22 when we head to Innsbruck after staying in Bolzano, where we plan to take some scenic drives in that area.

If there are other suggested routes, we'll look at those, too.
Thanks!

Posted by
28247 posts

ViaMichelin.com suggests following a route similar to the one used by trains: west to Verona and then north toward Bolzano. The estimated driving time is 3 hr. 17 min., but a prudent driver would allow extra time.

There are lots of trains each day taking less than 3-1/2 hours, but I don't know anything about rental-car options in Bolzano.

Posted by
1255 posts

I don't drive and have always taken the train route via Verona then north to Bolzano. Recently, thanks to YouTube and online reviews, I have become interested in checking out Bassano del Grappa. The town looks inviting. I have no idea if this is a particularly scenic drive. It is an alternative and the scenery on YouTube looks nice. You can continue on up to Bolzano after Bassano del Grappa.

Posted by
232 posts

We're aware of Google Maps directions going to Verona and then turning north but have read that this isn't as scenic a drive as going north from Venice and then west to Bolzano from Cortina d'Ampezzo. We were unable to find an automatic vehicle rental in Bolzano so have reserved one in Venice.

Posted by
2571 posts

We drove from Ortesei to Venice and a couple of us get car sick so we wanted to avoid the super windy roads. We drove via Bolzano and Verona (A22 to E70). I’m sure there are more scenic routes, but they certainly look torturous on the map.

I hope you do plan to get up into the Dolomites. The drive from Bolzano isn’t too bad. But you need to take the lifts up for the views. It is spectacular.

Posted by
104 posts

If you want a less challenging drive, route 2 is the way to go. Still plenty of amazing scenery. The route takes you right by Lago di Landro: https://throneandvine.com/lago-di-landro-durrensee, the Vista Panoramica Tre Cime di Lavaredo, which is a great stop to see the Three Peaks from the valley floor, and Lago di Dobbiaco: https://throneandvine.com/lago-di-dobbiaco-toblacher-see/. You will also come across several nice places to eat. There is a cozy restaurant alongside Lago di Landro that would be a convenient place to grab lunch when stopping to see the lake. Have an amazing trip!

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