Bolzano (Bozen) is a beautiful city often referred to as the “Gateway to the Dolomites”, which is comprised of a lovely mixture of cultural displays, open air markets, restaurants and high end shops.
THE DOLOMITES ARE EXPENSIVE BUT ALSO AFFORDABLE WITH THESE TIPS. We're not going to lie, the Dolomites can be very expensive, and for many travellers, prohibitively so. Accommodation, especially in popular areas, can exceed €200 per night and will likely be your largest cost.
The Dolomites are farther east and slightly north, concentrated around Trento/Bolzano. The mountains surrounding Lake Como are the Pre-alps or Alpine foothills. Looking north, up toward Colico from Bellagio, you can see part of the Bernina Range of the Alps. In a word no.
It's absolutely possible to visit the Dolomites without a car. The Dolomites are well connected by regional buses, making it relatively easy to travel between destinations during peak seasons.
Have you ever thought about a day trip from Venice to the Dolomites? Most people don't know that in about 2 hours you can reach one of the most beautiful UNESCO spots in Veneto and live a day surrounded by its magnificent mountains.
How far is Lake Como from Venice? Lake Como is 344 kilometres from Venice which corresponds to 4 hours drive. The best way to reach Lake Como is certainly by car. But if you have no intention of hiring a car during your time in this part of Italy, then you can also get there by train or by bus.
The little villages in the bernese oberland valley are charming and certainly worth experiencing. We found the Dolomites to be less touristy as compared to BO/swiss alps. You will find tons of tourists in July Switzerland. And the Dolomites will be cheaper as compared to BO.
Cortina d'AmpezzoThis town makes an excellent home base to explore the Dolomites, with a great location near Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Lago di Sorapis, the Croda da Lago Circuit, and Lagazuoi. While in Cortina d'Ampezzo, take a stroll along Corso Italia, the pedestrian street that runs through the city center.
They are located at the northern tip of Italy and connect with the rest of the European Alps. It is about a 2.5-hour drive from Milan to get to the Southern Tyrol region in general. However, it is more like a 5-hour drive to get to the main area of the Dolomites.
The main international airports closer to the Dolomites are the one in Venice (160km) and the one in Munich (Germany). There also are smaller airports in the region, in Treviso, Verona and Innsbruk (Austria). We recommend flying to Venice (Marco Polo) as a first choice. Once in Venice you can take a bus to Cortina.