UKC

Hi,

I would like to go to the dolomites and do some via ferrata. I understand the Venice airport is the closest but I am unsure where to stay. If you have any recommendations, please, could you share them? It's the first time I will be going so I am fairly lost.

Thanks,

Lucy 

I like Corvara/Colfosco. Other options include Arabba, Cannazei & Selva di Val Gardena (Wolkenstein). Or if you like a bigger town Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Innsbruck airport is better placed than Venice but flights to Venice are easier to come by.

These apartments are nice: https://www.paltinares.it/en/

I'm going to the Dolomites this August, and a while ago made a thread asking some questions about travelling through here, although it's mainly based on climbing. However, it might be worth checking out.

I might suggest using the RockFax book, as it has logistics, and via ferrata also.

By the same author as the Rockfax climbing guide the specific via ferrata guide might be a better bet for the OP.

https://www.cicerone.co.uk/via-ferratas-of-the-italian-dolomites-volume-1

corvara is great. has VFs for all abilities. The brigata tridentina is excellent.

hire a car!

It's handy/easier to have a car once in the Dolomites, so I tended to drive (midday Channel tunnel, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria into Italy via the old Brenner Pass for a toll free journey, with cheaper fuel in Kent, Luxembourg & Austria). 6 hour dinner & sleep stop at motorway services/rastplatz (tarp over picnic bench, 2 kids under & me on the table) in deep southern Germany, to make the most of the drive thru scenic Austria into the Dolomites the next morning. 910 miles from Northampton to Colfosco, 28 hours total, in a Fiat Seicento with roofbox & 3 bikes on the rear rack. Then camping in Colfosco, which is eye-wateringly expensive, but handy & well equipped. Excellent times were had..... remembered fondly 20 years later by my sons.

Enjoy whatever you can arrange 

Wow, that's a big journey with two kids, but just what I'm considering for next year. I was thinking of doing the journey out without Mrs Cake and was getting nervy about all that driving by myself, but it sounds like you managed it without driving help. It's that right? And the return?

Airport depends on what transport you will have and which areas you plan to visit. If you are doing South tirol, I.e. Val Gardena or alta Badia, then yes Innsbruck is better. You can get public transport, train and then bus to either area. Look at Trenitalia for train times, and SAD bus for buses. 

If you are going to Cortina or the southern Dolomites which are quieter and wilder with bigger walk ins and huge ferratas the Venice Marco Polo or Treviso are better. On this side I'd say public transport is a pain. Car hire is cheaper on the Italian side though. 

Places to stay, if you're camping, avoid val gardena, there is none. Colfosco, (gravel emplacements) Canazei (also gravel) or cortina have sites, there also on beneath passo Valparola or by Marmolada, or Selva di Cadore. IMO if you have a car and are coming from Venice one is selva di cadore is nice and close to passo giau, passo Falzarego and some other bigger routes. 

When we drove there 9 years ago from Cornwall to do via Ferrara we broke up the driving at Ghent, Heidelberg (stopping to watch Germany win the World Cup, in a bar full of Germans -that was fun) and Munich (the we were surprised on the tram to come across wet kids in wetsuits, carrying surf boards). If you have the time, this makes the driving manageable and part of what you remember.

We camped at Colfosco. Expensive but very good facilities, as said above.

Train Venice to Belluno is dirt cheap on modern trains. Then bus from there.

Is it worth changing from train to bus? Seems like you can get the bus from the airport up to Cortina…

https://booking.cortinaexpress.it/en/from/Venezia/230805/to/Cortina%20d'Amp...

Treviso airport is a bit closer than Venice Marco Polo. Flying to Verona would also be good option if you can find a flight, especially if you're aiming for Canazei or one of the Val di Fassa towns. I've organised three group trips to Canazei, each time we've flown to Treviso and hired cars, and I've found self-catering apartments simply by emailing the local tourist office with dates and party numbers - they've then sent me a selection of available places

Go for it!! 4 hours to Channel tunnel & about 8 hours from Calais to southern Germany.... continuous motorway apart from minor excursions for fuel. That's about 650 miles done (measly average 60/65mph in a small car, heavily laden). A few hours sleep, then up with larks for a splendid mountain journey. Arrive early afternoon.

On the return journeys I've driven straight to Cap Gris Nez and had a sleep there before going through the tunnel in the morning, or taken a break at Fontainbleau en route. I was lucky, having school holidays free & kids who enjoyed adventure and travel. One year we went onwards to Croatia for some beach & coastal entertainment too. I don't seem to need too much sleep, & didn't think the driving was particularly arduous..... reasonable roads the whole way, without too much congestion. Fantastic holidays with longlasting memories 

At those prices no.  

We flew into Verona (was reasonably cheap), hired a car and drove up to Lake Molveno - which was stunning and not far from a range of Via Ferratas. We also sport climbed in areas around there & visited Salewa headquarters where they have a great indoor climbing gym for rainy days.

Nearby was Andalo (10 min drive) with a lift up to a good Via Ferrata:

https://www.ferrate365.it/vie-ferrate/ferrata-delle-aquile-paganella/#foto

Would not recommend doing it without hiring a car, would be too restrictive in my opinion.

That's inspiring, thanks. I'm a teacher, so I have the luxury of less time pressure in the holidays too. The Mrs might fly out later, which would make the journey home easier too. 

I'll get the planning hat on again.

We've done it from Sheffield a few times. 6am tunnel crossing then a full days driving gets us to outskirts of Munich, overnight then a steady drive over the Brenner. The autobahns take a bit of getting used to, but are much less congested than our motorways and less stressful to drive.

Let's us take camping kit, so saves on accommodation costs. Not worth it for short break, but well worth it for a longer trip. Obviously you can break the journey up, we visited Dachau once which was a very interesting (sobering) experience.

Wouldn't personally drive with kids (unless they are better travellers than I was), but if you've got time you could make the journey down part of the holiday. You really appreciate the benefits of the Schengen zone when driving, a few changes in road markings but that's it - and just one cash currency is handy too.

I was a school nurse at that time, so took off for a month..... 2 weeks of Via Ferrata, a week in Croatia, 3 days in Fontainbleau with the other days being given over to travelling. Have fun, and make the most of those extended holidays 

Do you want the classic 'oldskool' high level VF with lots of walking and a full mountain experience, or something more modern and less serious?  Does it have to be Italy, as there's VFs all over the alps now?

Do it!  But make it a two week holiday as it is a long drive.

Take the "route de Anglais" (A26 A4) past Reims (great cathedral) into Germany then South through Austria.  You'll need to pay for the Brenner pass, but it avoids French tolls.  Stop in French campsites along the way (http://camping-municipal.org/) and others.  Your on route stops can be as much of the adventure.  We even went to Venice for four days on one trip to have a break.

Take the old Brenner Pass through the villages of Mutters & Natters..... no tolls, & exceviews of the engineering that went into the new road/bridges

Check out flights to Verona too.  Verona is a nice town to visit if you're early for the flight.  There used to be a dedicated bus to Canazei and possibly Cortina d'Ampezzo, and there are buses up and down the valley.  A hire car is useful to get the full benefit of the area.

https://campingolympiacortina.it/?lang=en just North of Cortina is a squeeze but in walking distance of two VFs.  Also in easy driving distancce of the Tre Cime (Three teeth?) which has a number of VFs including wartime tunnels and a mountain peak as well as a CIA hut.

In the Canazei valley we have been to http://www.catinacciorosengarten.com/ twice.  I think they may rent caravans out too .  Well located for nearby wartime VFs (Tunnels, trenches, rooms) as well as some pretty exciting mountian VFs.  Buses up and down the Canezei valley though again a car is useful.

If its just you a small tent is a possibility on a campsite - buy some extra luggage allowance (buy gas locally!!).  The weather is (usually) very good and dry so you live outdoors.  Campsites also sometimes rent out caravans for their long term pitch renters and do single rooms with en-suite so worth checking as they can be affordable.

Also check out the huts.  With an OeAv (Austrian Alpine Club Brittania section membership https://aacuk.org.uk/) you get a discount on CAI (not private) huts and guaranteed bed and they can be cheaper than hotels so a hut to hut with VFs en route is very realistic and quite affordable.  Just need to sort the route.  There's even a free Bivacco hut with blankets by a VF in the mountians near a chairlift - but I won't post it here for the scrubbers and yobs.

Hey guys, not meaning to Hijack the thread! Just a quick question as I cannot seem to resurrect my old thread.

Slings and dolomites, I keep seeing people say "Take  lots of Slings"

How many is "lots" and what sizes?

Note, I do already have 3 aramid slings up to 120cm. Which I'll be taking.

Thx!

Anything you can thread ... in some pitches you might need up to 10.

I normally carry 2 sling draws, 2 60cm aramids and 2 120cm slings.

I've climbed a decent amount in the Dolomites and haven't felt the need for loads of slings. I don't recall carrying more than I normally do on 'big' routes, which is 4-6ish 60cm slingdraws and one 120cm. Never thought I needed more.