UKC

Heading to Brenta, specifically Madonna di Campiglio in July for a Via Ferrata hut to hut trip.

We are flying from the North West, so Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds are the likely departure airports, but not sure which would be the best airport to head to, not just looking at cost, but also ease of then getting to the mountains. We dont really want to hire a car, so taxi or public transport [if quick and easy enough] are looking like the best bets. Any recommendations ? Milan, Treviso, Brescia...?

Thanks

In reply to sarahkeast: Venice is good - around 2 hours drive plus train/bus links

In reply to sarahkeast: Venice is best for Nrenta but I think Innsbruck is a little nearer for Sella area.

In reply to sarahkeast: The previous replies seem to be thinking about driving; it seems that if you are travelling without a car then the most regular bus service goes from Trento (find the Trentino Trasporti site). Trento is of course on the main rail line north from Verona so i'd say Verona. I can see that there is an express bus service from Milan calling at Brescia but not Bergamo; however it may not have very convenient times.

In reply to silhouette: Verona is dead easy to get to from Milan by train.

In reply to sarahkeast: Verona, then Innsbruck, then Brescia, then Begamo, the Venice, treviso or milan. Verona is by far the closest. Innsbruck is mainly winter flights. Venice is atleast 3 hours drive to the Brenta!

In reply to sarahkeast: Also trains and bus are dirt cheap. Train to Trento and then bus etc into Madonna...

In reply to sarahkeast:
From Bergamo (Milan airport for Ryanair) you can go by train to Verona with one change in Brescia (1h50m) or go to Calalzo-Pieve di Cadore-Cortina where a bus will bring you straight to Cortina in 6 hours (train, 3 changes) plus 1 hour (bus). Treviso is definetely the nearest one, you can catch a train to Calalzo-Cortina o to Verona.

In reply to sarahkeast:
Bergamo has frequent Ryanair flights and seems to have pretty cheap deals most of the time. And its the 'right side' for the Brenta (Madonna is about a 2 hr drive). I've been in to Bergamo on a couple of occasions for trips to the Brenta (admittedly using a hire car) and its worked fine.

In reply to Warner: Um read the OP. BRENTA dolomites. Its a totally seperate subgroup of the Dolomites and to the west of Trento. If you take the train to Calalzo, and then bus to Cortina you'd have a 3 hour DRIVE to Brenta, let alone if you're doing it on public transport...

In reply to sarahkeast: When we went to the Brenta group a few years ago we flew to Milan (largely because the flights were dirt cheap). We managed fine on public transport from there, train with one change to Trento then bus to Madonna, we did end up running into the bus station and flagging down the last bus of the day to Madonna as it pulled out though!

In reply to sarahkeast:

Thanks all, we ended up with a super cheap flight with Ryan Air at silly oclock from Leeds to Milan. Might end up hiring a car now, altho turns out some friends are driving to the same area.

Just heard about all the snow out there, Oops.

In reply to andyathome:

But they are not driving. Public transport up the Giudicarie valleys is not something I would want to contemplate.

The "easy" way as already stated is Verona airport. From airport buy a shuttle bus ticket for the central railway station (a one stop service). The tickets are purchased in the newsagent's shop (down the arcade towards the right when facing the main exit). The shuttle bus stops just outside the main exit to the right. At Verona buy a train ticket for Trento (remember to stamp the end of the ticket in the little machine on the platform). In Trento exit railway station and turn right along pavement for about 2 minutes to coach station (not the local busses directly outside the station). Coach to Madonna (or Andalo or Molvena are shorter options to consider, and nicer places - Madonna is a ski pit). If you are late in Trento there is a hostel a little further down in the same direction as the coach station (leave your luggage and go to eat in the Pedavena in Piazza Fiera).