The drive time from Valdaora to Innsbruck via Val Gardena is given to be 2:30 hours. We plan to spend about 6 hours and reach late afternoon to our hotel near Innsbruck.

I like it!
Take your camera.

Consider driving Grossglockner - Lienz - Dobbiaco (Toblach) and spend the night in Cortina d'Ampezzo. It offers more facilities, great scenery and divides up the trip better. Then Val Gardena etc. as planned.

Where do you plan to head after Innsbruck? If it is in the Garmisch - Fuessen direction, spend the night in Mittenwald, a delighful Bavarian alpine village.

Thanks Treplow, will look into that.

Basically, I will be skipping the leg via Vadaora (from Dobbiaco) and taking the road further south. If that will be more scenic, I will make the change. Have not booked a place for the night near Valdaora anyway.

Any recommendations at Cortina d'Ampezzo?

Hotel Montana---good value.

Hotel Montana was sold out for the day - booked at Alla Regia....

Hi Kram - What's your planned route from Cortina? I'd recommend

- Falzarego Pass - Valparola Pass - Corvara
- Gardena Pass - Selva - Val Gardena

... for some of the best scenery in the Dolomites.

Take time out for a cable-car ride ... or 2 (- Lagazuoi, Ciampinoi and Dantercepies offer spectacular views).

Steve

Hi Steve, I had not included Selva into the plans. Will add the small detour if its good.

I will also look into your suggestions on the cable car rides...

In fact, for both the drives - from Salzburg to Cortina and from Cortina to Innsbruck, I had not made the detailed plans of the stops and rides. Suggestions welcome.

Does the Grossglocker High Alpine road start from the road going down from Mittersill (road 108 on Google maps)?

Selva is on your route through the Val Gardena - so isn't a detour.

The Lagazuoi cable-car ride (- recommended) is at the junction of the Falzarego/ Valparola Pass.

The Ciampinoi & Dantercepies cable-car rides both start from Selva.

You need good visibilty of course for these rides to be worthwhile. You may only have time for one.

On your drive to Cortina you might want to stop just south of Dobbiaco at Lake Dobbiaco ...

Steve

Hi,

The Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse starts just south of Zell am See at Bruck and der Grossglockner, not Mittersill. You could get to the Dolomites via Mittersill and the Felbertauerntunnel route, which starts at Mittersill. Not as scenic at all as the Grossglockner, but a bit quicker. Both drives take you to Lienz, Austria.

I see you booked a room in Cortina. If that flexible, maybe consider spending the night a little further west in the Alta Badia (San Cassiano, La Villa, Corvara, Colfosco). The scenery in this area is all that and then some, plus it's on your way through the Dolomites to Innsbruck. We stayed twice at the Ciasa Montanara in La Villa. www.montanara.it

I'd also recommend a drive similar to the one Steve_James mentioned.

Cortina d'Ampezzo into and through the Alta Badia, over the Gardena Pass (fantastic drive and aamazing scenery!) into Val Gardena (Selva, St. Christina and Ortisei). Yes, you will drive through each town/village, no detours needed. Get on the A22 to the Brenner Pass (really a multi-lane highway) to Innsbruck.

The Lagazouio cable car is right on the road from Cortina to the Alta badia. You can't miss it, unless your driving with your eyes closed! Very easy to do, meaning it's right there. You park, get a ticket, take the quick (a couple of min. max.) cable car to the top for outstanding views. This really takes no time at all.

Paul

Thanks for that. I will take the road south of Zell Am See.

I will also take a look at staying near La Villa instead of Cortina.