We will be on our way to the Dolomites on the 11th December. We decided we will take public transport. I will post back as soon as I can to tell you how we found the roads, I will let you know what we think about them, and whether we feel we could have driven on them or not. We will go from Venice to Cortina, and then on the 14th Dec. Cortina to Ortisie. On the 18th from Ortisei to Florence.

I'm with Cowboy on this one. Sometimes people really freak others out with their "you can't do it attitude". I appreciate the advice get on this website, but if I listened to all the Debby Downers I'd be afraid to leave my house. Either al those American-haters across the Pond would seek revenge or the supposed exorbitant costs would bankrupt me. I especially love the crowd telling people they are trying to see too much - everyone has their own pace.

It doesn't snow every day and I assure you, the roads are much better maintained in Europe than they are here. Be cautious and slow and you'll be fine.

Peg.. I live in Munich.
It's really not a mountain community (just 1,500 ft elevation), but the Alps are just 60 miles away, so the mountains are a regular weekend or daytrip destination.

I've been driving through Austria, Switzerland, South Tyrol/ Dolomites area many times on many weekends in winter - though it's definetely not daily routine for me. So I did not grow up with snow chains on my kiddie bike. Nor do I qualify as a stunt driver, only feeling comfortable on black ice or near an avalanche area.
Being able to drive safely on snow is considered a basic ability here - even for those (i.e. the vast majority) who do not live in the mountains, and even though we often don't get much snow in the flatlands.

You hear lots of stories here from people who either wish to impose their level of anxiety on other people ("I've driven in the Alps, and I barely survived it&quot, prove their "braveness", or use anectodal experience to prove a general point of view.

I never advocated the point of view that anyone SHOULD drive there. You have every right to dislike or hate it. If someone feels uncomfortable, fine.. take public transportation, there is nothing wrong with that. If you live in an area where there is never any snow, you may probably feel uncomfortable experiencing it for the first time. And why should you waste you vacation time for something you don't like.

Just don't make it sound like it was a chore that only a veteran navy seal with 10 trips to Antarctica under his belt can master.

A lot of this is about how happy you are driving, period.

Driving doesn't phase me, and driving on snow doesn't either. But my husband doesn't have the same innate comfort zonewith it that I do. And then ter are those hundreds of Fodors psters who don't want to drive in the UK just because we drive on the left

Cowboy, when you drive in the mountains, do you use chains? I don't suppose you can use studded tires in München.

My town, Spokane, Washington, is in the inland northwest, at about 2300 feet altitude.

It's quite hilly, and we always have snow, sometimes more, sometimes less. Last year I believe we had nine feet total, but it would melt between storms so that we never had more than two or three feet on the ground at one time.

During snow season, side streets are usually covered with packed snow and ice. Many people, including me, use studded tires during the winter. (They damage the roads, by the way.) We never use chains unless we're going through a pass such as Snoqualmie during a time when we're required to use chains because of heavy storm conditions.

The pass through the Cascades is a beautiful multi-lane freeway, but occasionally it has to be closed because of conditions. On one such occasion my nephew and his family spent one night in a high school gym.

I'm used to driving in winter, but the idea of driving to Gstaad or Val Gardena again still fills me with trepidation.

I live in the mountains in Switzerland. I own a 4 wheel drive and have to drive in all sorts of weather conditions. We have snow-covered side roads right now.

The problem with telling someone about driving in the mountains is:

- You don't know what the weather conditions and road conditions will be like. The roads can be perfect 3 weeks long and then comes a heavy snowfall and all h*** breaks loose until all the roads get plowed decently. Even in Switzerland.

- Confidence and experience of the driver. None of us really know what kind of driver HAD's husband is so a lot of this good, well-meaning advice based on own experience.

If it's snowing in the Dolomites right now like it's snowing here, I wouldn't recommend a car for an inexperienced driver. However, if the roads are managed well, a good 4-wheel-drive with excellent winter tires driven by a calm driver can get you through a lot.

- Unfortunately, even if you are a good driver, it doesn't mean the others on the road are.

"If you've never ski-ed before, you've got enough new experiences waiting for you without adding one that's unpleasant, really, really dangerous and completely unnecessary."

Sounds like skiing to me

Yesterday there was more snow in the Swiss mountains than many oldtimers can remember. And there is more to come. Two arteries across the alps (St. Gotthard + San Bernardino) were closed to trucks. The Maloja Pass remains closed.
Even the low-lying areas are struggling.
Accidents everywhere...
And it's not even winter yet...

Check out this cool video, set to music, about driving in the snow six hours ago in Switzerland;

www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0vU-NPC7o4

Google tells me that the song is by someone called Chris Rea - I guess he gets no royalties from this one...

Hadeel - I hope it stopped snowing long enough for you to enjoy the Dolomites!

The last time they had so much snow in Ortisei before Xmas was 20 years ago ...

I hope you managed to get from Cortina to Val Gardena without problems.

Steve

Oh, boy. Who just said the Europeans keep their roads more clear than in the states.

It varies. I promise you Finns don't see black top from fall to spring.

Bilbo's comment reminds me of one bad winter we had when the ground was snow-covered for four or five months. When some snow finally melted, my brother kept saying, "Brown ground!! Brown ground!!

Snowstorms cause chaos across Europe's ski resorts

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/tr...i-resorts.html

My husband didn't drive after all. We took a train from Venice to Calazo, but since we missed the 8:30 am direct train, we had to take the next one which was not direct. We had to go by train to Conegliano, then take a bus to Ponte Nelle Alpi, then a train to Calazo, then a bus to Cortina. The train from Ponte Nelle Alpi stopped midway due to snow covering the rails. It was a long journey, but we made it.

When it was time to leave Cortina to Ortisei the passes were closed, and the buses were stopped due to dangerous raods. So we had to take a taxi and go north to Dobbiaco, then a train to Fortezza, another train to Ponte Gardena, then a taxi to Ortisei. I tell you the transportation was long and time consuming. It was a mistake to go to both villages, we should have chosen one only. But looking at the map you think they are very close.

Wise choice. Hope it was worth the journey ! Are you home now ? Hope you'll write a trip report.

When I said the buses were stopped I meant the buses from Cortina to Dobbiaco.

I wrote about the trip under this thread: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...=HAD&fid=2