We will be traveling, by train then renting a car, from Rome to the Dolomites. We are an active family that love hiking and nature. Our plan is to have 4 nights before going to Venice. Please let me know your thoughts on where to stay.

I was thinking the first 2 nights we'd stay in Ortesei. Then the next 2 nights in Cortina? Does that sound like a good idea? Is it better to stay in 1 place? I found the cutest rental in Ortesei but nothing too great in Cortina d'Ampezzo so far. We will be there in September and after being in Rome then going to Venice we are hoping to avoid crowds for this portion of the trip if that helps.

Thanks in advance!

You waste a whole day wtih your drive from Rome to the Dolomites.
By direct train it would be just be 5 hrs, for example Rome dp 8.50 - Bolzano/Bozen ar 13.48 (- Ortisei ar bei bus 15.25).
There are direct buses from Cortina d'Ampezzo to Venice.

Yes, we will definitely take a train. I haven't figured out the logistics buy maybe take the train to Bolzano then rent a car there and finish the drive to Ortesei, if that's where we stay.

Just FYI, if you rent the car in Bolzano and return it in Venice, there will very likely be a one-way surcharge. You may prefer paying the surcharge over returning to Bolzano and taking the train from there to Venice, but you should investigate the amount before you decide.

But another way to go would be to train from Rome to Venice and rent/return the car there.

If you're hoping for lodging recommendations in Cortina, you'll need to describe what you need and what your budget is.

Thank you! I don't mind the rental car surcharge but definitely prefer to do what is easier. We fly out of Venice so will end our trip there. Our budget is flexible. We prefer a place that sleeps at least 5, allows parking, and definitely would like a nice view. For this portion of the trip we'd prefer less crowds/smaller town.