hikrchick

Well, thanks to the wonderful trip report and blog suggested by bobthenavigator my new husband and I are going on our 2-week honeymoon next September to the Dolomites/Florence/Tuscany! I read every word and looked at every photo and drooled over those mountains and the descriptions of the hiking routes and then showed NH and he also drooled! Italy has won out over the two other choices, Patagonia and Hawaii and I am so excited to go for my first trip to Italy!

Though the trip is more than a year away we have settled on a few things: we will be going in early-to-mid September as to be at home for the Jewish New Year, which begins on Sept. 28. My thought is to leave NYC probably Friday Sept. 2 and return home on Sunday Sept. 18 or Friday Sept. 9 through Sunday the 25th. It seems the weather will be perfect at that time from what I've read so far, is that right?

The other thing we are trying to do is fly with frequent flier miles on American Airlines. It seems that AA flies only to Rome from JFK, not Florence, which in fact is great because a cousin, whom I see only every 4 or 5 years (lives in Israel) is being transferred to her company's Rome office next month and if we fly in/out of Rome we will be able to see her and her husband. So while Rome is not on our original agenda we are thinking to arrive there the night before we fly home and then spend the next day -- however much of it there is -- seeing 3 or 4 things in Rome and then heading to the airport. (yes we totally know we will not do justice to seeing Rome but since it is a happy surprise, we didn't expect it at all, and some is better than none, right?)

So now I will spend the next several months happily reading trip reports and my Fodors Tuscany/Umbria book and trying to figure out where to start doing research. As I said in my original post, we are looking not to spend too much on hotels, we are casual people and only need a private bathroom and a safe location.

We are each going to make lists of things that are important to each of us and then try to compromise to include as much as possible. For me, art and architecture in Florence is my priority.

Thanks bobthenav, you helped us to decide! Can't wait to go! More to come, and I will happily accept any and all suggestions on budget lodging, restaurant suggestions, and hiking trails!

Jean

Where are you going in the Dolomites, and are you going there first on arrival? Unless American changes its schedules in the coming year, you could fly into Zurich and train to Innsbruck or Bolzano and see some lovely scenery on the way. The train from Rome to Bolzano would take about the same amount of time but would involve fewer connections.

For lodging recommendations, what is your budget?

pja1

Hi,

We LOVE the Dolomites! We have been to the Dolomites in Oct. '03, April '05,
Oct. '06 and Sept. '09. In my opinion, a car is the ideal way to travel in the Dolomites. If you didn't need/want a car for your entire trip, you could look into renting one in Bolzano for the Dolomite part.

We have trip reports that include the Dolomites at:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nd-austria.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nd-bavaria.cfm

We have some photo's at:

www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/index.html

www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/travel15.html

Staying within your "budget" for a place to stay in the Dolomites should be no problem at all. Our favorite place to stay is well below it (max. of 64 Euro p/night)... the Ciasa Montanara in La Villa, Alta Badia.

www.montanara.it

Paul

bobthenavigator

Prego !

I will pass your comments on to my son and DIL who did all of the work on that blog--what a great job.

hikrchick

Thank you for all your enthusiasm, we are very excited. I must tell you that this is as far as we have gotten. As for budget, it is, as they say, frugal. Though this is to be our honeymoon, we are not luxury-needing or fancy-hotel people. I recently spent 3 months hiking in New Zealand and stayed in hostels. We would be happy with a clean and safe place to stay, breakfast would be good too.

Jean, we don't know if we are going to Dolomites first or middle or last. My very preliminary thought is to fly to Rome, get on the train to Florence right away, stay there a few days, day trip to Sienna, day trip or perhaps an overnight to Venice, then Tuscany, then to the Dolomites -- in that order or not. We would like to fly to Rome to see my cousins, though, that's almost certain.

Thank you Paul for telling me about Balzano. I have done zero research at this point and did not know about this town. You're right, we don't want a car for the entire trip, who needs one in Florence or Venice, but we would like one in the Dolomites. I will put this in the folder of things to research. And I will check out all of your trip reports.

bobthenav, if we could have an experience like your son and DIL I would be thrilled indeed!

mr_go

Hi hikrchick. Bob's son here. Thanks so much for your kind words about our trip report. Glad you enjoyed it.

I have to say that, if hiking is your passion, then you will absolutely fall in love with the Dolomites. We've been to some incredible hiking destinations through the years, and I'm not sure I've ever seen better.

Sounds like you've got plenty of time to plan your trip... which is half the fun, of course. Enjoy!

Jean

hikrchick, consider heading to Siena after arrival and spending a couple of days exploring the Tuscan countryside. Then go to Florence. If you really want to see Venice, then go there before or after the Dolomites and spend at least 2 nights. It doesn't make sense to day-trip to Venice from Florence if a day or two later you're heading to the Dolomites.

Delaine

I loved the village of Ortisei (St. Ulrich in German) in Val Gardena. It was quite cute and charming. It is northeast of Bolzano and west of Cortina d'Ampezzo.