Dolomites, Lake Como or both?
 

My husband and I are going on a cruise to the Greek Isles in October that leaves out of Venice. We'll be spending 3 days in Venice before the cruise and we have been there before. We'll have 5 days after the cruise (10/17-10/22) and want to explore northern Italy. We really want to go to the Dolomites and Lake Como, but in 5 days, it seems like this is too much. We travelled through Italy last year and went to Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre & Venice and loved all of the these places. We live in Colorado and love the mountains, love to hike, etc. We will not be renting a car so wherever we go must be easily accessible by bus or train. Will the weather be a factor in either of these places in mid-late October? Thanks in advance for any advice/recommendations that you can give me!!

I think you should replace Lake Como with Lake Garda - similar, but much closer to Venice and the Dolomites. Beside that I think that many hotels/restaurants etc. at Lake Como close mid Oct and the season at Lake Garda is a bit longer.

If I were you I would spend two days at Lake Garda and three days in the Dolomites.

Weather can be a factor in Northern Italy mid Oct. It happened that it rained a lot in Oct, but there is a better chance for sun and blue sky IMO. You can play it by ear - don't make reservations, it's shoulder season.

Thanks Ingo, we'll look into Lake Garda. Is there a particular city/location on the lake that you recommend?

Ingo's suggestion is a good one. In the past I have staed in Malcesine (Gardesana Orientale, i.e. the east coast of the lake) and in Sirmione at the southern most part of the lake.

Liked both very much, but Sirmione is a bit easier to get to. Train from Veneice to Descenzano del Garda (Ingo is that the nearest station?),and then bus or cab to Sirmione (7km). I stayed in the Hotel Ideal, right at the tip of this peninsula city. Quiet. Well run, yet within easy walking distance into the old town and the boat landing.

You can take boats from S. to many of the other lake locations, including Gardone. This is an upper class resort along the Gardesana Occidentale (west coast), and offers places for hiking .

Thanks, Ingo. Your reply to kezco is of interest to us as well. We arrive in Venice October 1 for 8 nites and are trying to decide how far to stray from Venice. We leave out of Milan on October 9. The debate is whether to go to Lake Como area on our way to Milan.

Hi all,

I have also stayed in Malcesine and liked it very much. On another trip I stayed in Garda, which is also at the east coast, but further in the south. In late Oct Sirmione seems to be an excellent place to stay ... Malcesine is too far north, in the mountains and weather wise it is probable the best option to stay in the south (Not as scenic though).

Yes, I think Desenzano is the closest train station to Sirmione. Another idea is to leave the train in Verona,explore the city for a couple of hours and then to take the bus from there to Sirmione.

Michal,

I believe a short side trip to Lake Garda would be better than going to Lake Como. As said above, Desenzano has a station on the rail line Venice - Milano and you could do nice trips from there by boat or bus.