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Help needed for Bergamo to Venice journey

Help needed for Bergamo to Venice journey

Old Dec 13th, 2017, 07:51 AM
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Help needed for Bergamo to Venice journey

Hi

My SO and I will be in Italy from Mon to Sat during May. We will arrive at the Bergamo Airport and will fly out from Venice. Right now our plan is to spend no more than 2 nights in Venice (Thu, Fri) and will like to create an Itinerary for the first part of the week. I like to drive and we love scenic sites.

Can you recommend a feasible route that we can do in our way to Venice? Is Como/Garda and/or the Dolomites feasible options?
We wouldn't mind renting a car at BGY and dropping it at Venice upon arrival... would that make sense or public transportation is better option?
We do enjoy going from places to places rather than nesting (in our 30s) but want to do what makes sense.

Thanks in advance for the guidance.
acpty is offline  
Old Dec 13th, 2017, 12:36 PM
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We wouldn't mind renting a car at BGY and dropping it at Venice upon arrival... would that make sense or public transportation is better option?>

You love to drive so a lovely driving route would go Dolomites down to Lake Garda and over to Venice. Could also hit Lake Como. Public transit poor in Dolomites otherwise trains would be nice.
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Old Dec 13th, 2017, 12:39 PM
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You could drop car in say Lake Garda and then take train to Venice - take regional trains you can just hop on and are dirt-cheap -and arrive in Venice car-free at train station and just head to hotel. For lots on Italian trains if considering that option check www.trenitalia.com; www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. Verona is a super nice old town worth a day or even more - maybe end driving trip there and take train to Venice?
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Old Dec 13th, 2017, 06:29 PM
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How early in the day would you be landing at BGY and how long would you be safe driving after landing? If it's an overnight flight, you shouldn't think of driving much more than 60-90 minutes.

You mention Como, Garda and the Dolomites. Tell us which one interests you most.

FWIW, if you pick Como, you definitely don't "need" a car. Most of the sights people go to the lake to see are concentrated near the middle of the lake. You can train from Bergamo to Varenna-Esino, use the ferries for sightseeing and then train (5 hours) from Varenna-Esino to Venice. You could also train from Bergamo to Lake Garda and use the ferries. But the sights are spread out around the lake, and it takes a few hours to travel from one end of the lake to the other. IMO, it's easier to explore Lake Garda with a car. For the Dolomites, you definitely need a car. You wouldn't see very much in the short amount of time you have, but you could drive through the mountains from west to east (basically, Bolzano to Cortina) and over a few of the spectacular passes. How much you could see in the Dolomites would depend a lot on where you spent Monday night.


Only one day in Venice?
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Old Dec 14th, 2017, 01:40 AM
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"Public transit poor in Dolomites otherwise trains would be nice"
Most trains and buses between well known places in the Dolomites run every 30 to 60 minutes.

But that's not the question. As you start at BGY airport and want to vist Lake Garda and the Dolomites in a extremely short time, a car is the better option indeed.

Forget to backtrack to Lake Como, you wouldn't have time for that. Lake Garda is on your way to the Dolomites and not less beautiful anyway.

May be you visit first the fine medieval city center of Bergamo. Then you may drive to charming Lake Iseo (up to the prehistoric rock carvings at Capo di Ponte, if you like) and then through the lovely hills to Lake Idro and to Salo on Lake Garda. If you haven't time for that, go directly from Bergamo to Brescia - Salo. You may then drive along the famous Gardesana Occidentale (Western shore of Lake Garda) to Toscolano - Limone - Riva and stay at the places you like best.

From Riva, the most scenical drive would go to the famous mountain resort of Madonna di Campiglio and via Mendel Pass to the vineyards and beaches of Lake Caldaro/Kalterersee and then to Bolzano/Bozen (Oetzi museum). But as you will have no time for that, you best go from Riva to Rovereto and along the Brenner motorway to Ponte Gardena, close to Ortisei.

From Ortisei, the classical itinerary goes via Passo Gardena - Alta Badia - Falzarego Pass - Cortina d'Ampezzo - Lake Misurina (3 Cime del Lavaredo) - Auronzo - Calalzo - Vittorio Veneto - Treviso to Venice. As you will not have enough time for all that, you may do some shortcuts, like Alta Badia - Agordo - Venice or Cortina - Calalzo along the direct road.
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Old Dec 14th, 2017, 08:27 AM
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Well for a fantastic route as requested neckervd as usual gives one.
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Old Dec 14th, 2017, 07:13 PM
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Indeed an excellent road trip plan. I'm still trying to figure out where to base and determining how much I can fit. So far the route is approximately 8.5 hrs of driving time. Will work it an present the propose itinerary for the days I have.
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