Places to stop/stay?
 

Driving from Varenna ( Lake Como) to Ortesei ( Dolomites) and wondering about places to see or possibly spend a night. Would like to break up the drive, and sometimes some little towns are the best kept secrets! We would consider spending the night if there's enough to do/see. We'll be there in early July. The rest of the vacation will be hiking in the Dolomites using Ortesei and Cortina as bases.
Thanks in advance.

The area is absolutely jammed with scenic sights and sights of cultural interest and charming small towns. You need to be a little more specific about what interests you about Italy or travel in general, and whether you like upscale or charming bargain accommodations.

I agree, but not only is the area jammed with sights and small towns, it will be crowded with tourists. I'd be tempted to drive north from Varenna and then across the "roof" of Italy. I admit I can't get enough of this scenery. Bormio is about halfway, has a couple of cable cars to access higher hiking trails or just the views. You could get an early morning start for the drive over the Stelvio Pass and into truly spectacular scenery.

How many days are you in the Dolomites?

We drove from Alba in the Piemonte to Ortisei and stopped overnight at Saló on Lake Garda's south west side on tne way there. When we left Ortisei, we stopped overnight in Malcesine on east side of Lake Garda. Saló is a lovely town, lakefront promenade, upscale shops.

85 percent of the area between Varenna & Ortisei gets little tourism and is mostly empty, even in summer. Just pick a route off the main autostrade - and even then, if you make a short detour to towns like Valeggio or Avio, you'll have them to yourself. But if you want a mountain adventure, go north of Lago d'Iseo.

Thanks, all. Friends convinced us to go to Verona for the opera - a very different kind of experience for our mostly hiking vacation. Hopefully it'll be a special experience before we head to the dolomites for 8 nights!