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Rent car or transit - Varenna to Dolomites

Rent car or transit - Varenna to Dolomites

Old Jun 28th, 2013, 05:28 PM
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Rent car or transit - Varenna to Dolomites

We are traveling to Northern Italy in Sept. Flying into Milan we are spending 2 nights in Varenna and 3nights in the Dolomites (Ortisei or Castelrotto) then on to Cinque Terre, Florence and Rome. My questions concern whether or not train/bus travel is better than driving and have 3 scenarios:
1. Take train and bus to/from all destinations
2. Take train to Varenna from Milan. Enjoy our two nights using local transit then pick up car on Monday in Varenna area and drive to the Dolomites, use car in Dolomites then drop off car in Bolzano and take train to cinque terre and use transit the rest of the trip.
3. #2 except take transit instead of car from Varenna to Dolomites area and pick up and drop off car in Bolzano before heading to cinque terre.
Thank you!
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Old Jun 28th, 2013, 06:00 PM
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Nice trip, but I hate to see you criss-cross Italy from the Dolomites to the CT---that is a long drive. I would drop the CT, but that is not what you asked.

You cannot get a car in Varenna---you can in Lecce or Como.
I would go ahead and get it at MXP since the extra days will not be that much, and I would keep it until La Spezia---why mess with Bolzano. By the time you do that---and catch the train---you will already be more than halfway to La Spezia.
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Old Jun 29th, 2013, 04:30 AM
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Ortisei and Calsterotto are not on the railway network. While they can be reached by buses, that is an area where having a car is an advantage.
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Old Jun 29th, 2013, 10:31 AM
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To Bob- So would you have another choice besides CT for three days before Florence? The World Cycling race is finishing in Florence on the 29th and I'm trying to avoid it in case the city is too crowded
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Old Jun 29th, 2013, 10:43 AM
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Add time to both Ortisei and Varenna.
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Old Jun 29th, 2013, 11:14 AM
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I agree--add time and unpack less.
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Old Jul 1st, 2013, 11:32 AM
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Thank you!
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Old Jul 1st, 2013, 11:43 AM
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One more question...would you rather spend time in Varenna area or CT if you had to choose? We are acouple in our 40s. Very active...looking forward to beautiful scenary and hikes. I chose Varenna cause I have not been but my boyfriend has and chose CT cause I have been but boyfriend hasnt.
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Old Jul 1st, 2013, 02:18 PM
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I love Lago Como, but both are weather depedent.
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