Help with Europe Trip (Italy & Austria/Germany) - Please and Thank You.

A snowHead

My teenage son and I will be in Sillian, Austria for roughly 5-6 days next month and will have a car. During our time there, we intend to do a lot of skiing, but are also looking at some day or half-day trips and are willing to get pretty ambitious for any sights worth seeing.

Regarding the skiing, we are both pretty hard chargers and very much enjoy skiing fast on nicely groomed runs with beautiful scenery and minimal (as possible) crowds. Photo-ops with wow scenery are definitely on our important list.

So far, I intend to spend at least a couple days at the Drei Zinnen/3 Peaks resort but have also read nice things about Obertilliach, Grossglockner and Sillian-Hochpustertal in Austria. In Italy, Ortisei and Vala Gardenia are also supposed to be insanely nice, but maybe a little too close to crowds and higher prices as a result of the Olympics - true? Unfortunately we are tied to the school calendar and will be there during mid-February, so this is the only time we have.

As for sightseeing, photo ops, WW2 sites and anything unique to the area qualify, really. Some definite considerations are Innsbruck (old town and/or cable car), Highline 179 Bridge, Neuschwanstein Castle and/or Munich, but we are very much open to suggestions.

I have been really enjoying showing my kid around Europe and of course want this trip to be memorable so, if anyone has advice or experiences to share, please do so!

Thank you!

A snowHead

Sounds great.
Some thoughts:
*Sillian is in a rather remote spot (you probably already noticed)
*Hochpustertal and Drei Zinnen are the same area. Especially around Sexten you'll find plenty of photo-ops.
*Grossglockner High Alps Road is closed in winter. You can ski in Heiligenblut, but never been
*Would not worry too much about Olympic crowds in Val Gardena. On the contrary, it looks like there is more than average availability in those weeks.
*Venice is closer than Munich! (and wow, Venice! But Munich is charming too. Mind the Carnaval in both cities though)
*Neuschwanstein: quite a stretch.

*Great tip: the Iceman museum in Bozen (Bolzano) It's really stunning. (Iceman="Ötzi", the glacier man of 5000 years old, perfectly preserved. It's a really impressive exhibit. And Bozen is a charming alpine city.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Yeah, did notice that Sillian looks pretty quiet. Did not know much about the local stuff other than Drei Zinnen, so that is helpful. And maybe Val Gardena is worth a look after all, then.

Been to Munich a bunch but never Venice. I guess I figured it would be less wow in the winter, but OK!

Iceman Museum looks pretty cool too.

Thanks!

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Venice is lovely in winter and not as crowded as in summer months.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@VolklHead, sounds like you have limited time and big ambitions!! wink

I've not skied the local Sillian-Hochpustertal area or the other areas you mention on the Austrian side, but have skied Drei Zinnen, just over the border in Italy, easily accessed from Vierschach which only 10mins drive from Sillian. This and 11 other areas spread across the Italian Dolomites are included on the Dolomiti Superski pass

https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/areas/tre-cime-dolomiti

3Z is a nice area with a sense of travel if you do the tour over to Padola (includes a bus link each way). It has some nice Dolomites views with the Rotwand, but IMHO there are areas where the Dolomite scenery is on steroids, more later...

The next main area along the Pustertal Valley is Kronplatz which you can access at Percha or Olang, about 40mins drive from Sillian. It has an impressive lift system and long vertical runs down to the valley on the north side. Again, it has some Dolomite scenery around San Vigilio, but it's on the edge of the Dolomites, so areas further south are more impressive.

https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/areas/plan-de-corones

So the easiest accessible areas further south are Cortina d'Ampezzo and Alta Badia, the latter links into the Sella Ronda circuit which encompasses 3 other areas Val Gardena, Val di Fassa & Arabba/Marmolada. IMHO, these areas are the most impressively scenic, that are near to you.

https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/areas/alta-badia

I would give Cortina a miss as there are traffic restrictions during the Olympics (you can't drive through the town, North to South or East to West), which is a shame as it is an impressive setting in a bowl surrounded by Dolomite peaks.

But if you could get down to Alta Badia area (main resorts are Colfosco, Corvara, La Villa & San Cassiano), around 1h20 from Sillian, it could be worth it. I hesitate to recommend somewhere over an hour commute away, but you seem to want wow scenery which this part has in abundance. You can access the Cinque Torri part of Cortina which is very impressive and also the Hidden Valley of Armentarola run. You can also ski over to Val Gardena from there and explore the impressive runs and scenery there or complete the Sella Ronda loop...if you have a Saturday, do it then as it can get busy in Feb...

https://www.bergfex.it/sellaronda-dolomiten/

One caveat would be the weather, no point travelling many miles to see scenery if the weather isn't clear and sunny. If it's snowing, you are best staying as local as possible looking for tree runs.

As to other places you mention, Munich (3h30), Neuschwanstein (3h30), Highline 179 (3h20), Innsbruck (2h30), I think it would be madness to try and do daytrips to those, esp. as you only have 5 or 6 days! Shocked

Venice is lovely in winter sunshine and a completely unique & beautiful place built on the water with no cars, I was there yesterday on the way back from my ski trip to the Dolomites...but I was flying out of Venice Airport, so it wasn't a huge diversion. It is about 2h50 from Sillian and you would have to go via the 1636m Kreuzberg Pass (to avoid Cortina Olympic road closures), the route does wind about a bit until you hit the autostrada near Ponte nelle Alpi, so again I would say it's a bit too ambitious as a daytrip.

One place of extreme scenic beauty near you (30mins) is Lago di Braies/Pragser Wildsee. It has a starker beauty in Winter, but still impressive.

The town of Bruneck is a historic, pretty South Tyrolean town 45mins away, which you could combine with Lago di Braies if you wanted a non-ski day.

There are some WW1 (not WW2) museums about which record the history of the frontlines that ran through the Dolomites.

Hope that helps! snowHead

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Venice is great in winter. Far fewer people, the canals don’t stink in the summer heat, and seeing mist floating over the water at night is magical. My tip, don’t go to St Marks, just get lost in all the little streets. So scenic.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@luigi WOW! It damn sure does help. Thanks!

I guess I had written off areas a little further south, mainly because of the Olympics but would definitely jump on Alta Badia if the weather was right. Of the resorts you mentioned there, do you have a favorite? The Sellaronda on a sunny day looks like it would be perfect.

Lago di Braies was already sort of in my sights. Maybe stop there on the way up.

As for the further trips into Austria/Germany, I've never been to the Highline but have experienced Munich and seen the castle. I think he'd love both but, at the end of the day, that is a lot of driving. I did end up booking one night in Innsbruck toward the end of the trip, figuring he'd enjoy the cable car and chance to go walk around the old town area there.

Yours and the other comments are definitely making me wonder whether or not we should ditch that plan in favor of Venice, though. Good problem to have, but man...decisions!

Thanks very much for your helpful post. Cool

@Orange200 and @biddpyat - thanks you both as well! And good to know to avoid St. Marks. Little streets sound like they're much more my speed. Cheers...

After all it is free

"Just" wanted to go to Val Gardena...haha. Sounds like a real bottom-feeder. Laughing

That place came highly recommended already from a buddy who's already skied over there. Alta Badia looks like a rock star also, though. Seems like you could throw a stone in pretty much any direction over there and hit an awesome place to ski no matter what.

Regarding your questions:

1. Sillian isn't set in stone at all, but I booked a place for 5 nights there. Unfortunately, work blew my whole life up big-time for a few weeks right as all of this was being planned. Because of this, I ended up doing what I could as fast as I could to find a nice area with access to high speed groomers with minimal crowds and ample scenery but, after that, had to put everything on the back burner for a while. 3 Zinnen is what showed up on my radar initially and because Sillian meant quick access to that along with (semi) proximity to Innsbruck and points west, I figured what the hell. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20. I am not sure I could change this without taking a beating, but could look into it.

2. Rough, not yet complete itinerary (bearing in mind that I suddenly had no time for anything) is something like this:

DAY 1: land in Venice. Red eye flight + transfer puts us there around 200 PM, so we plan to spend our first night in Treviso, just a little bit north.

DAY 2: walk a little bit around Treviso, time permitting, then head north to Sillian. Figured we would probably pick up rentals somewhere near San Candido and hopefully take care of lift tickets here, so we can hit the ground running the next day. May also stop at Lago di Braies, if time permits and weather is right.

DAYS 3-6: priority days for skiing. Maybe a little sightseeing if time permits. From this point forward, plans aren't very firm.

DAY 7 (tentative): up very early no matter what. Up until yesterday, our loose plan was to head to Innsbruck. Figured we'd see the cable car, check out Old Town and maybe hit the castle and/or Highline Bridge. Option B (new as of yesterday) is forget Innsbruck and head back south toward Venice. We might even end up skiing locally for an hour or two before leaving, if this ends up being the plan. Innsbruck does seem nice, though.

DAY 8: travel from Innsbruck back to Treviso area or (assuming we drop Innsbruck), explore Treviso and Venice areas.

DAY 9: 10AM flight back home from Venice.

A couple questions more, if you please:

1. Sellaronda and/or Super 8 both look like they have stunning scenery. What are the runs like, though? Intermediate, I assume?
2. Any specific apps or info I should bring with me before we go? Navigating all this with a 13 yo looks like it could get tricky.
3. Can I pick up passes beforehand to avoid waiting in line? We will definitely be on the mountains early, either way.
4. I tune my own stuff and am pretty particular about my skis. Any recommendations for shops? From what I hear, better deals are more likely to be had in Italy rather than Austria, but I'm definitely not skimping here. I would imagine any shop in the Alps is going to have pretty good stuff but if you have a place you like, I'm all ears. I was looking at this one:

https://www.rentandgo.it/eng/ski-rental-hire/toblach-dobbiaco-3-zinnen-dolomiten-3-cime-dolomiti/italo-sport

At this point, I owe you a bottle more than a drink. Hopefully one of these days, we'll get the chance. We live in New York and are normally either at Hunter Mountain or on the Vermont circuit. If you're ever in the neighborhood over here, do let us know!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Right, so you are starting and finishing in Venice airport, so visiting the city is a no-brainer if you've never been, even if it's just for a few hours in the afternoon on day 8. I wouldn't bother with Treviso if you're seeing the real deal, Venice. If you had the whole day, then visiting the islands of Murano (famous for glass making) & Burano (famous for lace-making and brightly painted houses) in the Venetian lagoon would be a worthwhile trip.

North of Treviso in the foothills is Prosecco wine country, around Valdobbiadene, reminiscent of Tuscany, you could visit a winery or the hilltop poets town of Asolo.

There is no need for you to go to Innsbruck to see a Tyrolean town. Bruneck, Brixen, Ortisei, Merano or Bolzano were part of Austria until 1919 and are arguably prettier anyway. Another issue you might have difficulties with is if you can't get a car with winter tyres out of Venice, you won't be able to drive in Austria, as they are compulsory between Nov 1st and Apr 15th there. In Italy you just need to be carrying snow chains.

The week of 14-21 Feb 2026 will be busy in Austria and S Tyrol ski areas as Bavarians/Germans come in huge numbers during Fasching/Carnival week, so I hope your stay doesn't coincide with this??

Also, Cortina town during Olympics requires a pass to drive through, so you won't be able to access Sillian by the low altitude well-engineered road that goes through Cortina.

I would suggest staying somewhere in the Southern Dolomites closer to Venice if you can cancel the accommodation in Sillian for free. The lakeside village of Alleghe is a super spot with many nearby ski options and no Germans holiday here, though some Polish do. You have the pretty Civetta ski area next to you with trees if you get bad weather. It's a family area with a mixture of blues and reds with the odd black, but the vertical is quite impresssive with the Gran Zuita 8km 1100m vertical.

https://www.alleghefunivie.com/en/ski-civetta/

Using that as a base you can get up to the Cinque Torri/Hidden Valley, you can get up to the Marmolada cable car and it's long 12km 1800m vertical descent & the challenging pistes of Arabba, you can drive over Passo Fedaia to Alba and accces the Sella Ronda and the quieter Ciampac-Buffaure circuit. In fact, this is exactly what I did last week.

So my suggested itinerary would be something like this...

Day 1: Arrive 2pm VCE, easy Autostrada drive one hour north to Belluno. Pretty old town surrounded by mountains to chill and get a good nights sleep.

Day 2: Drive 1hr to Alleghe, park for free in big riverbed car park at entrance to village, pick up skis at C.Elle Sport, get a Dolomiti Superski 5/6 day pass at the lift pass office (you get 5% discount if you want to risk no delays in your arrival and pre-book online) and do your first day skiing all over Civetta. Stay the next few nights with Alleghe as home base to explore Dolomiti Superski areas.

Day 3: If clear weather, drive up to Falzarego, park there, do the Super 8 circuit, then go up to Lagazuoi for Hidden Valley run,

Day 4: If clear weather, drive to Malga Ciapela, park on side of road for free just above Padon chair and before Capanna Bill restaurant, ski down to Marmolada cablecar. Go up 3 stage cablecar, at the top of the highest peak in the Dolomites, go up to the viewing platform to see some amazing views. Ski the long, long run down to Padon chair and over to Arabba to do some testing runs there.

Day 5: If clear weather, drive over Passo Fedaia to Alba, park at Alba €10, go up the gondola to do the Ciampac-Buffaure circuit, blacks at each end optional. Repeat the red runs at the Buffaure end, they are nice with amazing views across to the Rosengarten peaks. Lunch at Baita Cuz. If you have time in afternoon you could go up the 3S cablecar on the Sella Ronda side from Alba and check out the Belvedere area, has some fun cross circuits with the amazing views as backdrop...

Day 6: If clear weather, drive to Arabba (parking €10??) or Alba(€10) and do the Sella Ronda, Orange clockwise is nice. A little excursion into Edelweiss Valley above Colfosco is fun or over to Seceda in Val Gardena.

Day 7: Drive to Passo San Pellegrino, park for free, explore the runs both sides of the road https://www.skiareasanpellegrino.it/en/

Day 7 option 2: No skiing, so some sightseeing options... drive over to Lake Garda and stop for lunch at Malcesine. Drive down the lake and into Verona, have a look around this historic city, famous for Romeo & Juliet and it's Roman arena. Or Drive to Bolzano via Carezza Lake, depending on time you could add in Verona and there are wineries in the Valpolicella region near Verona or the Aquardens Thermal baths...Stay the night near Verona or carry onto Venice airport area for 2 night stay. There are some nice Thermal Spas about...QC Terme in Pozza di Fassa, Dolaondes in Canazei, the large Terme in Merano or Aquardens near Verona that you could weave into this day

Day 8: Drive to Venice, either via Prosecco winery if you come from Alleghe, or do the Lagoon Islands and Venice or just Venice, I sent you a PM about a good parking spot. Stay the night near the airport, so you can drop the car back before your flight.

Day 9: Flight out at 10am.

Obviously, if you can't change the Sillian place due to cancellation cost, you are going to have to stick with a variation of your original itinerary, but please consider the winter tyre issue, the insurance won't cover you in Austria without them, whereas if you remain in Italy, you will be covered if you are carrying the chains. Also there is the Fasching week issue where anywhere in Austria and German-speaking South Tyrol in Italy will be very busy, inc Drei Zinnen, Kronplatz, Val Gardena & Alta Badia and the Sella Ronda...unless you can do that on a Saturday changeover day.

For your zipline experience, there are 3 options in the Dolomites: San Vigilio near Kronplatz ski area, San Tomaso Agordino near Alleghe, and Monte Pana in Val Gardena...not sure they are all open in winter...but maybe you could weave one of these into your itinerary.

A lot of the options are weather dependent, no point driving over passes in a blizzard or going high to see scenery if the cloud is low, but that is the unknown of any trip. At least at Alleghe you have tree runs on your doorstep.

Hope that helps!! snowHead

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Wow, thanks luigpt Laughing

I’ll be in Val Gardena for the first time from Feb 14-20, I need to go through all your posts in the last few months to assemble info so you don’t have to type it out yet again! Laughing

snow reports

@Orange200, Val Gardena will potentially be very busy that week due to it being Fasching/Carnevale week.

Although as @Langerzug mentions, maybe the Olympics might have put off some of the usual German clientele from venturing into the Dolomites this Feb??

I have no real handle on this Puzzled

Thanks yes I’ve followed both opinions since December. I think your only handle on it will come from a detailed analysis of all the hotel bookings for the region! My money is now spent on three plane tickets and two hotel rooms, not changing now; que será será as they say on French radio! I’m just grateful that now the white stuff is arriving Smile

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

You are definitely the AI for ski info there. Very Happy

A snowHead

Getting back to the important stuff...

Good news: winter tire situation is already sorted. I almost stepped in it on that one but figured this out just last week.

Bad news: Sillian place is non-refundable, so it looks like there may be some driving.

Other bad news: We are indeed there from about the 15th to 23rd. With the kid's school schedule, this was literally all I had to work with. But I'll take it and smile.

Other news: I'm in a bit of a pickle here because, just the other day before all this good advice came rolling in, I showed the kid a few pictures - some of Venice and some of Innsbruck. Follow-up question to him after this was, "If you had to pick one of these places, which would you rather see?". And dammit, of course he picked Innsbruck. When I asked him why, he said it just looks more interesting. I don't know about that but take it as 13yo logic. My Innsbruck place *is* refundable, though, and nothing is carved in stone. I want to give the runt some say in things but may try to steer him more back towards Venice. Regardless, you definitely have me sold on a stop there, even if it needs to be quick.

As for all your mountain suggestions, they're all so damn good I don't even know where to start. Alta Badia, the Super 8 Tour, Lagazuoi and Corvara kind of jumped out at me. I'll gladly make the drive for that on at least a couple days.

If you'll be skiing in those areas there then, don't mind the 13yo terrorist tagging along and feel like doing a few runs, please do reach out. Drinks on me for sure, man...and the little guy is fast. He won't slow you down much.

Cheers!

A snowHead

OK, yes, all is not lost, just hope you like driving lots on a mixture of European roads, some narrow and winding!! wink

3 Zinnen is a nice area with views of Dolomite peaks to the South and West, it will likely be busy that week, as will anywhere in Austria and German-speaking S Tyrol in Italy. There is a chance that because of the Olympics some of the usual Bavarian Fasching clientele will have avoided South Tyrol altogether and stopped further North in Austria proper this year.

As to the other ski areas further South, that is where the Dolomite scenery is at its most dramatic, on the axis from Cortina to Bolzano and around the Sella Ronda, but it will be a long commute from Sillian and it will likely be busy in parts, so if the weather isn't sunny and clear, it won't be worth it, just stay local. I can't comment on the areas in East Tyrol in Austria, they may be worthwhile too. Though the Dolomiti Superski pass won't cover those. You will have to buy day passes if you mix and match. I have driven through East Tyrol in summer, but never skied it.

Fasching (Shrove Tuesday/MardiGras/Carnevale) is a moveable feast that moves with Easter, 40 days before, so can fall between early Feb and early Mar, but this year collides with other nations' mid-Feb holidays and Olympics for a triple whammy. Sat 21st is when the crowds will be leaving on the weekly changeover day, this will be the quietest day on the Sella Ronda ski areas. You will have some weekend daytrippers, but it will not be as busy. I suspect this is day 7 on your itinerary though?

You have the winter tyres in Italy issue covered...I bet that cost you!! Shocked

I rented a small car with a set of snow chains in the trunk (didn't need them) for 5 days last week for €60.

The drive up to Sillian, you will likely have to go via Kreuzberg Pass as Cortina will be closed to through traffic during the Olympic event days. If you can make sense of what they're saying about when & where it will be closed, here is the official site...

https://passauto.milanocortina2026.org/en/places/377476/cortina

The other option would be the low altitude, but longer way round using the autostrada (highway with tolls) via Verona, Bolzano, Brixen, Bruneck...

Venice is flat, Innsbruck has mountains, so I get that from a kid's perspective it might look more interesting, but you will have seen even more amazing mountains all week and there's nothing that special about Innsbruck that justifies such a diversion whereas Venice built on water, with canals and boats instead of roads and cars and full of amazing architecture from its golden age in 15th-16th centuries is unique...but it's your call! wink

The Carnevale in Venice finishes on Shrove Tuesday Feb 17th, so it shouldn't be as busy if you get there at the end of your trip, though the Carnival costumes are fabulous...

The whole area is beautiful, Pustertal included, so you will enjoy it and there will be some great skiing wherever you go, so have fun!! snowHead

Sadly I'm UK based and only get out there once a year, so that was last week for me with my teenage kids. Thanks for the kind offer though! Cool

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

European roads? Bring em on. Smile

And yes, the damn tires did cost me plenty. Lesson learned, but we'll make the most of things and I am quite sure we'll be back. Also yes, the Saturday is indeed Day 7.

Duly noted about Innsbruck and Venice. I am definitely going to try to steer things more toward Venice.

Shame you won't be in Italy while we're there, but thanks so much for all your time and outstanding advice and info. It'll be put to good use for sure...I promise!

Cheers!

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@VolklHead, looking good with fresh new snow down to valley across the area on the cams and more snow in the forecast, shaping up nicely for your trip, have fun wherever it takes you!! snowHead

https://www.bergfex.com/drei-zinnen-dolomiten/webcams/

https://www.bergfex.com/drei-zinnen-dolomiten/wetter/prognose/

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Minor update with additional prayers to Luigi, the Dolomites travel god, or anyone else with good insight into southern Tyrol:

@luigi, we put your rock star advice to good use, dropped Innsbruck, added Venice (now looking at a place near Oriago) and narrowed our focus on preferred ski places. With four definite days of skiing, maybe even five, we now have pretty firm plans for:

1. One day at Drei Zinnen
2. One at Grossglockner Kals Matrei in Austria
3. Two, maybe three for your suggestions further south in Italy.

#3 is why I'm back. Unless crowds or weather totally derail us, I think Lagazuoi and the areas nearby (probably Cinque Torri/Super Cool

are *must* do. Time there will be precious, we'll be coming by car and, as a newbie, it seems like there might be ample opportunity to screw this up and get lost, separated from the car, stuck in crowds, delayed by Olympic restrictions, etc. So please explain this to me like I'm five. I just want a simple, clear plan of attack for that area.

That and a couple more questions:

A. For parking: drive to the restaurant Capanna Alpina, catch a taxi to Passo Falzarego and from there, from what I can tell, take the cable car to the top where you could do *either* the Super 8 circuit or the Lagazuoi/Hidden Valley trail, depending on which fork you follow - yes? Not sure how Cinque Torri would work from here, but I know it's close.

B. Would just showing up at Passo Falzarego and parking there instead be worth considering? It looks like parking at the Hotel Armentarola or Bai de Dones areas might be good backup plans, in case the lots are full.

C. For the one run down from the top of Lagazuoi (aka Hidden Valley or the Armentarola run, I think) - worth doing more than once? I know there's the need for a taxi, horse pull and/or long skate at the bottom but, man, that thing looks good. I just want to make sure we don't waste a bunch of time trying to get back to our car for the hour and a half ride home.

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@VolklHead,

1. Looking good with fresh snow across the area again today! snowHead

2. Looks a nice area, with scenic views of Austria's highest mountain. You'll need a separate day ski pass here though. The mountains of the Hohe Tauern are more pyramidal and darker rock than the limestone Dolomites with their cliffs, crags and jagged spires.

3. Yes, hopefully it will be clear and sunny for you! Cool

A & B. There are so many ways you could do this. You can park at many places, in this order as you arrive approaching up Val Badia...

i) La Villa, next to gondola, probably paid https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZQrKvfckVsFP2eFg9

ii) San Cassiano, near gondola, probably paid https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZQrKvfckVsFP2eFg9

iii) Armentarola, near layby where taxibuses depart, probably paid https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZQrKvfckVsFP2eFg9

iv) Capanna Alpina, at the end of Hidden Valley, probably paid https://maps.app.goo.gl/uyYGLH2JNw3RFfwa7

v) Passo Falzarego, next to cablecar, paid parking https://maps.app.goo.gl/PHx5HBqb1rTv11Qc8 There is some free parking in laybys too.

vi) Col Gallina, free parking just off the road opp this restaurant https://maps.app.goo.gl/5X2LFT33hFQLn7Va7

vii) Bai de Dones, large car park (this is being used as a Park & Ride for the Olympics, so pre-booked only on event days, not recommended) https://maps.app.goo.gl/5X2LFT33hFQLn7Va7

The first 3 will need the taxibus to get up and horse tow back. Horse Tow is now €5 per person.

Capanna Alpina will need a taxibus first, then you can ski back to the car. Taxibus from Armentarola and Capanna Alpina is €8 per person, but minimum €40, so you will need more skiers to share cost. They will likely call a taxi with 2 spare spaces from Armentarola to call in and take you.

The last 3 will need a taxibus back up to Falzarego after skiing Hidden Valley. Later in the day there might not be others to share a taxi though.

I can't really tell you how easy it will be to get a space at each car park at the time you arrive that week, though Capanna Alpina & Col Gallina would likely be the least busy.

As the actual skiing around the Super 8/Hidden Valley won't take that long if you do it directly. Perhaps an hour around Cinque Torri and an hour to get up and down Hidden Valley, so you need to extend things a bit. There is the option of going on the Skyline to Cortina though Olympics might complicate things there, you can make sure you do all variants at Cinque Torri/Averau/Fedare before advancing and you could finish off in Alta Badia if you parked at one of the first 3.

So thinking about it, you are probably best parking at one of the first 3, so if you finish the circuit early and have spare time you can do a few runs back in Alta Badia.

C. Once down the Hidden Valley is enough, because of the logistics of getting back up again, so make sure you stop and take pics. You could do the Front Face run first (turn right after first pitch of Hidden Valley at Lagazuoi) back down to the cablecar if it's open.

So to give you a rough timeline, say you park at Armentarola at 9.00. Get taxibus up to Falzarego by 9.30, cross road and ski along track to Col Gallina, up chair and down to right and along flattish blue to Bai de Dones, up to Rifugio Scoiattolo by 10.00, up to Rifugio Averau and back down the variants to Bai de Dones, over to Rif Fedare if chair is open. You could be here until 11.30 if you stop for a coffee. Then to Croda Negra chair and over to Col Gallina, up the chair and then the flattish traverse back to Falzarego.

So it's 12.00-ish, up the cable car, if the queue isn't too bad, you could do the front face and ride back up again. Walk up steps to Rifugio Lagazuoi terrace to take in the views. Do the Hidden Valley. You should hit Rif Scotoni 2/3 of way down for lunch, grilled meats, around 1-1.30pm as the sun hits it. Ski the rest of the HV, take the Horse Tow back to Armentarola by 2.30-3pm. Whatever time you have left, ski around San Cassiano, Piz Sorega and the runs from Pralongia down to Armentarola to your car.

It's a bit of an unusual day of skiing because of the disjointed connections and a few flattish & unpisted runs, but pretty unique with some jawdropping scenery. Only worth doing on a clear day though!! Cool

To see more amazing scenery and to say that you have done it, the other day needs to be the Sella Ronda starting at Corvara, ideally a Saturday to avoid crowds, you can go either way orange or green. Lots of options for side trip diversions, but maybe first time keep going, esp if there are lift lines. Again, only worth travelling this far if you have a calm, clear day. Wind will close inter-valley connections too.

Hope that helps!! snowHead

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Awesome and it sure does. Thank you, again!

Had a feeling you might say that about the peaks in Austria. I am looking forward to that (probable) one-day diversion.

And the parking info definitely helps; thank you. Between you, Reddit and good old AI, I think we're pretty well covered now. I will definitely print this page with all your great info and bring it with me as a backup. And yes, I definitely caught you the first time around on the need for clear skies. If it's cloudy, we'll stay further north but we are definitely praying for at least one good shot at a bluebird day in your suggested areas.

One thing you said that I *wasn't* sure I got right last time and here as well was your suggestion to go hit certain places on a Saturday to avoid crowds. Maybe it's different over here but, where I'm from, Saturday is pretty much guaranteed to be the *most* crowded no matter where you go. We will take whatever we can get though. Who knows, we might even hit Sella Ronda on our way back down to Venice (Saturday).

Thank you again for another encyclopedia, good sir. Have a great rest of your week!

After all it is free

Ahhh, yeah…that makes sense. And good info to have because I most definitely would not have expected that given the way things work over here.

Just FYI, if you are ever skiing over in the States, Saturday will normally be the busiest, most crowded day of the week for sure. Sundays are normally lighter because all the people that come to ski and then party on Saturday night are getting to the mountain later. Also, since the work week starts on Monday, a lot of them end up piling out early on Sunday afternoon in order to get ahead of traffic.

Cheers!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@Volklhead, in a lot of smaller resorts in Italy, the weekends follow a similar pattern to what you describe in the US, but it is different in larger resorts where the bulk of the skiers are week-long visitors with a Saturday changeover day.
Hence Saturday is generally the lightest day around the Sella Ronda as the leaving/arriving visitors far outweigh any local daytrippers/weekenders. Sundays are usually busiest as you still have the daytrippers/weekenders plus the new week-long arrivals keen to hit the slopes.
Some smaller Italian resorts that mostly attract weekend visitors can be very quiet on weekdays.
In other news, Olympics have started, Curling competition in Cortina today Cool

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