 Poster: A snowHead
|
Off to Canazei in February Plan A was the shuttle bus but this does mean a couple of hours of hanging about at the airport and getting in far too late to pick up skis and passes etc. So we had the bright idea of renting a car, but having tried just about every car hire company on the WWW winter tyres do not seem to be an option from Venice, only chains. It seems a long road across the mountains and quite high up and so I'm having second thoughts.
Would we be mad to try this with normal tyres? i.e. without having to put on and take off chains several times. There seems to be a couple of alternatives - either side of Marmaloda, the road via Moena looks to be more of a main road although its not the one chosen by Google maps.
Advice appreciated 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
A couple of weeks ago I drove back from Italy via Aosta. There were signs everywhere with dates in November for fitting winter tyres. Don't know if this would also apply to the Dolomites. I think the AA site suggests it's only required there when needed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| Quote: |
Would we be mad to try this with normal tyres?
|
With the proviso that I only drove as far as Cortina, and in very fine weather with no snow on the road, I don't think you'd be mad. Sure, if the weather is bad, you might have to put chains on and maybe off and on again, but provided you are confident with them, that's not a big deal. And it would, after all, mean that it was snowing, which has to be an advantage. Winter tyres are not compulsory in Italy; I bet a large majority of the skiers driving up to those resorts every weekend don't have them. But you must carry chains.
However, it does seem like a big faff and expense just to get there a couple of hours earlier.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Based on previous experiences in the Sella Ronda in Jan and March, would now recommend the bus! Some of the mountain passes are very tricky if it's snowing
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
We've driven to numerous Italian resorts from Turin, Milan and Venice and have always prebooked show chains with the airport desk directly even when we have booked the car hire online via sites such as travel supermarket, just email the respective car hired desk in the airport. We once tried to take a car from Milan one January without chains - when we collected the car from the off-airport compound the guy in the hut cottoned on we were heading for the ski slopes (obvious with ski boot bags etc!) and he wouldn't let us leave without chains! He said it was regulations and to be fair everywhere we have been I Italy since there are often signs on the mountain roads saying such a thing, it's regulation you carry they in the cr even if you don't use them. We actually got pulled of once by a very nice Italian policeman who asked if we had them with us! Fortunately we did or it would of been a steep fine!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Seeing the snow they have had this year, I would as nervous as a small nun at a penguin shoot to be driving around there without winter rubber. Bad enough with winter rubber.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks all. Looks like its going to be the bus 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you're going over the mountain passes, winter tyres all the time. Could be really tricky without.
However, isn't there a route around on the motorway, and then you would never get higher than Canazei itself?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
You can avoid the higher passes by heading for Trento (via Verona if you wanted to stay on the motorway), then north to Ora where you leave the motorway and head for Canazei, but the road up from Ora over to the Val di Fiemme is very tortuous as it climbs up the side of the valley with some impressive drops off to the side and not one I'd like to drive in the snow - although they will keep it clear unlike the high passes which are liable to close for a while during/after storms. Not driven that way, but have done it in a bus a few times.
I have done Venice to Alta Badia (via Cortina) in a FWD Fiat Panda, and going up the Passo di Falzarego was okay, but descending the other side down to Armentarola was distinctly marginal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Think that's the way I went to Campitello a few years back. Road is fine, but steep bit with switchbacks at the Ora/Egna end. But at least there are no Sella Ronda passes that way.
Hoping it'll be clear this year when I do Campolongo pass. Was interesting last year without chains, and a car in front that kept braking, meaning it was impossible to keep momentum.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
