 Poster: A snowHead
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I'd like to ski in the Dolomites in early to mid-March. Options from N Ireland arent great but there some reasonable flights to Munich - especially mid-week.
Is flying into Munich, hiring car, and travelling down through Austria to Italy a viable option? Would basic hotel accomm be readily available in the likes of Canazei / Arabba or would booking in advance be essential? Ta.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's about 4 hours drive each way. I drove from Frankfurt and stopped overnight in Innsbruck, which is about half way from Munich to the Dolomites.
Don't forget the Austrian Vignette (about 7€ for the week available at last services before the border, plus toll fees for Brenner pass, and autostrada etc.)
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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?
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Innsbruck or Verona closer options
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| Quote: |
Innsbruck or Verona closer options
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..not from Belfast though 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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eithnem, The vignettes can be bought at any of the motorway services between Munich and the border - it costs €7.70 for 10 days which is more than enough for the usual one week holiday. You don't actually need one if you drive from Munich airport via Garmisch (A9 then into and through Munich - easy enough mid-week since they banned transit lorries) and then through Innsbruck to the Brenner Toll entrance. Then you only have to pay for the Brenner section (which everyone has to pay) and onwards down through Italy. The alternative s to use the old Brenner Road which is fun except in bad weather!
If you can get to Innsbruck or Verona from N.Ireland it would be better and quicker, but I'm assuming they aren't an option!
The journey can be a bit of a nightmare which ever route you use if you happen to be travelling on an Austrian or Italian holiday.
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| Quote: |
The journey can be a bit of a nightmare which ever route you use if you happen to be travelling on an Austrian or Italian holiday.
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For s5BB last year, the northbound traffic on Italian side of Brenner Pass was at least 13km of standstill. Fortunately I was heading South.
On the return, there were no jams at all. Just a queue of 5-6 cars at the tolls, and one section of hold back to let the snowploughs do their job.
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eithnem, A better option would be Bergamo, and I know Ryanair do flights to there from Ireland (Listed as Milan Bergamo). But not from Belfast
Breschia would be even better, but I'm not sure what flights there may be to there.
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Dub to Bergamo is a twice daily flight, so gives u plenty of flight choices, manageable journey to Dolomites.
There may be a (car hire ) supplement if u hire a car in Ger. and bring to Itl ?, Avis and Hertz dont charge such supplements, other car hires may do
If you are hiring a car, may be cheaper to stay in a village/town , say 10k from the ski areas
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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.
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eithnem, I reckon it's doable if it's your only option, plenty of Germans do longer road trips than that to get to the Dolomites, the Brenner is kept clear all winter, the journey to Val Gardena probably isn't much further than from Venice.
Val Gardena is the obvious choice if approaching from the Brenner, but well-located accommodation doesn't come cheap.
A cheaper spot for accommodation and quite handy for arrivals from the north is the Badia valley, villages such as Pedraces, La Valle and San Martino, you can then use the car you've paid for to drive to La Villa, Corvara or San Cassiano to pick up the lifts. You can also drive to Cortina and Kronplatz, these are included on the Superski liftpass.
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Unlikely you could do Munich to Arabba in 4 hours in the winter
Have done it in the summer in good weather but that was by sitting at the speed limits most of the way and the only hold ups were a few minutes at the tolls
The roads over the passes to Arabba are interesting even in good weather
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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eithnem, this German guy did Munich to Ortisei in Val Gardena in 3hr 50min early in the morning back in Jan 2009, then skied all day and drove back to Munich in the evening 
Already flagged this on another thread but check out his report and photos:
http://www.alpinforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=30007
So it's definitely possible.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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THanks for the info - actually not that set on doing the journey in one go - this would be my second trip of the season and i like the idea of not doing a standard fly transfer stay ski type trip. Having the car would indeed mean we don't have to stay near lifts and could visit different resorts - still developing the plan - need to convince a few mates to share the car hire (and driving) - and i think it could be a runner.
I see those flights from Dublin but it's at least two hours away by the time you park etc - and that isnt cheap - and I hate the thought of getting off the plane then driving for another two hours - so Belfast - Munich is tempting as I'm only 15mins from the airport. Does anyone know anything about staying overnight in Refuges (Rifugios)?
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Definitely shorter from Venice. That is looking like my best bet for Easter from Edinburgh.
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You know it makes sense.
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eithnem, I can see why you'd want a car, but I've twice (in the summer) done Munich/Brixen (Bressanone) by train. It's an easy- and very beautiful - journey over the Brenner Pass. Maybe hire a car when you get there?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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have done the journey from munich to selva and its an easyish motorway drive. i too have few flight options from cork and use munich a lot.
do NOT do this drive in school hol time as it would be 2 to 3x times the journey ie 8-9hrs. selva is the best base for ski lifts night life etc, also arraba, corvora etc are a further 1+hr min over a very hairy mountain pass.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Do any TOs fly charters into Innsbruck from Belfast? You can very often pick up a good deal on any unsold seats which would make the journey to Selva / Ortesi a pretty convenient - conditions permitting - hop over the brenner pass.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It took us way less than 4 hours to get from Munich (which we passed en-route from Calais) to Ortisei when we went last winter, more like less than 3 hours (though that was in the early hours of the morning, got to Ortisei at 8am). Canazei and Arabba are a bit further. Most of it is motorway with just the last bit up the hill from the Bolzano valley on slow roads, Munich to Ortisei is 166 miles.
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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?
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eithnem, all depends on the times of flights and wheteher you do go midweek or not. Took us 5 hours just to get to Kappl in Austria from Munich this year due the horrendous traffic jams - that was on a Saturday and previous experience of driving from Scotland to Kaprun was similar in Germany into Austria - the roads can get seriously crammed.
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Ghost Dog, can you tell me who flies edinburgh to venice at easter.? thanks
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Dave McSki. It is Alitalia. I found flights via edreams. BMI also fly. And BA. Noe of them is direct tho. Flights were working out at £650 for 2 adults 2 kids. They have gone up to £285 each. Aaaargh.
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Ghost Dog, cheers mate, back to easy jet for me then
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