A ten-day loop from Venice that climbs via Verona and Bolzano into the heart of the Dolomites: Val di Funes, Val Gardena and Seceda, the Alpe di Siusi, the Sella loop over its passes, Cortina, the Tre Cime and Lake Braies. A car links the passes at your own pace, but three sites now require booking in summer, and their rules change every year.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Venice | Start |
| Day 2 | Bolzano | 267 km · 2h50 |
| Days 3 to 4 | Ortisei (Val Gardena) | 36 km · 40 min |
| Day 5 | Corvara in Badia | 28 km · 40 min |
| Days 6 to 7 | Cortina d'Ampezzo | 38 km · 40 min |
| Days 8 to 9 | Dobbiaco | 32 km · 35 min |
| Day 10 | Back to Venice | 189 km · 2h35 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
Mid-June to late September, when the passes are clear, the lifts are running and the Tre Cime road is open (since 23 May 2026). In winter, snow tyres or chains are compulsory from 15 November to 15 April, the Tre Cime road is closed and the passes close temporarily after snowfall.
🚗 267 km · 2h50 of driving from Venice
Car picked up at Venice airport, A4 to Verona then the A22 Brenner motorway up the Adige valley. Ticket tolls.
🚗 36 km · 40 min of driving from Bolzano
A22 to Chiusa, there and back into Val di Funes, then the SS242 up Val Gardena from Ponte Gardena.
🚗 28 km · 40 min of driving from Ortisei
Sella Pass, Pordoi Pass, Arabba then the Campolongo Pass: the southern half of the Sella loop, on tight hairpins.
🚗 38 km · 40 min of driving from Corvara in Badia
Valparola Pass, Falzarego Pass (SS48, 2,105 m), down via Pocol. The Giau Pass (SP638) makes a loop from Cortina.
🚗 32 km · 35 min of driving from Cortina d'Ampezzo
Tre Croci Pass, Misurina, the Tre Cime toll road (booking required), then Val di Landro to Dobbiaco.
🚗 189 km · 2h35 of driving from Dobbiaco
Skip Venice and Bolzano: from the airport, head straight up to Ortisei (2 nights) on the A4 and A22, then Corvara (1), Cortina (2) and Dobbiaco (1). Back to the airport via Belluno and the A27.
| Car hire only, July | ≈ $50 a day (≈ €44) |
|---|---|
| Car hire only, November | ≈ $21 a day (≈ €19) |
| Small car, annual average | ≈ $32 a day (≈ €28, Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| Excess waiver at the desk | $24 to $55 a day |
| Vehicle | Small city car: tight hairpins, narrow car parks on the passes. At the Braies P4, nothing over 2 m. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | At Venice Marco Polo airport, on the morning you leave: Venice is visited without a car. A loop, with no one-way fee. |
| Insurance | CDW and theft cover compulsory in Italy, included in the price but with an excess. Few bank cards' insurance covers Italy. |
| Age and card | Usually 21, surcharge under 25. Licence held for 1 year, credit card required. |
| Winter | From 15 November to 15 April, snow tyres or chains on board: check at the desk. |
⚠️ Braies and the Alpe di Siusi are booked with the number plate, which you only know once you have the car: book right at the desk.
Any European Union licence is enough, with no International Driving Permit. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. Headlights on outside built-up areas, even by day.
50 in town. In the rain, 110 on motorways. Licence held under 3 years: 100 on motorways.
Zero for drivers who have held a licence for under 3 years and for professional drivers.
Online booking in high season, often with the number plate. Without it, you get turned back.
No barriers or booking. A limited traffic zone is being tested virtually on the Gardena Pass, under consideration for 2027.
Snow tyres or chains on board across the whole network of Dolomite passes.
Cameras at the ZTL entrances: fine of €80 to €100, plus rental company fees.
Holding a phone is banned; a hands-free kit is tolerated.
≈ €2.16 a litre of petrol, €2.34 for diesel
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: Osservaprezzi carburanti (Italian ministry) →
⛽ 590 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €90 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
National self-service average on 22 September 2026 (Mimit). On motorways, €2.25 and €2.42: fill up in the valleys.
| A22 motorway, Verona Nord to Bolzano Sud | ≈ €13 by car (€12.80 at the end of 2025, up 1.46% in 2026) |
|---|---|
| A4 and A27 motorways around Venice | Ticket on entry, pay by cash or card on exit |
| Tre Cime road (Lake Antorno to Rifugio Auronzo) | €40 per car, booking required on auronzo.info, valid for 12 hours |
| Lake Braies, 1 July to 15 September, 09:00-16:00 | Combined ticket €44 on prags.bz: access, guaranteed space, €22 voucher |
| Lake Braies, private P4 car park in high season | €40 with a €16 meal voucher |
| Alpe di Siusi, booked car parks | €15 at P1, €30 at P2 in Compatsch, per day |
| Val di Funes, Zans car park | €12 a day when booked online |
| Seceda, viewpoint path | €5 charged by private landowners (summer 2026) |
| Tre Cime road | Open from 23 May 2026 until around the end of October |
|---|---|
| Lake Braies by car | 1 July to 15 September, 09:00-16:00: booking required |
| Alpe di Siusi road | Closed to uphill traffic from 09:00 to 17:00 in season |
| Alpe di Siusi lifts | Closed mid-April to mid-May, and November to early December |
| Sella, Gardena, Pordoi, Campolongo | Closed to cars on Sellaronda Bike Day |
| Maratona dles Dolomites passes | Sunday 5 July 2026, closed to cars during the race |
| Giau Pass and other passes | Open in winter, closed temporarily by snow or avalanches |
| Santa Maddalena (Val di Funes) | Barriers since May 2026: park in the village |
Allow 8 to 10 days for this loop of 6 stages and 9 nights from Venice, via Bolzano, Val Gardena, the Sella loop, Cortina and Dobbiaco. In 7 days, skip Venice and Bolzano and keep Ortisei, Corvara, Cortina and Dobbiaco. If you are hiking, plan two nights per valley.
Car only in July: about €400 of rental ($50 a day on average on Kayak), about €90 of petrol at September 2026 prices, €13 for the A22, €40 for the Tre Cime road, €44 at Braies and €30 of parking at the Alpe di Siusi. Lifts are extra: the Seceda cable car, with variable pricing, goes up to €74.
Yes, from 1 July to 15 September 2026 between 09:00 and 16:00: without a booking on prags.bz, the road is closed. The combined ticket costs €44 (access, guaranteed space, €22 voucher to spend on site). Before 09:00 and after 16:00, access is free if spaces remain. The rest of the year, paid parking with no booking.
€40 per car in 2026 (€26 by motorbike, €60 by motorhome), with compulsory online booking on auronzo.info and an arrival slot; the ticket is valid for 12 hours. The 6 km road starts at Lake Antorno, near Misurina, and climbs to the Rifugio Auronzo. It reopened on 23 May 2026 and closes around the end of October.
Yes, but only before 09:00 or after 17:00: during the day, the road from Siusi to Compatsch is closed to uphill traffic. Since 29 June 2026, parking can be booked online up to six days ahead (€15 at P1, €30 at P2 in Compatsch), number plate required. Otherwise, take the gondola from Siusi or from Ortisei (Mont Seuc).
No: Sella, Gardena, Pordoi, Campolongo, Giau and Falzarego remain open and free in 2026. A virtual test of a limited traffic zone began on the Gardena Pass in September 2026, with implementation under consideration for 2027. The passes close a few days a year for cycling events, and in winter after heavy snowfall.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/dolomites · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
