If you love Switzerland, you will love the Dolomites in Italy! I recently returned from visiting the Italian Dolomites with family. Although we stayed in a rather expensive Airbnb (that was perfection), we used miles to travel to and from Europe. The Dolomites is a stunning mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They are known for their unique and dramatic landscapes. I love Switzerland, and this certainly rivaled that.

We could not find any hotels where we could use points/miles to stay. However, you could certainly use the Capital One purchase eraser to save on your stays there or find a boutique hotel in a travel portal using one of the different currencies we get from our credit card welcome offers.

 

Flights to Milan

We positioned to JFK for a flight to Milan on Emirates Airlines. My husband and I flew in business class for 87K Emirates miles each. I had totally forgotten how great this airline is—the food, the service, the seats—it is all wonderful. After a great chicken and polenta dinner, I fell asleep for a magnificent six hours!

 

 

 

 

Driving Near Lake Garda

From Milan, we rented a van and drove about 5 1/2 hours to our destination, the cute town of La Villa. Along the way, we traveled a road that paralleled Lake Garda, which is very similar to Lake Como and absolutely stunning!

We stopped at Riva del Garda, one of the last towns along the lake. We all agreed we would have loved to spend a night there or in one of the other towns we passed by. Honestly, if I were to move internationally, I would choose to live anywhere in Italy. I have a massive love affair with this country (and gelato).

 

 

 

La Villa in The Dolomites

We stayed in the cute town of La Villa in the Alta Badia area of the Dolomites. It was perfect, and we couldn’t get enough of the views. A large grocery store was just a block or two from our Airbnb. 

 

 

 

 

 

Activities in the Dolomites

After sleeping in from a long travel day, we headed to La Crusc near La Badia and rode a gondola up a mountain. There was a restaurant and playground at the top of it. There are some great family-friendly hikes from that point, or you can take the gondola back down.

 

 

 

 

 

Day Two

On day two, we visited San Cassiano. We took the Piz Sorega gondola to the top, where we walked to two mountain huts and an area to sit on chairs and enjoy the magnificent views. There were playgrounds and games for children and several places to eat. We brought our own sandwiches and had a wonderful few hours there. We opted to walk down the “easy” hike (it was downhill), which took about an hour and was more of a moderate hike.

 

 

 

 

Day Three

On day three, we drove to Lago di Braies, which was about an hour away. It is a stunning lake, also known as Pragser Wildsee Lake, that you can walk around—it takes about 1 1/2 hours. There are wood boats on the lake, and everything in this location is jaw-dropping. They restrict the number of cars that can go up to it so you can take a bus from the bottom or reserve parking in advance. It is worth the time to go there.

 

 

 

 

 

Day Four

We traveled just a few miles to our next destination, Covara, to the Pisciadú waterfall, so it only took 10 minutes to drive there. This hike took about an hour and ten minutes but less on the return. The waterfall was not as majestic as we imagined, but the hike had gorgeous views and seemed very popular. The easy walk is also ideal for families with children.

 

 

 

Day Five

This day was spent on short walks about the town of La Villa and swimming in the shared pool near our Airbnb. Honestly, it felt really nice to enjoy a peaceful day. It was also nice planning, as it rained that afternoon.

 

Day Six

We went to Colfosco, rode the Col Pradat gondola, and walked to Edelweiss hut. This was a short, easy hike for a family, only 30 minutes, but there are many more strenuous hikes in the area. We had a delicious lunch at the Edelweiss hut and then walked down to our car in about 15 minutes. The views, once again, were stunning.

 

 

 

 

London Stopover

We drove to Venice (about 3 hours) and flew to London for a few days to stay with our British family. From Venice, we flew British Airways for 11,750 British Avios each. 

 

Priority Pass Marco Polo Lounge

We had eight people in our group, and we could get all of us into the Venice Marco Polo lounge because two were under 12. My husband and I each have Priority Pass through our credit cards, so we each brought in two people. I was surprised by this lounge’s size; it was a nice respite from the louder terminal. There were various food and beverage options, and, though not wonderful, it was pleasant.

 

 

 

Flights to Dallas from London

We flew British Airways business class from London to Dallas and then home on United Airlines to Denver. I have never flown British Airways from London because they tack on high surcharges. These flights were booked with Alaska miles on the Alaska Airlines site for 55k miles each and a hefty $700 in taxes and fees—ouch! That is why I usually don’t fly British Airways! However, when you figure that you are paying $700 for a $10,000 seat (not that I would EVER pay that), it is a bargain! Even an economy seat costs $1300. 

 

Bottom Line

I have been to the Swiss Alps—the Gimmelwald area is my favorite—and wondered how visiting the Italian Dolomites would compare. We discussed whether the Swiss Alps or the Dolomites were our favorite and never reached a consensus.

We did agree that their hikes are more accessible for people of all ages and skills. There were also more lifts and things to do in the Alta Badia area. It also felt quieter and less touristy. The one thing we all agreed on was that the Dolomites were breathtaking, there were unlimited hikes for hikers of all skills, and we would happily return!

 

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