Help! I am planning a nice drive around the Dolomites!

[kailifish]

Hello fellow Taycan-lovers,

I am currently planning a trip to Italy and the Dolomites late August for my honeymoon.

Reading all the trip report threads on this forum has made me want to incorporate a nice scenic drive into our trip. (And making me want to move to the EU).

Sadly i won’t be able to take my taycan with me on the trip, so I thought I would ask the forum for any suggestions on rentals/routes etc. I have been to Italy a few times but never for a trip like this. Any help or pointers will be greatly appreciated! Of course the wife will be with me , so not looking for too spirited drivings, but more scenic cruises with maybe a few twisties.

Right now the plan is to fly into Venice, and planning spend a few days in the Dolomites and maybe end up in Milan before flying out to another city.

- What would be the best way to rent a fun car (say maybe an M3, cant do the 911/718 due to luggages)for a few days there? and the ball park price?

-Any suggested routes, or spots you recommend while heading up the mountains?

-Any nice accommodations you recommend for our stay there?

Thanks in advance for any tips you guys may have!

 

[PorscheCH]

Nice idea, indeed. I know the Sud Tyrol area in Dolomites quite well.
Routes/Spots, they are all equally impressive: Venice to Cortina (2,5h travel time), Pordoi Pass (and area around it), Selva di Valgardena and surroundings, Ortisei, Tires, Bozen. A *lot* of twisty roads and switch blades turns, so passenger/s might feel dizzy (or scared) depending on how hard you drive. From Bozen you can drive on a highway straight into Milan (3h or so).
Accommodations: Cristallo or Lagacio' Hotels in Cortina. Cyprianerhof in Tires.

I hope you mean a bmw m3 (480 hp) ? A stock Tesla regardless of model won't have brakes, suspension, dynamics etc suitable for driving "hard" in the Dolomites and still make it home alive. I drive there often, I get to cross quite a few Teslas and no one is hammering it. It's just not it. The issue with renting in Italy is that outside Hertz in major cities (https://www.hertz.com/p/european-fleet-guide/selezione-italia) I'm not aware of large shops where you can rent designated models, ie. you rent a segment and you get a car from within that, available on that day. plus it will be pricey

 

[B61]

Thanks in advance for any tips you guys may have!

I don’t have any tips, just wanted to congratulate you for wedding
Have a safe trip & enjoy on your honeymoon

 

[kailifish]

Nice idea, indeed. I know the Sud Tyrol area in Dolomites quite well.
Routes/Spots, they are all equally impressive: Venice to Cortina (2,5h travel time), Pordoi Pass (and area around it), Selva di Valgardena and surroundings, Ortisei, Tires, Bozen. A *lot* of twisty roads and switch blades turns, so passenger/s might feel dizzy (or scared) depending on how hard you drive. From Bozen you can drive on a highway straight into Milan (3h or so).
Accommodations: Cristallo or Lagacio' Hotels in Cortina. Cyprianerhof in Tires.

I hope you mean a bmw m3 (480 hp) ? A stock Tesla regardless of model won't have brakes, suspension, dynamics etc suitable for driving "hard" in the Dolomites and still make it home alive. I drive there often, I get to cross quite a few Teslas and no one is hammering it. It's just not it. The issue with renting in Italy is that outside Hertz in major cities (https://www.hertz.com/p/european-fleet-guide/selezione-italia) I'm not aware of large shops where you can rent designated models, ie. you rent a segment and you get a car from within that, available on that day. plus it will be pricey

Thank you @PorscheCH ! i cannot wait for this part of the trip. Will research more into the spots you mentioned, right now we are planning to use Cortina as our "base" to come back to after venturing out each day. Hoping that maybe 3nights will be enough to see the surrounding areas?

I definitely meant BMW M3, an M_ will always be referring to a bimmer in my head. Was thinking a performance car that can haul some luggage and that was the first to pop In my head. Noted on the Hertz note, i will check out the fleet.

When renting in Italy, is it the norm to just go with any of the big chains? (Hertz, Sixt etc)or anything to watch out on?

Thanks again!

 

[PorscheCH]

Thank you @PorscheCH ! i cannot wait for this part of the trip. Will research more into the spots you mentioned, right now we are planning to use Cortina as our "base" to come back to after venturing out each day. Hoping that maybe 3nights will be enough to see the surrounding areas?

I definitely meant BMW M3, an M_ will always be referring to a bimmer in my head. Was thinking a performance car that can haul some luggage and that was the first to pop In my head. Noted on the Hertz note, i will check out the fleet.

When renting in Italy, is it the norm to just go with any of the big chains? (Hertz, Sixt etc)or anything to watch out on?

Thanks again!

Cortina is definitely a top destination, views, food etc. on the posh side (not as extreme as, say, Gstaad in Switzerland). 3 nights should be enough if you don't go hiking or climbing. Late August the area is still very busy so early booking of hotels and restaurants is highly advised. Also if you want scenic drives to yourself it's either early morning or late evenings - rest of the day you'll be behind "smart" people who think that driving a RV on those roads is a brilliant idea or buses taking tourists around.

Getting a specific sport car will not be easy/cheap. Absolutely go with reputable bigger brands to avoid long waiting times at rental desks and other bad surprises. The big issue is most of them don't have performance cars and nobody will guarantee a specific brand/model. Also, always buy CDW and other insurance covers online beforehand, as prices at the pick up desk are much higher (and they will try to aggressively upsell you).

There are some other European services (like this one, https://www.driverso.com/en/rent-bmw/m4-coupe?Se=1&search=eHEWUV&Id=2807) which will deliver the car to you within a certain radius for a fee. Overall cost is significant vs renting a "normal" car. But I can't recommend one as I have never tried any and online reviews are mixed (or fake?). So be careful and adopt extra caution.

You maybe could also consider to fly to Germany and start the tour from there. It's a slightly longer drive but should be easier to rent a performance car

 

[kailifish]

Thanks for the tips on the CDW insurance, and the booking ahead. After further research, it seems that my dream Euro cruise will have to wait until next time. Although a hot hatch (or...lukewarm hatch) with the scenes may not be half-bad.

thanks again

 

[tutis]

Just a short word on the rentals; in Switzerland you can rent almost any Porsche car directly from Porsche. I don't know for sure whether they have this program in Italy but I suspect yes. If you don't mind spending c. EUR 300-500 per day (or more) on the car rental then you can get in a nice Taycan or Panamera for that price. I think the maximum rental length is 1 week at a time, although you can probably negotiate up to 2 weeks

 

[kailifish]

Just a short word on the rentals; in Switzerland you can rent almost any Porsche car directly from Porsche. I don't know for sure whether they have this program in Italy but I suspect yes. If you don't mind spending c. EUR 300-500 per day (or more) on the car rental then you can get in a nice Taycan or Panamera for that price. I think the maximum rental length is 1 week at a time, although you can probably negotiate up to 2 weeks

Thanks @tutis

First time I ever heard of this, and sadly no Italian dealers offer this. But surprised to see quite a few countries' dealerships do offer this.

Maybe I can convince the wife to drive in from another country.

Also, what is this up to two-weeks long vacation you talking about, we over here have never heard of such thing!?

For those interested:
https://customer.drive.porsche.com/germany/de

 

[tutis]

Thanks @tutis

First time I ever heard of this, and sadly no Italian dealers offer this. But surprised to see quite a few countries' dealerships do offer this.

Maybe I can convince the wife to drive in from another country.

Also, what is this up to two-weeks long vacation you talking about, we over here have never heard of such thing!?

For those interested:
https://customer.drive.porsche.com/germany/de

Just realised it is offered only in Germany, France and Switzerland.

See the offers here: https://drive.porsche.com/swiss/reservierung/rental&lang=US

it is basically CHF 3k per week for Taycan 911 etc. A bit less for Boxster and Macan

I highly recommend that you consider flying into Zürich or Geneva, pick-up the car of your dreams and head over the mountain passes (in Summer) into Italy / Dolomites.

Just make sure you don't get caught speeding on the Swiss side as the fines here are *very* steep

 

[PorscheCH]

Just realised it is offered only in Germany, France and Switzerland.

See the offers here: https://drive.porsche.com/swiss/reservierung/rental&lang=US

it is basically CHF 3k per week for Taycan 911 etc. A bit less for Boxster and Macan

I highly recommend that you consider flying into Zürich or Geneva, pick-up the car of your dreams and head over the mountain passes (in Summer) into Italy / Dolomites.

Just make sure you don't get caught speeding on the Swiss side as the fines here are *very* steep

Very good suggestion indeed to rent in Zurich from Porsche. I did not know it was possible (in op case he may just need an international driving license).

I often drive to Dolomites from Zurich. I really advise to take the highway to Landquart, head towards Davos to Flüelapass (or bypassing it loading your car on a train at Klosters), drive through Parc Naziunal Svizzer (amazing scenery and usually not too busy, plenty of photo opportunities), border the stilfserjoch (a tough one if you fancy a detour), drive to Bozen via Meran (also very nice) and head to Cortina. It’s a 7h drive but big fun - if you like lots of turns. Avoid weekends preferably and nights (can’t see much of scenery). No speeding in Switzerland as pointed out, though 80ish km/h (legal limit) in the Swiss mountains will be enough to keep you entertained, especially if you take the hairpins at that speed.

 

[kailifish]

I had just gotten back from the trip.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to convince the wife to fly in from Zurich, so went to the big name rentals and crossed my fingers. Ended up getting a Stelvio diesel, and to my surprise was very impressed by the chassis. A lot lot better than the Macan, in terms of understeer and roll, actually was able to enjoy the cruise.

Ended up stationing in Colfosco, and just doing day trips around. The Dolomites is just insane, you guys have no idea how jealous I am of the scenic views and the roads. I wish one day ill be able to visit there again with a 911 or Taycan.

Did spot a couple of Taycans there tho.

 

[AlbyVaz]

Nice pictures!