Driving to Austria/Italy

[IsletsOfLangerhans]

We've just booked our first family ski holiday for next Feb half term and we are driving down to the Dolomites. VERY EXCITED!!! Anyway, we've done the drive down to Italy a fair few times in the summer, but never in the winter. Can anyone recommend the best route through Germany to take in Winter? We normally go past Koln, Mannheim, Stuttgart, Munich, but have also taken a more 'cross-country' route via Frankfurt and Nurnberg. I'm guessing as it's all motorway, it's much of the sameness.. I'm in the process of booking hotels to break up the journey each way, so if one route is better, I'd be very grateful to hear. We are getting snowtyres and chains, so all sorted in that respect.

Can I direct you towards Snowheads. There are loads of people on there who do the drive, plus a very knowledgeable lady (UserName: Samerberg Sue) who knows the routes from the Channel through to Austria really well

Also make sure you research your route and don't do through any passes. Rely on the map and local signs and not your satnav.

I spent 3 years living in an Alpine village with a closed road for 6 months through a pass. It was a ski run in the winter. We got hundreds of vehicles a season driving up to get through despite signs all the way through the valley before the mountain road up and several up the mountain road itself for good measure saying that the road was closed.

When questioned in December when the road would reopen we would cheerily declare JUNE! It was a 4 hour detour for the half hour trip they were hoping to take.

Whereabouts in the Dolomites are you going? We were there last year in Alba di Canazei.. Loved it. Have done the drive through Germany in the summer, like you, but haven't braved it in the winter!

thank you for all the advice - I've checked out snowheads and it's very useful! I think it looks like just keeping an eye on roadworks etc nearer the time.

massistar - we are staying in Deutschnofen, close to the Obereggen/Pampeago ski area. We went walking up around there and also in the Carezza area during the summer and loved the scenery. The ski areas aren't huge, but are ideal for beginners/intermediates.We have friends who live near Bolzano and they ski up there regularly.