Please do tell us what your walking plans are. There's a wealthof info on this site about actual terrain which you don't always get from the book and which walks, in practice , are the most enjoyable.
Where are you flying to? If you want to really amaze someone with the Dolomites, you just have to drive through the Val D'Egga from Bolzano into the western Dolomites. The road is excavated into this narrow ravine - and I mean narrow, the road is tunnelled into the vertical sides, which are a couple of metres apart in places. But it's the most spectacular way to come onto the mountains as you come out of the ravine, the valley opens up and you see the magical mountains rising up ahead like something from a children's fairy tale - it takes my breathe away everytime I make the trip.
I think you'd have to be very unlucky to get mosquitos in June - much more likely later in the summer and then only in the valleys close to water.
I took some friends to the Dolomites a few years ago to climb on the vie ferrate. We stayed just out of Arabba in an amazing old fort which had been converted into a hotel on the valley side - spectacular - but we decided that Corvara would have been more convenient, or my favourite Canazei.
Fiona, that's useful info. I intend staying in Bolzano for a few nights, (beautiful town) before going up to Kolfosco and haven't travelled that route before. Been down as far as Vigo di Fassa for the walk up to the Vajolet Towers but but not on the bit you mention.
Bream, if you have the time, go into Bolzano and make the acquaintance of "Otzi", the oldest human body extant. Found in the Otztal and now lying in his air conditioned cave it's quite a moving experience..
Sounds good Fencer, will stop off for a bite to eat in Bolzano and go meet Otzi
Fiona, do you mean the SS241 out of Bolzano towards Viggo di Fassa? Because on a map the Val D'Egga roads seem to all come to a dead ends?
And what about driving over from Milan, any ideas, the SS35 through the Parco Nazionale della Stelvio looks nice but the SS42 is more direct to Bolzano?
We arrive in Milan around 11am so have plenty of time to take the drive over a more scenic affair
No, you're OK Bream, it continues through Val di Fassa to Vigo di Fassa then along to Canazei where you jacknife left up some truly tight hairpins - they give you the degrees of severity on little roadside posts, some as tight as 4 degrees. You carry on up through lovely wooded landscape to a fork where you decide which way you wish to drive around the Sella massif which dominates this area.
Go right and you head for Passo Pordoi, (to which you will return later to take the gondola up to the Sella plateau), then down to Arraba, over rated IMO and left to Corvara. T'other way. left at the fork is considerably longer but definitely more varied and spectacular. You'll eventually come to the Groednerjoch or Passo Gardena of ski Sunday fame. Make sure you turn right there and it's all downhill to Corvara.
A small word of caution. Stop if you want to look at something - and you will! The roads themselves are of a quality unknown in the UK but very, very twisty. DON'T look away.
The Stelvio is quite something; probably the most amazing pass in the Alps. The top gear team did it recently. You may find it a bit tiring after a flight and if you go off any of these hairpins you'll die of old age before you hit the bottom. Just noticed your flight time of arrival. That's not too much time for your drive; if you go over the passes you may think you're driving fast but your av. speed will be quite low.
Bream, I would stick on the Autostrada for the first part of your journey and get used to the Italian driving style but to be fair, the further North in Italy you go the more the driving improves. They were, after all, Germans until historicaly recently.
No worries, I have driven with the Italiens before when over there with work and for some reason I fit right in
Will stick to the Autostrada and main roads until Bolzano and then head for the hills By the way Fiona wrote I thought there was a specific road called the Val D'Egga, rather than the SS241 as classifed Don't want to miss something by not knowing it is there
Can you see my google map I'm putting together? Dolomites route
I have already routed as you described via Arraba, I think by this time Mrs B will be wanting to arrive at the apartment and settle in (i.e. open the wine and sit on the balcony )
Think you're wise. That's the best way. The other route round the Sella is MUCH longer and once you're up at Passo Pordoi its an easy mostly downhill run to Corvara.
Incidentally, if you have time, say on the way back, you might like to make a short stop at Bergamo, the old, upper, town that is. Beautiful old place. Had the best pizza of my life there. Glad your drivings up to it. It's no place for mimsers.
I'm not sure about the road number for the Val d'Egga - if necessary I'll go find a map - but it's marked at the North Bolzano exit from the autostrada. When you come off at this exit, it seems rather odd as you double back then head up to a roundabout which seems to go nowhere but there's now a tunnel through the mountain which brings you out at the start of the gorge. The old road used to take all the traffic through the centre of a village.
As Fencer says, the road continues to Ponte Nova/Burchnerbruck then over the Passo di Costalunga (Karerpass) where it descends into the main Val di Fassa.
If you go into Bolzano beforehand, you'll probably use the south Bolzano exit (I think this is the one for the city centre - it's well marked). Just for simplicity's sake, I would go back onto the autostrada for the one junction when going to the Val D'Egga as navigating around that (mostly industrial) area of Bolzano has never been straightforwards - I usually end up getting lost although I've done the trip 10 times or more.
Bream - must be a wind up. I've only been in Sep but most lifts are running in all the areas I've visited. My mate went in July and again most lifts running. You can ski most of the year, if not all of it, on Marmolada and they don't expect you to walk up! A lot of VF routes are accessed by ski-lifts so they are open.
Ermm, I never post info that I'm not sure of, perhaps you were confused between "MAY" when Bream was going to go and "SEPTEMBER" when you've only been.
I love the twisty mountain roads, they're the only ones where the Italians drive on the left......
Bream, as you're doing self catering, if you are arriving on a Sunday, stock up at the first supermarket you find open (as you've been to Italy before, you'll know that Sunday opening is a bit patchy to say the least).
If you get the chance go to the Co-op in Cortina; From spaggetti to suits to maps, MTBs & ropes......
The reason being, they shut for around three hours or so. Still it's unlike any co-op I've evr been in; they have everything, including very cheap liquor.
I was told there is another excellent discount place in Cortina but I've never been able to find it ; not the easiest town to navigate but there are reasonable car parks to the South East of the town, a ten minute walk to the centre.
By the way, if you are going to Cortina from Corvara, go via the Falzarego pass, shorter and better road than by Arraba which is how a sat nav might direct you. And if you do take the very fast Gondola up to the top of the Lagazuoi, (spelling !!!), don't be tempted to walk down the "easy" way. It's not difficult but it is quite steep, nothing you'd bother about on a fell, however it's been planed as a ski run and it's like walking down on ball bearings. Frau Bream might not appreciate it. Roll on September.
Don't want to miss something by not knowing it is there 
