Stunning, stunning, stunning. This tramway is easily accessible from all over the Merano area. I…read moreparked at Vellau, took one bus to Merano, waited 3 minutes, then another bus to Tirolo and the lower station of the tramway. The ride up is beautiful and serene. There were many hikers heading to the Meraner Hohenweg, as I was. At the upper station Hochmuth, there is a great restaurant that was packed with people enjoying a sunny day and some hearty food. Then I hiked to Leiteralm, about two hours west and took the standing basket lift down to where my car was. It was all a very easy hike that could be enjoyed by kids and older people too. In fact, in September, most of the tourists are German retirees in their 60s and 70s. This was the highlight of my week in Alto Adige, Italy.

Stayed for one week, the main entrance makes you feel at home, which is always nice after a hard…read moreday on the slopes, the food was excellent and the hotel offers luxuries such as a swimming pool, sauna etc. The staff are super nice and always made you feel welcome. Would definitely stay again!

When Gayle and I first arrived in Piazza Kraus in the Center of Castelrotto, we went looking for…read moreadvice on what to do in general and where to hike in Seiser Alm in particular. What ended consulting more with the Rick Steves' and Shorter Hikes in the Dolomites books, but this Tourist Information Office does have some good maps and overall useful tips on this corner of what Gayle calls Heidi-Land.

We stayed 3 days at this wonderful hotel mostly to have a central location to ride bicycles from…read moreRechenpasse, Italy. We took the train up the mountain and rode down. It was wonderful! Beautiful small German speaking Italian town. Accommodations are clean and sunny, food was very good and staff is very accommodating.

My only nagging doubt about Gayle's and my recent stay in the South Tyrol is whether I should have…read morerented a car and explored more mountain passes and small villages. Maybe next time! Instead, Gayle and I took the train from Venice to Bolzano/Bozen and then let our SAD bus do the driving as we traveled to Casterotto/Kastelruth, back and forth each day to Alpe di Suisi/Seiser Alm, and finally returning to Bolzano/Bozen for our next train journey. The SAD system covers transport in the South Tyrol and includes a complete interconnection using buses and trains. SAD also operates several cable cars and a Mobilcard is available for frequent travelers. Gayle and I paid at either the Bus Station in Bolzano/Bozen or on the Bus itself at a fare of 4 Euros each (one way). Our Alpe di Suisi days were paid for as part of our Combi Card which included our daily rides on the Seiseralm Bergbahn Cable Car. Both Gayle and I were impressed with the comfort or our ride, the friendly local bus drivers, their skill in driving as we curved around in spots, and the fact that the buses ran on time. I'll chalk that up to a German efficiency overlay to the more suggestive nature of Italian time. So even though Gayle and I might be in a car the next time we come to the Dolomites, we will always be aware that SAD will be there as a viable alternative or supplement to our South Tyrol transportation needs.

Perfect week in paradise. Healthy alpine air and endless vistas. April quite off season so…read morewonderfully quiet. The bus and train system so easy to use. The very nearby Thai restaurant was a total positive surprise as most other nearby places were closed. The nearby market hours were very limited and we never used that place, nor made use of the kitchen in the unit. The room was quite straightforward with a good bed and the shower was quite good as well. Bolzano and nearby smaller towns so interesting to visit. Overall excellent value for the exchange points expended. We arrived at Milano and spent first night in Trentino and last night in exciting Milano. Speaking German and Italian made the vacation more satisfying. The nearby mountain ski mountain and tram were closed for the season. Plenty of snow still around despite warm comfortable days.

Located in the quiet village of Girlan on the Süd Tirol Weinstraße, this is a gorgeous holiday home…read morefor short stays. I found this place looking through some Italian websites and we ended up staying here for a few days recently with some friends. The village itself is a gorgeous village with about a dozen wineries and small square. The house is directly off the main square with a butcher, supermarket and cafe within 20 meters of the house. They have two apartments in a old style alpine house and the owners live in the house next door. It's pretty private and very quiet. The owners are very nice people and speak some English but German is preferred. Their accent is very countryside Süd Tirol and their pronunciation is difficult to understand even for German speakers :-) The apartment is well kitted out with two or three bedrooms and the apartment with three bedrooms has a huge verandah for those sunny days. The only thing missing in our apartment was a living room and a comfy couch. The rest was very good. The prices were reasonable considering it was Traubenfest weekend in Süd Tirol and almost all places were fully booked out. I would come here again if the opportunity presented itself. It's a nice house in a very quiet village for some R&R. There are buses to Bolzano from here every hour and it's in between Merano and Bolzano with gorgeous vineyards and mountains around the village.

I have been here for a week. I loved the people, the food, my room was good and I love the area of…read morethe Alps. 5***** recommendation!

Trash was not empty when we arrived, floors dirty, balcony had the last occupants candy still…read morelaying on the floor. Overall a very disappointing experience. Would not recommend.