u/dobledee1

Hi! I’ll be in the Dolomites from 4–12 October and would love some food recommendations from locals or people who know the area well.

4–5 Oct: San Candido
6–9 Oct: Santa Cristina / Val Gardena
10–12 Oct: San Cassiano / Alta Badia

I’m mainly looking for authentic, local places — farmhouses, small family-run restaurants, rifugi/huts, masi, etc. Good traditional food, local ingredients and somewhere that feels genuine rather than fancy/touristy.
Since it’s early October, I’m also looking for places that are still open on those dates.

Any hidden gems or personal favourites would be hugely appreciated!

Hey everyone,

I’m currently staying in San Candido and planning to head up to Tre Cime di Lavaredo tomorrow morning (Sunday, Oct 4) for a day hike. Since the toll road parking up top is fully booked/restricted, we are planning to drive down to Lake Misurina, park there, and catch the Dolomiti Bus Line 50 shuttle up to Rifugio Auronzo.

Since tomorrow is officially the last day of the season for the shuttle service, I want to make sure our logistics are locked down so we don’t get stranded or turned away.
A few specific questions for anyone who has done this route recently:

Parking at Misurina Genzianella: The schedule shows the first bus leaves the lakeside at 08:10 AM. What time should we realistically pull into the parking lot to guarantee an open spot and beat the morning gridlock? Is 07:30 AM early enough?

Buying Bus Tickets: The Dolomiti Bus website says you can buy tickets on the app, but the app keeps throwing a "not available for sale" error. Can we just comfortably tap a contactless credit card/Apple Pay directly on the bus validator when boarding, or should we use the physical ticket machines at the stop?

Bus Queues: How chaotic are the lines for the 08:10 AM or 08:40 AM morning runs on a weekend? Do the buses fill up completely to the point where people get left behind for the next slot?

Any last-minute survival tips for the shuttle process or current autumn trail conditions at the top would be massively appreciated!

Thanks in advance!