Collett's Mountain Holidays Avis 

We chose the Tre Cime Twin Centre walking holiday. I was super excited to see this new offering because it was the Tre Cime that piqued my serious interest in the Dolomites, and they were reachable from Sexton, the second town in which we stayed. The transfer from Venice Marco Polo was pleasant and uneventful.

KUDOS FOR THESE THINGS:
1) I thought the cities chosen for the Twin Center holiday, Corvara and Sexton, were excellent. Corvara, in the Alta Badia region had access to the mountains and trails around Falzarego Pass (e.g., Cinque Torri, Nuvolau, Lazagoi) and Gardena Pass (e.g., Puez-Odle Park). Our hotel in each city was outstanding. I don't think I've ever experienced such a variety of food at hotels. The breakfasts and dinners at each place were very good with plenty of scrumptious self-serve accompaniments.

2) The provided Walk Pack, which included:
- a 1-page, 2-sided walk sheet for each of their recommended hikes. These were very helpful as they contained instructions on how to get to a trailhead (e.g., which bus to take if applicable), alternate route options, map of the walk, and elevation profile. However, as described below, there were some inaccuracies in the walk sheets.
- a bus pass for the public bus system, Suditirol. The pass was a great inclusion in the overall price and we used this in both Corvara and Sexton.
- access to a gps app which had a .gpx file of the recommended hikes already downloaded on the app. The app was invaluable to us and a terrific trip inclusion.
- Tabacco 1:25,000 maps of the two areas - another useful tool that may come in handy in the future

3) Office hours in Corvara hosted by a staff member who was available each evening to provide more detailed information about the hikes and weather.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT:
1) Onsite staff. First off, I want to say that the 2 staff with whom we had contact very friendly and helpful when questioned. I was disappointed that the staff member who accompanied us from the airport to Corvara did not point out any of the key mountains we passed along the way. I understand we did not pay for a 'guided trip', but a couple "hey, that mountain over there is xyz" would have been welcomed. While the idea of 'Office Hours' is fantastic, it would be even better if the people hosting those were native to the area or had more experience in the area and were better equipped to answer some of our questions.

2) There was an inaccuracy in three of the walk sheets. a) the map on the walk sheet differed slightly from the .gpx route on the app. b) The first couple of instructions on a map sheet did not match the .gpx track on the app. We took the bus to where the instructions told us, but the hiking instructions were incorrect for that starting point. c) The bus instructions for one hike in Sexton were incomplete and did not state we had to take a second bus to get to the trailhead.

3) Lack of a staff person in Sexton. Understood this is the first time a 'twin centre' holiday has been offered, and I'm very glad it was. We were told that the hotel staff in Sexton would be able to answer any and all questions about the hikes. For our longest Sexton hike, I asked 3 hotel staff how to get to the starting point and only one, the bartender, hinted about needing to take 2 buses to get to the trailhead. Fortunately, there were other walkers heading to our same trailhead so we followed them to find the bus stop for the 2nd bus. Without the 2nd bus, we would have had to have walked an additional 3.2 km.

4) Inclusion of each person on a booking on communications/walk-pack. A stated requirement of our holiday was that it had to be done in groups of 2 or more. A friend joined me, however she was not included an important pre-trip email communications that provided trip details, no was she offered her own walk pack. While many people may travel as a couple or family, we are friends and, since we each paid the same amount, each should be provided a walk pack 1) in case we decided to do a different walk from each other and 2) as a keepsake. Fortuntely, the staff person in Corvara was able to secure a 2nd walk pack for her. It would be nice to ask groups if they would like individual walk packs.

Overall, it was a fantastic introduction to the Dolomites and the tools provided were much appreciated.

Top class accommodation. Top class food. Top class staff.

Everything met or exceeded expectations. The hotel was excellent. The food really good and accommodated a couple of food allergies. The collett staff really helped us plan our hike appropriately based on weather, experience etc. Would definitely book with Colletts again.

The arragements beforehand could not have been done with more care - you were a plesasure to deal with and flexible with my requests. On site routes advice from the staffer was so thorough and considered- she had walked them all before. The B and B accommodation at Garni Tofana I had was brilliant - comfortable, welcoming, great breakfast and the 4 course meal at Hotel Christian was always good too, though they don't naturally cater for vegetarians.

Our holiday was very well organised and everything went smoothly. The airport transfers were on time and comfortable and the walks were interesting, varied and well graded. Our hotel was outstanding and exceeded our expectations. The Collett's staff were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.

What you are really paying for with Collett's is the wealth of local knowledge and advice from the rep's and indeed other guests at the daily social hour. It takes all the legwork out of route finding and deciding where to go on a daily basis. Having all the routes clearly presented and graded on the phone app is extremely useful. Had a great time in Ehrwald lovely hotel, Connie and Ben were excellent and extremely helpful.

Hiking guide informative and staff excellent
Staff helpful in getting a local doctor’s appointment for myself on a weekend!

We recently had a great walking trip to the Dolomites with Colletts.
Everything was well organised including transfers from Venice.
Walks were varied and catered for all abilities.
Staff were very good with their input at the daily meetings.
Would definitely recommend.

Everything was great ,and good experience.

Great organisation from Colletts, accommodation was very good with hearty food and a great atmosphere. The scenery was amazing and every day it just seemed to get better. The description of the trek was spot on and also the timings and difficulty.
It was our 4th trip with Colletts and definitely not our last :)

Excellent organization and experienced skilled guide.

Lovely holiday in superb accommodation fully equipped with a spa for relaxation after walking..
Fabulous breakfast and evening meals.
We would meet our rep every evening to talk about the day and to plan for walk options the following day. Her knowledge of the area, transport , and actual routes was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed every walk that we dis.

Great guidance and information provided, great hotel and local help

I’ve experienced more than a dozen Colletts holidays in the Dolomites and I keep coming back for more.

Wonderful, friendly and helpful representatives in the resort. Very helpful staff when booking the holiday. Nice hotel in lovely resort with excellent range of walks.

Well organised and enjoyable hike in a beautiful unspoilt Corner of Switzerland . Charming hotels with excellent facilities . Highly recommended as an introduction to linear Alpine walking .

Enjoyed the nightly gatherings to discuss the hiking plan for the next day. The hotel was nice and staff was very friendly. The town of sils is picturesque. Loved the pass to use for travel during the week

Very responsive, informative brochures and website. Lots of information about the walks and support on site every evening plus could WhatsApp any local questions.

Excellent, helpful, friendly guides. Great accommodation in a good location with plenty of great food and facilities to unwind at the end of a day's walk. A well-researched and presented set of walks.

Just returned from a brilliant family holiday in the Dolomites with Colletts. Can’t recommend them highly enough. Expert advice pre trip. Great locations. Fantastic walking pack. And best of all a really lovely in resort team in Corvara making sure we make the most of our holiday. Brilliant.