How to Get to the Dolomites, Italy: Airports, Trains, Buses (original) (raw)

The Dolomites are located in Northeastern Italy, close to the border of Austria.

The easiest way to get to the Dolomites is to fly to a nearby airport (Bolzano, Venice, Treviso, Verona, Innsbruck, Milan, or Munich), rent a car, and drive to your base in the Dolomites.

Depending on your point of arrival, it may take anywhere between 1 and 4 hours to drive to the Dolomites.

It’s also possible to get to the Dolomites without a car. When traveling to the Dolomites with transit, focus your attention on getting to either Cortina d’Ampezzo, or Bolzano/Bozen, the gateway to the Val Gardena Dolomites.

In this guide, you’ll learn about how to get to the Dolomites from the closest airports, train stations, and bus stations.

Marmolada Group, Dolomites, Italy

How to Travel to the Dolomites Map

Closest Airports to the Dolomites

Viel del Pan hiking trail, Dolomites

Here are the closest airports to the Dolomites:

From the airport, we suggest renting a car and driving to your base in the Dolomites.

Use the Discovercars.com car rental reservation platform to search for and book car rentals in Italy, Austria, and Germany. This easy-to-use and intuitive platform compares car rental deals from 500+ trusted providers, so that you can choose the best option for your trip. Check car rental rates here.

Here’s how long it takes to drive from each airport to Ortisei in Val Gardena and Cortina d’Ampezzo in Ampezzo Valley:

Bolzano Airport, Italy | 1 hour to Ortisei, 2:15 hours Cortina d’Ampezzo

Venice Marco Polo Airport, Italy | 3:20 hours to Ortisei, 2 hours to Cortina d’Ampezzo

Treviso Airport, Italy | 3 hours to Ortisei, 1:50 hours to Cortina d’Ampezzo

Verona Airport, Italy | 2:15 hours to Ortisei, 3 hours to Cortina d’Ampezzo

Milan Malpensa Airport, Italy | 4:30 hours to Ortisei, 5 hours to Cortina d’Ampezzo

Innsbruck Airport, Austria | 1:30 hours to Ortisei, 2:40 hours to Cortina d’Ampezzo

Munich Airport, Germany | 4 hours to Ortisei, 5 hours to Cortina d’Ampezzo

Plan your trip the Dolomites with our 5 day Dolomites itinerary, 7 day Dolomites itinerary, or 10-14 day Dolomites itinerary.

If you don’t want to rent a car, you can navigate from these airports to the Dolomites by train, bus, shuttle bus, or private transfer. It’s all explained below.

Bolzano Airport

The closest airport to the Dolomites is Bolzano Airport (BZO) in Bolzano (Bozen), South Tyrol, Italy. Though the city of Bolzano is not in the Dolomites, it borders the Dolomites.

The Bolzano Airport offers direct flights from:

If you arrive in the Bolzano Airport, take a 20 minute bus to the Bolzano/Bozen Train Station followed by a 50 minute SAD (South Tyrolean Transport Association) Bus to Val Gardena or Val d’Ega.

We don’t recommend staying in Bolzano as a base for exploring the Dolomites.

Instead, take a direct bus to Ortisei in Val Gardena. Here, you will be well-positioned to visit Puez-Odle Nature Park, Seceda, Resciesa, Alpe di Siusi, the Sassolungo Group, Vallunga Valley, and more.

Verona Airport

The Verona Airport (VRN – Valerio Catullo Airport) is another option for those traveling from the UK, Ireland, and continental Europe. There are direct flights to Valerio Catullo Airport from many British, German, and other European cities.

UK and Ireland Destinations to the Verona Airport: Gatwick, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Southampton, East Midlands, Birmingham, Dublin, Edinburgh, and Cardiff

Germany Destinations to Verona Airport: Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne, Hamburg, and Nuremberg

More European Destinations to Verona Airport: Oslo, Madrid, Brussels Charleroi, Prague, Amsterdam, Paris Orly Airport, Bucharest, Palermo, Tirana, Naples, and Rome

When you arrive in the Verona Airport, take the nonstop bus line 199 to Stazione Porta Nuova (15 minutes).

From the Verona Porta Nuova station, you can either take a direct train to Bolzano/Bozen or a direct FlixBus to Bolzano South.

Book your train tickets here.

Venice Marco Polo Airport

The Venice Airport (VCE) is connected to 75 destinations across the UK, Europe, the United States, Canada, and the Middle East.

North America Destinations to Venice Airport: Montreal Airport, Toronto Airport, New York JFK Airport, Newark Airport, and Philadelphia Airport

UK and Ireland Destinations to Venice Airport: Dublin, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Luton, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, London Heathrow Airport, and London Southend Airport

Middle East Destinations to Venice Airport: Tel Aviv, Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai

From Venice, there are several ways to reach the Dolomites.

Option 1: Take the Cortina Express shuttle bus, FlixBus, or AVTO Bus to Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Option 2: Take a FlixBus to Bolzano, followed by a SAD Bus to Val Gardena.

Option 3: Take a bus to the Venice Mestre railway station, followed by a train to Verona, another train to Bolzano, and finally a SAD Bus to Val Gardena.

Option 4: Book a private transfer to Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Option 5: Book a AltoAdigeBus private transfer to Val Gardena.

How to Get to the Dolomites by Train

Lago di Braies / Pragser Wildsee, Northern Italy

Bolzano/Bozen Train Station

Bolzano (Bozen in German) is a city in South Tyrol, which serves as a gateway to the Dolomites.

You can travel to Bolzano by train from many cities in Italy, Austria, and Germany.

Bolzano is serviced by Italian Trenitalia, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), and German Deutsche Bahn (DB).

If you’re traveling to Bolzano from Milan, or Venice, you will change trains in Verona. If you’re traveling from Florence, you may need to change trains in Bologna, though there are some direct trains between Florence and Bolzano.

If you’re traveling from Innsbruck, or Munich, there are direct trains to Bolzano via the Brenner Pass.

Here’s approximately how long it takes to get to Bolzano by train from major transit hubs.

Book your train tickets here.

From Bolzano, there are direct buses to Val Gardena and Val d’Ega in the Dolomites.

San Candido/Innichen Train Station

San Candio (Innichen in German) is a charming town in Val Pusteria in the Alta Pusteria region of the Dolomites. San Candido is located at the base of the northern Sexten Dolomites.

This is a fantastic place to stay, because of its proximity to Val Fiscalina, Val Campo di Dentro, Lago di Braies, and Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

If you’re coming from Austria or Slovenia, look for trains to San Candido. Most transit journeys will require a few transfers.

Book your train tickets here.

How to Get to the Dolomites by Bus

Lake Federa, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Dolomites

The European bus company Flixbus offers daily buses to Bolzano from nearby cities.

For example:

The Flixbus bus terminal is located at the Bolzano South train station. From here, you can:

Bolzano to the Dolomites by Bus

There are direct SAD buses from the Bolzano Bus Station (Bozen Busbahnhof) to Val Gardena/Gröden and Val d’Ega/Eggental.

Use the journey planner on the Südtirolmobil website to plan your journey.

When traveling in South Tyrol, it’s important to be familiar with both the German and Italian names for destinations.

For example, the German name for Ortisei is St. Ulrich. If you want to travel to Ortisei, type in “St. Ulrich, Antoniusplatz” or “Ortisei, Plaza S. Antone.”

Alternatively, you can book a Südtirol Transfer to your accommodation.

Venice to the Dolomites by Bus

From the Venice Marco Polo Airport, you can take the direct 2-hour Cortina Express (1 daily departure), a FlixBus (1 daily departure), or an ATVO bus #29 to Cortina d’Ampezzo. All of these buses require reservations.

From the Venice Marco Polo Airport, you can take a direct FlixBusto Bolzano South in 4:30 – 5:00 hours. There are 3 daily departures.

From Bolzano South, there are several ways to get to Val Gardena (all explained above).

Private Transfers to the Dolomites

Tre Cime di Lavaredo South Face, Dolomites

AltoAdigeBus provides private and collective transfers to Val Gardena from nearby airports: Venice, Verona, Bergamo, Milano-Malpensa, Munich, Innsbruck.

Here are a few private transfer options from the Venice Airport to Cortina d’Ampezzo:

Guided Dolomites Day Trips

If you’re based in Bolzano or Venice, you can also join a tour of the Dolomites.

Venice to the Dolomites Driving Tours

From Venice: Dolomites, Lake Misurina, and Cortina Day Trip is a 9 hour day tour of the Dolomites with stops in Cortina d’Ampezzo and Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

From Venice: Cortina and Dolomites Mountains Day Tour is a 8 hour day tour of the Cortina Dolomites with stops at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Lake Misurina, and Lake Auronzo.

Bolzano to the Dolomites Private Tours

The Heart of the Dolomites: Private Full-Day Tour by Caris a 8 hour private tour with stops in Lake Misurina, Lake Braies, Tre Cime di Lavaredo, and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Bolzano: Private Full-Day Hike through the Dolomites is a private guided hiking tour of the Dolomites: Puez-Odle Group or Catinaccio-Sciliar Group.

Bolzano: Best of the Dolomites in One Day Private Tour is a private full-day tour focused on the Great Dolomites Road, which links Bolzano with Cortina d’Ampezzo. Stops include Lake Carezza, Lake Misurina, Lake Braies and Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

Bolzano: Great Dolomites Road Private Day Trip by Car is a private day tour which takes in Lake Carezza, Val di Fassa, Passo Pordoi, Sass Pordoi, Passo Sella, and Val Gardena.

How to Travel around the Dolomites

Resciesa to Seceda hiking trail, Dolomites

Public Transit

When traveling around Val Gardena and anywhere in South Tyrol, use Südtirolmobil.info to find bus connections.

You can also pick up a book of timetables from any tourist office in South Tyrol.

When traveling around Cortina d’Ampezzo and in Belluno, use the DolomitiBus website (only available in Italian) to find bus connections.

Car

The easiest way to get around the Dolomites is with your own vehicle.

Use the intuitive Discovercars.com car rental reservation platform to search for and book car rentals.

Check rates here.

Plan your trip to the Dolomites with one of our itineraries: 5 Day Dolomites Road Trip, 7 Day Dolomites Road Trip, or 10-14 Day Dolomites Road Trip.

How to Get to Dolomites: Frequently Asked Questions

Alpe di Siusi, Morning Fog, Dolomites, Italy

How to Get to the Dolomites from London

Fly to the Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), or Verona Airport (VRN).

There are direct flights from Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, and London City Airport to Venice Airport and direct flights from Gatwick Airport to Verona Airport.

From Venice, you can take a 2-hour Cortina Express, or a FlixBus to Cortina d’Ampezzo.

It’s also possible to book a AltoAdigeBus private transfer from the Venice Airport to Val Gardena.

From Verona (Stazione Verona Porta Nuova), you can take a direct train to Bolzano/Bozen and then a SAD Bus to Val Gardena.

How to Get to the Dolomites from Florence

Take a direct train from Firenze Santa Marie Novella to Bolzano/Bozen (3 hour 12 minutes).

There are more train connections to Bolzano with transfers in Verona Stazione Verona Porta Nuova.

From Bolzano/Bozen, hop on a SAD Bus to Val Gardena.

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Dolomites Trip Planning Essentials

Use our Dolomites Travel Guide to plan an unforgettable trip to Northern Italy.

When to Visit the Dolomites

Winter Season. For skiing and winter activities, the best time to visit is between mid/late December and March.

Summer and Fall Seasons. The best time to road trip and hike in the Dolomites is between mid-June and mid-September. If the weather is stable, the hiking season can easily continue until late October.

Best Places to Stay

Figuring out where to stay in the Dolomites is probably the biggest hurdle to planning a trip to the Dolomites. We’ve created three guides to help you decide where to stay:

We suggest choosing 2-4 bases for your Dolomites trip and spending 2-4 nights in each base.

What to See & Do

During your trip to the Dolomites, you can go via ferrata climbing, culinary hiking, hut to hut hiking, cycling, paragliding, and so much more. We’ve highlighted our favorite experiences in Best Things to Do in the Dolomites.

Wherever you decide to stay, you’ll be surrounded by glorious mountain scenery and incredible natural landmarks.

In Best Places to Visit in the Dolomites, we’ve outlined the most iconic attractions as well as lesser-known destinations across the Dolomites, including Alpe di Siusi, Lago di Braies, and Lago di Sorapis.

Dolomites Packing List

Hiking Gear

Outdoor Photography Gear

Dolomites Hiking Guides

Hiking in the Dolomites is our passion. Year after year, we love discovering new trails and expanding our knowledge of the area. For day hiking, check out Best Day Hikes in the Dolomites. For trekking, take a look at our guide to Hut to Hut Hiking in the Dolomites and Alta Via 1.

For region-specific hiking trails, check out:

Recommended Hiking Guidebook: Cicerone Guide: Shorter Walks in the Dolomites

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