How to Get to the Dolomites: Airports, Trains and the Bus Nobody Books

There’s no airport in the middle of the Dolomites. The valleys all point in different directions, the peak you fell for on Instagram can sit three hours from the airport that looked closest, and the quickest way in is a bus almost nobody books. How to get to the Dolomites really comes down to one question: which corner of the range are you going to?

We run self-guided hiking tours in Europe, three of them in the Dolomites: the Alta Via 1, Val Gardena and the Alpe di Siusi, and Seiser Alm to Rosengarten. It’s a question we answer regularly, so here’s every realistic way in: which airport to fly into, which trains actually go there, the direct buses most people never find, and how to reach the start of a hike without renting a car.

Where Are the Dolomites, and Which Side Are You Heading For?

The Dolomites sit in northeastern Italy, spread across three provinces: South Tyrol in the northwest, Trentino in the southwest and Belluno in the southeast. They’re a UNESCO World Heritage site, they cover about 1,420 square km (550 square miles), and they are nobody’s idea of a single destination. Cortina d’Ampezzo and Val Gardena are both “the Dolomites” and they’re a two hour drive apart, on opposite sides of the range, usually reached from different airports.

So before you book a flight, pin down the valley. It decides your airport and your base in the Dolomites both. Three choices cover almost everyone:

• Val Gardena, Alpe di Siusi and the Seiser Alm (northwest, South Tyrol). The gentlest hiking in the range, German and Ladin speaking, easiest from Verona or Bolzano.
• Val Pusteria, Lago di Braies and the Tre Cime (north). Where the Alta Via 1 starts, and the easiest side to reach by train, coming south from Munich or north from Venice.
• Cortina d’Ampezzo and the Belluno Dolomites (east and south). Closest to Venice, and the only part of the range with a direct airport bus.

Which Airport Is Best for the Dolomites?

If you’re wondering where to fly into for the Dolomites, there’s a trade-off nobody mentions: the airports closest to the mountains are the smallest ones. Venice Marco Polo (VCE) is the best all-round answer, because it’s the only airport that is both properly big and properly close. It handled 11.9 million passengers in 2025, it has nine routes to the US and Canada, and it’s the one airport in the region with a direct bus into the mountains.

After that it depends on what you’re optimizing for. Verona (VRN) has the shortest transfer of any airport, 1 hour 28 minutes by direct train to Bolzano, but flights into it are limited: 4 million passengers a year, mostly European budget and seasonal routes, and nothing long-haul. Milan Malpensa (MXP) and Munich (MUC) are the heavyweights, and worth a serious look even though they sit about 4 hours out. Innsbruck (INN) is very small, and in summer it barely flies at all.

Don’t write Milan off. Malpensa is a full-size intercontinental hub, Italy’s second-busiest airport and sixth in Europe for the number of countries it reaches non-stop, which is exactly why flights into it are often more frequent and cheaper than anything into Venice or Verona. The catch is the ground leg: the airport train into Milano Centrale first, then 3 hours to Bolzano on the fastest service and nearer 4 on most of them. If the fare saving is real and you’ve got the time, it’s a sensible trade.

Munich is the one most people never consider, and it’s the best northern option. It’s a Lufthansa hub with 43.4 million passengers a year and 266 destinations, so the long-haul choice from the US and Canada is far wider than anything in northern Italy. The run south is easy too: five direct EuroCity trains a day from Munich Hauptbahnhof to Bolzano in about 4 hours, or 288 km (179 miles) by car over the Brenner Pass in about 3 hours 30 minutes. If you’re heading for the Val Pusteria or starting the Alta Via 1, Munich is the one to book.

And a word about Innsbruck. It looks ideal on a map, and it genuinely is close. But it’s a very small airport, 0.9 million passengers a year against Munich’s 43.4 million, with a single year-round scheduled route and a schedule built around the ski season. In summer there’s very little flying into it. Check there’s actually a flight from where you live before you build a trip around it.

How to Get to the Dolomites by Train

You can get to the Dolomites by train, and it’s the most relaxing way in, but no train goes into the heart of the range. Trains take you to a valley station, and a bus takes you up. Three railway lines matter.

The Brenner Line: Verona to Bolzano for the Western Dolomites

This is the main artery, running from Verona north through Trento and Bolzano to the Brenner Pass and on into Austria. Verona Porta Nuova to Bolzano is direct, takes as little as 1 hour 28 minutes (around 2 hours on a regional train), and runs about 31 times a day. From Milano Centrale there are around 25 trains a day to Bolzano, two of them direct, the fastest in about 3 hours and most in around 4. Coming the other way, five direct EuroCity trains a day run from Munich Hauptbahnhof over the Brenner Pass to Bolzano in about 4 hours.

Bolzano is where most people switch to a bus. For Val Gardena, the 350 runs to Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva in 60 to 90 minutes depending on the village. You can also shorten the bus leg by staying on the train to Ponte Gardena, 18 km (11 miles) from Val Gardena, or Chiusa, 23 km (14 miles) away. Bolzano itself is 40 km (25 miles) out.

The Val Pusteria Line: Fortezza to Dobbiaco for the Northern Dolomites

At Fortezza (Franzensfeste), a second line branches east along the Val Pusteria to Brunico, Villabassa, Dobbiaco and San Candido. This is the line to know if you’re hiking the Alta Via 1 or heading for the Tre Cime. Bolzano to Fortezza takes about 40 minutes and runs hourly; Fortezza to Dobbiaco is about another 1.5 hours, so allow close to 3 hours from Bolzano once you’ve changed trains.

Coming from the north, this line is the reason Munich is worth a look. The Brenner main line runs Munich to Innsbruck to Fortezza, and at Fortezza you turn right. That makes Munich the easiest airport of all for the Alta Via 1, Dobbiaco and the Tre Cime.

The Calalzo Line: the Closest Station to Cortina d’Ampezzo

Cortina d’Ampezzo hasn’t had a railway station since 1964. The nearest one is Calalzo-Pieve di Cadore-Cortina, about 2 hours 51 minutes from Venezia Santa Lucia at best and 3 hours 18 minutes on average, with around 13 departures a day and one change. Tickets start at roughly €13. From Calalzo, DolomitiBus line 30 covers the last stretch to Cortina in about an hour, timed around the train arrivals.

Honestly, for Cortina the bus beats the train, which brings us to the part most people miss.

Getting to the Dolomites by Bus: the Easiest Route Nobody Books

There’s a direct bus from Venice Marco Polo airport to Cortina d’Ampezzo. It takes about 2 hours 10 minutes, runs five times a day, and costs around €30 one way. There’s no published fare table, so check the operator’s site for the current price. It’s run by Cortina Express, it stops in Venice Mestre and Treviso on the way, and it will get you from baggage claim to the mountains faster than any train and most rental cars.

The buses worth knowing:

• Cortina Express, Venice to Cortina. Venice airport, Venice Mestre and Treviso to Cortina d’Ampezzo. It runs year-round, with the summer schedule starting in mid-June, so the whole hiking season is covered.
• Cortina Express, Cortina to Dobbiaco and San Candido. The link between the eastern and northern Dolomites, and a handy one if you’re starting or finishing the Alta Via 1.
• Line 350, Bolzano to Val Gardena. Hourly most of the day, via Ponte Gardena, to Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva.
• Line 442, Villabassa and Dobbiaco to Lago di Braies. About 20 minutes, and the only sensible way to the Alta Via 1 trailhead in summer. See the access rules below before you plan around it.
• FlixBus runs long-distance coaches from Italian and German cities into the valley towns, and it’s usually the cheapest way in if you’re not in a hurry.

How Far Are the Dolomites From Venice, Milan, Verona and Florence?

Driving to the Dolomites: What to Know Before You Rent a Car

A car gives you the most freedom between valleys, and the roads are a pleasure, with the Sella and Pordoi passes among the best driving in the Alps. But two things surprise first-timers, and both of them land exactly where hikers want to be.

The road up to the Alpe di Siusi is closed to cars from 9am to 5pm. That restriction runs the whole time the cable car is operating, which in 2026 means May 22nd to November 2nd. You can drive up before 9am or after 5pm, and you can drive down any time, but in the middle of the day the plateau belongs to the cable car and the shuttle buses. The Seiser Alm cableway from Siusi covers 4.4 km (2.7 miles) and 800 m (2,625 ft) of ascent in 15 minutes, running 8am to 6pm in summer, and to 7pm from early June to early September.

Lago di Braies has to be booked. In 2026, from July 1st to September 15th, you can’t drive into the Braies valley between 9am and 4pm without a reservation or a transit permit. The combined ticket costs €44 and includes valley access, a guaranteed parking space and a €22 voucher for local restaurants and shops. Buses 442 and 439 need a prepaid reservation in that window too, with your return time booked. If you arrive on foot or by bike you never need a reservation, at any time of year, which is one of the small perks of being a hiker. Outside the regulated dates, you just pay the driver, in cash. Check the current year’s dates on the official Braies valley site before you travel, because they shift each season.

There’s a wider point here. The Dolomites are managing their most famous spots with permits and timed access now, and most of those rules are aimed at cars. Arrive by bus and they mostly don’t apply to you.

How to Get Around the Dolomites Without a Car (and the Cheapest Way to Do It)

The cheapest way to get to the Dolomites is a regional train to a valley station and a regional bus from there, and in South Tyrol one card covers both. The Mobilcard gives you unlimited travel on buses, regional trains as far south as Trento, and some cable cars:

• 1 day: €22 adult, €11 for children aged 6 to 14
• 3 days: €32 adult, €16 child
• 7 days: €52 adult, €26 child

It doesn’t cover long-distance trains, so the EuroCity or Frecciarossa leg that gets you to Bolzano needs its own ticket. Buy it at any transport ticket office or tourist office, and validate it each time you board.

Better still, check what your accommodation gives you. Many hotels in South Tyrol hand guests a Guest Pass that covers regional public transport for the whole stay, including your arrival and departure days. In Val Gardena that’s standard at participating hotels, and it quietly makes the whole trip car-free.

How to Get to the Start of Our Three Dolomites Hiking Tours

Every one of our Dolomites tours starts in a town you can reach on public transport, which is deliberate. Here’s how each one works.

Getting to the Alta Via 1: Arrive in Toblach or Cortina d’Ampezzo

The self-guided Alta Via 1 hiking tour runs from Lago di Braies (Pragser Wildsee) to Belluno, 111 km (69 miles) with 6,640 m (21,780 ft) of ascent on the full 11-day route. You don’t start at the lake, though. Day 1 is an arrival day in Toblach (Dobbiaco) or Cortina d’Ampezzo, at the basecamp hotel.

• To Toblach: fly into Munich or Venice. From Munich, take the train over the Brenner Pass and change at Fortezza onto the Val Pusteria line. From Venice, the Cortina Express runs once a day straight through to Dobbiaco, leaving the airport in the early afternoon.
• To Cortina d’Ampezzo: fly into Venice Marco Polo and take the Cortina Express, about 2 hours 10 minutes, straight from the airport.

Getting to Val Gardena for the Alpe di Siusi and Seiser Alm Tours

Both our western Dolomites tours start in Val Gardena, at a basecamp hotel in Ortisei, Santa Cristina or Selva: the 5-day Alpe di Siusi and Val Gardena hiking tour, which is our easiest Dolomites trip with three hiking days, and the Seiser Alm to Rosengarten hiking tour, which crosses the Seiser Alm at 1,700 to 2,200 m (5,577 to 7,218 ft) before heading for the Schlern.

Fly into Verona, take a direct train to Bolzano, then bus 350 up the valley. From Venice, Milan or Munich it’s the same idea with a longer train leg. If you’d rather skip the bus, a private transfer from Bolzano station takes about an hour.

The Best Way to Get to the Dolomites, Based on Where You’re Starting

Once you’ve worked out how you’re getting there, the next two questions are usually where to base yourself and what to hike. We’ve covered where to stay in the Dolomites and the Alpe di Siusi in their own guides, and the Dolomites sit near the top of our list of the best hikes in Europe.

Where to Stay When You Arrive in the Dolomites

If you’re only booking one night before the hiking starts, book it in Cortina d’Ampezzo. It’s the only base in the range you can reach from an airport without changing, the Cortina Express drops you in the middle of town, and it’s within reach of both the eastern Dolomites and the Val Pusteria. Bolzano is the better choice if you’re heading west to Val Gardena, and the box further up this page has the stations and the walking distances.

Use the map to see what’s available in Cortina and what it costs on your dates. Zoom out to pull in Dobbiaco, San Candido and the valley villages.

How to Get to the Dolomites: FAQs

Ready to Hike the Dolomites?

Getting there is the fiddly part, and now you’ve got it. The rest, the hotels, the mountain huts that book out a year ahead, the luggage, the route notes, is what we do. Pick the trip and we’ll take it from there.