The Dolomites Without a Car: Getting Around by Train, Bus and Lift

Arriving by train: the gateway stations

The Dolomites don't have a station in the middle, but several gateway stations around their edges. From there you carry on with local trains or buses. The simplest way is to pick the right station for the valley you want to reach, so you avoid long detours.

On the South Tyrol side the reference points are Bolzano and Bressanone, on the Brenner line. A little further north is Fortezza, where the Val Pusteria railway branches off and climbs the valley as far as San Candido by way of Brunico. It's one of the few Dolomite areas served directly by train, and that makes it very handy without a car.

On the Trentino side you get off at Trento or Ora, where buses leave for Val di Fassa and Val di Fiemme. For the Cadore and the Cortina area the reference station is Calalzo di Cadore, the end of the line from Belluno and Venice, from which buses climb toward Cortina d'Ampezzo. In every case the train takes you to the edge of the mountains, then you do the rest with local transport.

• Bolzano and Bressanone: gateway to South Tyrol, connections for Val Gardena and Alta Badia.
• Fortezza: this is where the Val Pusteria railway leaves for San Candido.
• Trento and Ora: buses for Val di Fassa and Val di Fiemme.
• Calalzo di Cadore: end of the line for the Cadore and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Getting around by local bus

Where the train doesn't reach, the bus does. The bus network covers almost every Dolomite valley, with services linking the villages to one another, climbing to the passes in summer and reaching the trailheads. For anyone without a car it's the backbone of getting around.

The networks change depending on the province. In South Tyrol the system is Alto Adige Mobilità, which integrates trains and buses under the same timetable and the same ticket. In Trentino the service is run by Trentino Trasporti, with fine-grained lines toward Val di Fassa and Val di Fiemme. In the Belluno area and the Cadore the connections are run by Dolomitibus, which serves Cortina, the Cadore and the Agordino.

The practical tip is to check the timetable before you set off, because in the mountains services aren't as constant as in the city. In high season there are more runs and some seasonal lines toward the passes and refuges. In low season, though, the timetable thins out and certain tourist routes aren't running. Better to know the night before than to be left waiting at a stop.

Mobility passes and mobilcards

Getting around on public transport costs less if you use the right passes. Many areas offer cards that include trains and buses for a set number of days, made precisely for people travelling without a car. They're handy because they save you buying a ticket for every ride.

In South Tyrol there are formats like the mobilcard, which gives unlimited access to regional trains and buses for a number of consecutive days, and other cards tied to your stay. In several places, in fact, anyone staying overnight gets a guest card from the hotel that includes the area's public transport: it's worth asking when you book, because it's often included in the price. In Trentino and the Belluno area there are day tickets and passes of similar length.

The rates and conditions of these cards change every year and should be checked for the current year on the official local transport or destination websites. Before you leave, check what the card includes, how many days it's valid for and whether your accommodation already offers one: it can change the final bill quite a bit.

Ski buses, cable cars and lifts in season

In winter the network changes face. Alongside the local buses, the ski buses come into service, free shuttles or ones included in many guest cards that link the villages to the lifts. They're meant for skiers, but they come in useful for anyone who needs to move between one village and the next without a car.

In several valleys the cable cars and gondolas act as real transport, not just as ski lifts. In places like Val Gardena or the Alpe di Siusi you ride up by cable car and move between the hamlets, skipping the road. In summer many lifts stay open for hikers and take you to the trailheads in a few minutes.

The thing to keep in mind is the seasonality. Ski buses and lifts follow the season's calendar: they open and close on set dates, and in the in-between periods, between the end of winter and the start of summer, many are stopped. If you go off-season, check first what's running, so you don't count on a shuttle that isn't there. To choose the right moment, see the guide on when to go.

Which valleys are easy without a car

Not all valleys are the same when it comes to transport. Some are served very well and you can spend a week there without ever missing the car. Others ask for more patience and a change or two more, and there the car really does help.

The easiest is Val Pusteria, because it has the railway on the valley floor: frequent trains between Fortezza and San Candido, with connecting buses toward the side valleys. Val Gardena and Alta Badia are well served by buses too, with frequent lines linking the villages and climbing to the passes in season. Val di Fassa has a solid bus network the length of the valley. These are the areas where getting around without a car comes naturally.

Trickier are the narrow side valleys and the villages at the end of the branches, where services are few and far between. Some trailheads and certain refuges stay far from the stops, and there you need to walk or plan your connections well. It isn't impossible, but it takes more organising: if your goal is an isolated area, factor it in.

• Val Pusteria: railway on the valley floor, by far the easiest.
• Val Gardena and Alta Badia: frequent buses between villages and toward the passes in season.
• Val di Fassa: a solid bus network the length of the valley.
• Narrow side valleys and isolated villages: sparse services, connections need planning.

Practical tips for getting organised

There's one golden rule: pick a base on the transport axis. A village near the Val Pusteria station or on a main bus line gives you freedom to move without depending on awkward connections. From there you reach the day's destinations and get back in the evening without stress.

Study the timetable ahead, not on the spot. In the mountains services are less frequent than in the city, and the last useful bus of the day is sometimes early. Always note the return time before setting off on a hike, so you don't risk being stranded far from your accommodation. Ask at the hotel too: they often know the best runs and can tell you which shuttles are included in the card.

Factor in the low season. Outside the peak periods the timetable thins out, some tourist lines and certain ski buses aren't running, and the lifts can be stopped. It's no problem if you know it in advance: you plan the days around what's actually there. For the rest of the organising, from choosing the area to where to stay, the overview of the Dolomite villages will help.