Getting there by car
Two motorway corridors feed the Dolomites. From the west and the Brenner, the A22 del Brennero (Modena–Brennero, the Autobrennero) climbs the Adige valley through Trento, Bolzano and Bressanone (Brixen). Take Bolzano Nord-Val d'Ega/Bozen Nord-Eggental for the central valleys, or Bressanone-Val Pusteria/Brixen-Pustertal for South Tyrol and the Pusteria. From the south-east, the A27 Venezia–Belluno ends near Pian di Vedoia, where you pick up the SS51 di Alemagna up the Cadore and the Boite valley to Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Off the motorway you're on state and provincial roads (the various SS and SP) up the valleys, often packed with hairpins. They're scenic but slow, so give yourself plenty of time. From mid-November to mid-April you need winter equipment (more below), and in high season the roads into the busiest resorts and passes clog up late morning and late afternoon.
Getting there by train
The backbone is the Brenner railway (Verona–Innsbruck), run by Trenitalia and ÖBB, stopping at Trento, Bolzano, Bressanone (Brixen) and Fortezza (Franzensfeste). At Fortezza the Val Pusteria line peels off east, with stations at Brunico (Bruneck), Monguelfo, Dobbiaco (Toblach) and San Candido (Innichen): trains here belong to Trenitalia and SAD. The Veneto side has the line to Calalzo di Cadore (the Calalzo-Pieve di Cadore-Cortina station), the closest railhead to Cortina and Auronzo.
No railway climbs right into the high valleys, so the train almost always ends with a bus leg. The table below pairs each area with its nearest station and airport. For times and fares, check Trenitalia, ÖBB and SAD directly, since services shift with the season.
| Area | Nearest station | Handiest airport |
|---|---|---|
| Cortina, Cadore, Auronzo | Calalzo di Cadore | Venice / Treviso |
| Val Pusteria, Dobbiaco, Tre Cime | Dobbiaco / San Candido | Venice / Innsbruck |
| Val Badia, Val Gardena | Bressanone / Brunico | Bolzano / Innsbruck |
| Val di Fassa, Val di Fiemme | Bolzano / Trento | Verona / Bolzano |
Airports and transfers
No airport sits in the heart of the Dolomites, so you pick the gateway closest to your valley. Rough drive times: Venice Marco Polo and Treviso are about 1h45–2h from Cortina; Verona is handiest for Trentino and the western valleys; Innsbruck (Austria) is quick for South Tyrol and the Pusteria from central Europe; Bolzano has a small airport right in the middle of the region. Milan and Munich are the far-away options, with more flights to choose from.
From the airports you carry on by shuttle: Cortina Express and the ATVO lines link Venice and Treviso to Cortina, while private transfer companies cover Innsbruck and the South Tyrolean valleys. Book the transfer ahead of busy weekends, above all in ski season.
Moving between the valleys
The valleys are tied together by the great mountain passes, the natural gateways from one side of the Dolomites to the next. Keep in mind that distances feel longer than the map suggests: the winding roads turn even short hops into slow, scenic drives, and two valleys that look close as the crow flies can be an hour apart over a pass. Factor this in, and resist the urge to base yourself in one valley and day-trip across the whole range.
For more on the routes, altitudes and seasonal closures of the passes, see the dedicated guide to the Dolomite passes.
Getting around without a car
Each region runs its own public-transport network. On the Veneto side, DolomitiBus covers urban and extra-urban lines across the province of Belluno, Cortina, the Cadore and Auronzo included, with seasonal links to the Calalzo railway. In South Tyrol, SAD and SASA buses belong to the integrated Südtirolmobil / Alto Adige Mobilità system that ties buses, trains and many cable cars together. In Trentino, Trentino Trasporti serves the valleys. Flixbus and similar coaches connect the main towns to cities and airports.
Many resorts hand guests a guest or mobility card with local transport included, so you can leave the car at the hotel. In South Tyrol the Alto Adige Guest Pass and the Mobilcard cover buses, regional trains and many cable cars across the province; in Trentino the Trentino Guest Card covers Trentino Trasporti buses and provincial regional trains. They're usually free with your stay at participating properties, which makes car-free travel easy and cheap in the busier valleys.
Traffic limits, car-free days and parking
In summer the famous passes choke with traffic, and there are more and more efforts to rein it in. Several pass roads close or restrict whole days or time windows, and the big cycling events take over the asphalt entirely: on the Sellaronda Bike Day the four Sella passes (Sella, Gardena, Pordoi and Campolongo) shut to motor traffic for a whole day, and other Dolomites bike days and the Maratona dles Dolomites close more passes. Always check the seasonal calendar, and on those dates take buses or shuttles.
In the resort centres parking is tight and partly regulated. Cortina d'Ampezzo has a restricted-traffic zone (ZTL) in the middle and paid parking; leave the car in the signposted car parks and walk or take local buses. The same goes for many village centres in South Tyrol and Trentino in peak weeks.
Winter driving
In winter the mountain roads can be snowy and icy, so winter equipment is mandatory. In Trentino-South Tyrol, from 15 November to 15 April you must carry winter tyres or snow chains on state and provincial roads and on the A22 del Brennero motorway, whatever the weather. On the Veneto side the rule applies when road signs call for it in snow or ice. Carry chains you know how to fit, leave extra time after snowfall, and check road and pass status before you set off, since high passes can close in winter.