What transportation does the Dolomites take?

The easiest and most direct route to the Dolomites is by car. We recommend renting a car as you'll have the convenience of going wherever you'd like, whenever you'd like. If you don't wish to drive in Italy, taxis are always available from the Venice area and also within the Dolomites to get you where you need to go.



Navigating the Dolomites in 2026 is best achieved through a combination of regional trains and a highly efficient bus network. Major gateway cities like Bolzano, Bressanone, and Cortina d’Ampezzo serve as hubs where you can catch the SAD (South Tyrol) or DolomitiBus services that reach even remote mountain villages. Most hotels in the South Tyrol region provide guests with a free Guest Pass (such as the Mobilcard), which offers unlimited travel on all public transport for the duration of their stay. For higher elevations, the region features an extensive system of cable cars and chairlifts that operate seasonally (summer and winter) to transport hikers and skiers to the peaks. While a rental car offers the most flexibility for reaching specific trailheads, the comprehensive public transport system makes it entirely possible—and increasingly popular—to explore the UNESCO World Heritage site without a private vehicle.

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The easiest and most direct route to the Dolomites is by car. We recommend renting a car as you'll have the convenience of going wherever you'd like, whenever you'd like. If you don't wish to drive in Italy, taxis are always available from the Venice area and also within the Dolomites to get you where you need to go.

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Getting to the Dolomites Train: Pieve di Cadore is very near a train station (Calalzo di Cadore, 10 minutes by bus or taxi) and San Candido has a train station (on a different line which does not interconnect and is convenient mainly if you are coming from northern Europe).

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THE DOLOMITES ARE EXPENSIVE BUT ALSO AFFORDABLE WITH THESE TIPS. We're not going to lie, the Dolomites can be very expensive, and for many travellers, prohibitively so. Accommodation, especially in popular areas, can exceed €200 per night and will likely be your largest cost.

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The Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for epic hikes, delicious food and beautiful scenery that changes with the seasons. The towering limestone peaks of the Dolomites are an iconic sight in Northern Italy and is a place where you will find yourself planning your next visit time and time again.

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Cortina d'Ampezzo is the best place to stay in the Dolomites if you want a vibrant town atmosphere along with access to some of the most celebrated Ampezzo Dolomites attractions.

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Basic safety in the Dolomites Never go alone into the backcountry in winter alone. Guided tours with UIAGM or IFMGA Professional Mountain Guides are a great option, but even if you choose not to participate in a guided tour, you should always hike with another person for safety's sake.

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The dolomites are a major tourist destination so, as with all tourist destinations in Italy in August, they get crowded and expensive. If you can't do July, try end of June or the beginning of September.

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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.

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The winter skiing season runs from mid-December until early April. We've personally visited the Dolomites in May, June, July, August, September, and October. The best time of year to visit the Dolomites is mid/late June, early July, and September.

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It is the perfect tour for those who have only one day to visit the splendid Dolomites: you will travel in full “The Great Dolomites Road” from Bolzano to Cortina d'Ampezzo, with the best of the Western and Eastern Dolomites and all the most beautiful alpine lakes.

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The little villages in the bernese oberland valley are charming and certainly worth experiencing. We found the Dolomites to be less touristy as compared to BO/swiss alps. You will find tons of tourists in July Switzerland. And the Dolomites will be cheaper as compared to BO.

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The Dolomites are farther east and slightly north, concentrated around Trento/Bolzano. The mountains surrounding Lake Como are the Pre-alps or Alpine foothills. Looking north, up toward Colico from Bellagio, you can see part of the Bernina Range of the Alps. In a word no.

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If you simply want to drive through the Dolomites and visit a few highlights, two to three days is all you need. If you love hiking, spend as much time here as you can. I recommend five days at a minimum. So far, we spent 12 very busy days in the Dolomites and still have more that we want to come back and do.

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