Nowadays, the nearest railway station is at Calalzo di Cadore, 35 km away. The through journey from Venice to Cortina takes about 3,5 hours (train+bus). On the north there is the Fortezza-Dobbiaco railway line. Transfer to Cortina by bus.

To reach the Dolomites by train, your primary gateways are the major Italian cities of Bolzano (Bozen) or Bressanone (Brixen) via the Brennero railway line. If you are starting from a major hub like Venice, Milan, or Verona, you can take a high-speed Trenitalia Frecciarossa or an Italo train toward Verona Porta Nuova, where you will likely transfer to a regional or EuroCity train heading north toward Austria. Bolzano is the most popular starting point, as it provides seamless connections to the "Südtirol Mobil" local transport network. From Bolzano station, you can take regional trains (like the Val Venosta or Val Pusteria lines) or integrated bus services that lead directly into the heart of the mountains, such as Val Gardena or Val di Fassa. For those coming from the north, such as Munich or Innsbruck, OBB (Austrian Railways) runs frequent EuroCity services that stop at Brennero and then continue down into the Italian Dolomites. Once you reach the main stations, the integrated "Mobilcard" allows you to use all public transport, including some cable cars, making the transition from the heavy rail system to the high-altitude alpine environment extremely efficient for international tourists.