How to get to Cortina d’Ampezzo and the Dolomites

Welcome to the Queen of the Dolomites! If you are planning a trip to this wonderful destination in Italy, you will certainly be researching how to get to Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Of course, Google Maps can help, but here you’ll find much more information: how to get to Cortina by car, bus and train, where are the nearest airports, and lots of travel tips on traffic, routes and timing. All tried and tested over the years by me and my local friends!

Keep reading to learn everything there is about how to get to Cortina.

DISCLAIMER: AS ONE OF THE MAIN HOSTS OF THE 2026 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES, CORTINA IS UNDERGOING BIG WORKS AND CONSTRUCTION. AS OF SUMMER 2024, MANY HOTELS ARE BEING RENOVATED, THE BOB TRACK IS BEING REBUILT, THE BUS STATION IS BASICALLY CLOSED, AND ROADS AND PARKING LOTS ARE BEING FIXED. THIS WILL CAUSE TRAFFIC JAMS AND GENERAL DISRUPTION. KEEP IT IN MIND DURING YOUR TRAVELS IN 2024 AND 2025, AND KEEP UPDATING YOUR TRAVEL INFO.

Where is Cortina d’Ampezzo?

First of all, Cortina d’Ampezzo is located in the province of Belluno, in the region of Veneto, in the northeast of Italy (map here). Cortina is nestled in the Ampezzo valley, a wide and green valley crossed by the Boite stream and surrounded by the Dolomites peaks, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Distances:

• From Venice: 158 km
• From Treviso: 128 km
• From Verona: 260 km
• From Bologna: 294 km
• From Milan: 406 km
• From Rome: 667 km
• From Calalzo train station: 35 km
• From San Candido/Dobbiaco train stations: 30-36 km
• From the Austrian border: 43 km
• From Vienna: 484 km
• From Innsbruck: 163 km
• From Munich: 292 km

Cortina is located at a crossroads: route SS 51 goes in a North-South direction (Venice to the south, Austria to the North) and the SS 48bis of the Dolomites goes in an East-West direction (Lake Misurina, Tre Cime di Lavaredo/Drei Zinnen/Three Peaks and Auronzo to the east, Falzarego Pass and Alto Adige/South Tyrol region to the west).

Unfortunately, there isn’t a train station in Cortina, but there is a bus station.

How to get to Cortina by car

Most probably, you will reach Cortina from the south (Venice and the rest of Italy) or from the north (Austria and Alto Adige/South Tyrol).

The highway exits to reach Cortina are Bressanone on the A22 from the North (87 km) and Belluno on the A27 from the South (72 km) (however, to be precise, the toll booth is called Belluno, but you should follow the directions towards the exit of Pian di Vedoia and Cortina). On Italian highways there is a toll to pay: you’ll receive a ticket when you enter the highway and you pay it at the exit, by cash or card (more info and calculations here under “toll calculation”).

• To get to Cortina by car from the south, use highway A27 from Venice towards Belluno, a spacious highway with three lanes that climbs from the plain, to the hills, to the Dolomites peaks. Pay the toll at the Belluno booth, then continue and exit at Pian di Vedoia (the highway literally ends there). From there, Strada Statale SS 51 winds for approximately 60 km until Cortina, with curves and tunnels, crossing the large town of Longarone and then multiple small towns along the Cadore valley. This part of the route can be significantly slowed down by traffic, roadworks and bad weather, so that it can take from 1 hour to 2-3 hours (the worst I’ve heard is 6 hours when leaving Cortina on January 5-6). However, the gorgeous Dolomites will welcome you to Cortina as soon as you reach the first neighbourhood of Zuel: Tofana on the left and Pomagagnon in front of you. From the highway exit until your destination, Cortina is clearly marked with signs at crossroads.
• To get to Cortina by car from the north, choose highway A22 (Modena-Brenner) and exit at Bressanone/Val Pusteria. From there, take Strada Statale SS 49 for 60 km through the beautiful towns and villages of Pusteria Valley. At Dobbiaco/Toblach, turn on Strada Statale SS 51 and drive through the peaceful forest for 30 km. It is usually less busy, taking approx. 1,5 hours, however the crossoads can generate a long queue.

So, for example:

• To get from Venice to Cortina by car, drive on highway A27 for approximately 80 km until the last exit for more or less 1 hour (the cost is approximately 8 EUR). From there, take Strada Statale SS51 for 60 km until Cortina, which is approximately 1-1,5 hours (depending on the traffic and roadworks).
• To get from Bolzano to Cortina by car, take highway A22 for approximately 51 km until exit Bressanone/Val Pusteria, which is some 45 minutes (the cost is approximately 3 EUR). From there, take Strada Statale SS49 and then SS51 for 87 km through the towns and villages of Val Pusteria, until you reach Cortina from the north in approximately 1h40.

If you find yourself in other towns in the Dolomites, you may reach Cortina from the east or the west passes above the mountains.

• During fall and winter (from October to April), always have snow chains in your car, and check in advance if the passes are open.
• During the summer, watch for motorcycles and bikes. Also, campervans can seriously slow you down.

My personal opinion:

Driving to Cortina is always a bet: the weather, the traffic, and roadworks can really affect your trip, so make sure you add some extra time to your plans. Even if you plan to reach Cortina by car, I do not recommend driving around in high season, because traffic can be intense and it’s hard to park the car. Anyway, this is also the means of transport that allows the highest freedom and independence, time-wise and luggage-wise. Also, the valleys and towns are very pretty and picturesque, so the trip is already quite enjoyable.

Some useful tips on driving in the Dolomites:

• If you suffer from motion sickness, you will most probably be sick. Plan ahead with medication, sit in the front or drive.
• Time it right: the road from the south is packed with day-trippers on weekend mornings, and the worst day to leave Cortina is January 5/6, when the Christmas holidays are over and ALL the tourists go back home ALL at the same time.
• Avoid heavy trucks traffic by travelling during the weekend.
• There are lots of cameras and fines are also mailed to foreign addresses, so respect the limits unless you want to receive an expensive postcard with your face on it 🙂
• The roads are in good conditions, but roadworks are quite frequent.
• Always watch for landslides and wild animals.
• Make sure your accommodation has a parking spot suitable to the size of your car! DO NOT TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED. Some old garages were built for smaller cars, and modern-day SUVs simply don’t fit.
• In Cortina there aren’t any methane gas stations, and there are very few EV charging stations for electric cars.
• Finding a parking in Cortina in high season can be a real nightmare and make you waste a lot of time. Especially in the winter, when the parking lots are never really clear of snow.

How to get to Cortina by bus

Another great option is to get to Cortina by bus. The Cortina bus station is in the city centre, in Via Marconi 5, 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo (map here for Cortina Autostazione). It’s on the ring road that surrounds the old town, which can get quite busy.

There are many companies, some with regular schedules, others with seasonal schedules, so you may have to do some research.

• Cortina Express: This local company serves lots of destinations in the area surrounding Cortina, as well as Venice Airport and Venice Mestre (and some seasons also Bologna). The buses are new and comfortable; the prices may seem high, but they are worth it (especially compared to the train nightmare). The line from Cortina to Venice is always active, while the others are seasonal. It’s easy to book your tickets online. More info here.
• Flixbus: I had great experiences with Flixbus, on short trips as well as overnight trips from Budapest to Italy, for a reasonable price. However, the routes from/to Cortina can change, so check online and do your research. As of summer 2021, for example, there are connections from Cortina to Milan, Bergamo Airport, Bologna Train Station, Venice Airport, Venice Mestre. More info here.
• ATVO: Azienda Trasporti Veneto Orientale, this is the public bus company of the Veneto region. Their buses serve the route from Cortina to Venice and Venice Airport, as well as Treviso, and many seaside towns. More info here.
• Dolomitibus: This local company serves all the small towns around Cortina, so it’s very convenient to reach the starting point of hikes and to go on day trips from Cortina. More info here.

My personal opinion:

Buses are a very convenient way of reaching Cortina and the Dolomites from many nearby cities and airports. The bus stations are usually in the centre of towns, so it’s easy to reach your destination. If you did your research and you can do everything you want with public transport, then DEFINITELY come by bus.

Some tips to travel to Cortina by bus:

• Schedules are updated seasonally, so you may not be able to plan your trip more than 6 months in advance.
• Book in advance to save some money.
• If you suffer from motion sickness (like me), you’ll probably be sick. Try to get a seat in the front or by a window, and get some medication.

How to get to Cortina by train

Just like when going to Cortina by car, it’s possible to go to Cortina by train from the south at Calalzo train station (35 km away), as well as from the north at Dobbiaco/Toblach or San Candido/Innichen train station (30 and 36 km away).

From the south, reach Calalzo-Pieve di Cadore-Cortina train station with Trenitalia trains.

• The connections to Venice Mestre (on the mainland), Venice Santa Lucia (the real one) and Padova are always a bit messed up, with 1-2 changes of just a few minutes in smaller towns. These trains are called “regional trains”, the trip can last between 2 and 4 hours and cost approximately 10 EUR.
• If you come to Cortina by train from Milan or Rome, you will be able to choose the faster (and more expensive) Freccia trains to reach Venice Mestre or Padova, and then board on the regional train.
• From Calalzo to Cortina, get the bus by Dolomitibus from the parking lot in front of the train station, until the Cortina bus station in the city centre. It takes 1 hour. Find more info here – timetables are seasonal and the website is only in Italian.

The REAL way of going to Cortina by train is by reaching Venice Mestre by train, and then boarding one of the buses I mentioned above.

From the north, the towns of Dobbiaco/Toblach and San Candido/Innichen are next to each other, yet train connections are different.

• These two towns are well connected to Austria (with OEBB trains), so look them up if you are coming to the Dolomites from Austria.
• You can reach Dobbiaco and San Candido from many other towns in Alto Adige (with Trenitalia trains). The closest hub is the town of Fortezza; from there, other lines go south to Bolzano and Trento.
• From Dobbiaco and San Candido, get to Cortina with the SAD buses. More info here.

My personal opinion:

I travelled by train from university to Cortina sooo many times, and it was always quite stressful. I never trust the trains to be on time, so I wouldn’t advise booking a train ride with a change of just a few minutes – the chance of missing the connection because the train is late or because you trip down the stairs to the reach next track is too high.

Some tips to travel by train in the Dolomites:

• Don’t. 🙂
• If you really want to, you can buy Trenitalia train tickets online, as well as Dolomitibus tickets, without printing them.
• If you come from Austria with OEBB, read all the small print to make sure the ticket goes until Innichen or Toblach, instead of stopping at the last city in Austria.
• Usually, the train schedules are updated at the beginning of December for the whole new year. This means that planning and booking a winter trip by train is really hard and last-minute.
• I strongly recommend going to Cortina by bus, so you don’t go crazy.

Nearest airports to Cortina and the Dolomites

The closest airports to Cortina are Venice (150 km) and Treviso (140 km).

• Venice Airport “Marco Polo” (VCE) is a big hub with flights from multiple European cities, as well as overseas (like Dubai and New York). To reach Cortina from Venice airport, check out bus companies ATVO, Cortina Express and Flixbus, or rent a car. Official website here.
• Treviso Airport “Antonio Canova” (TSF) is smaller and dedicated to cheap airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air, so lots of European capitals and cities around the Mediterranean are connected. To reach Cortina from Treviso airport, take the ATVO bus or the Barzi bus until Venice Mestre or Venice Airport, and then another bus to Cortina (same as mentioned above). Or, of course, rent a car. Official website here.

Other somewhat comfortable airports are Bologna Airport (BLQ, 293 km), Milan Bergamo (BCY, 360 km) and Milan Malpensa (450 km).

My personal opinion:

I like the Venice, Treviso and Bologna airports because they are easy to navigate and not too far from Cortina. After a long flight, the last thing I want is to spend 6 hours in a car or bus to reach my hometown. However, especially if you come from the US and land in Milan Malpensa, it’s definitely possible to reach Cortina. You may also take a break and spend a couple of days in Venice, before heading to the Dolomites.

Some useful travel tips about the airports near Cortina:

• Do not book any activities on the day you land. Take it easy, don’t stress about reaching Cortina as fast as possible, and start your vacation the next day.
• Always leave in advance to get to the airport. Google Maps is quite good at estimating driving time, but add at least 30 minutes to that anyway.
• Especially if you travel to Cortina in the summer, you can easily pack all you need in your hand luggage! Check out my minimalist packing list and my minimalist travel mindset.

How to decide how to get to Cortina

Now that you know how to get to Cortina, the big decision is, what means of transport is best for you?

It all depends on what you will be doing in Cortina, how long you will stay, where you will stay, and how much luggage you have.

These are the questions you want to ask yourself:

• Will you go hiking/skiing, meaning that you have to reach the slopes/trails? If yes, consider renting a car, but keep in mind that you will have to find a parking spot. Most ski slopes and trails can be reached with buses or shuttles. If you just want to relax, eat good food, sunbathe, and do easy hikes (like my couch-potato hikes), then you should be fine with public transport (Dolomitibus)
• Are you staying for a short or a long period? If you stay for long, but use the car only to come from the airport and go back, it may be a waste of money.
• Does your accommodation include parking space? If yes, consider renting a car. If no, definitely avoid going to Cortina by car – finding a spot in high season (December-March and July-August) is a nightmare.
• How much luggage will you bring, just your hand luggage and a backpack, or a lot of stuff? If you have a lot of stuff, it will be more convenient to reach your accommodation in Cortina straight away by car. But if you can carry your luggage without effort, consider public transport and then walking to your accommodation (or taking a local bus).

Final thoughts on how to reach Cortina d’Ampezzo

Ready, set, go! Now you know how to get to Cortina with private and public transport, and you also learned all my local tips and tricks. It may look complicated, but I promise that all the research and organization will be rewarded by wonderful views and excellent activities. You will love your time in Cortina.

If you have any doubts or if you are struggling with figuring out how to get to Cortina, leave a comment and I’ll be happy to help.