How to Get to the Dolomites from Venice

Every Way from Venice, Compared

The table compares the four ways in by journey time, cost and the traveller each suits. Bus times come from the Cortina Express timetable, distances from Cortina's tourism office, and trip prices from the tours on this site.

A Quick Decision by Traveller Type

One day in Venice and nobody wants to drive: book a guided day. The Dolomites Day Trip with Cortina and 2 Lakes costs $107 per person for 9 hours.

One day and happy on buses: take the 6.20 Dolomiti Bus from Piazzale Roma and come back on the 16.30 Cortina Express. That gives you Cortina, but not the Three Peaks or Lake Braies.

A week with a driving licence: rent a car. Some roads, buses and cable cars shut in spring and late autumn, so check before you set off.

Heading for Val Gardena or Alpe di Siusi: take the train to Bolzano and a bus to Ortisei.

What the Distance Means on the Day

This table sets Venice against Milan by road time to the range and by whether a direct bus runs. Road times come from a regional travel guide, the bus from the Cortina Express timetable.

Cortina Side or Val Gardena Side

Cortina d'Ampezzo is about 162 km from Venice, in the eastern Dolomites. Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi lie in the western Dolomites and need a different base and a longer transfer. From Milan the train to Bolzano is the usual way into that western side.

From Venice the eastern side, with Cortina, Lake Misurina and the Three Peaks, is the natural target.

Venice Marco Polo to Cortina

The Cortina Express bus leaves the Venice Airport tour bus parking at 11.20, 14.20 and 17.20. It reaches Cortina at 13.30, 16.30 and 19.30, a ride of 2 hours 10 minutes. Coming back, it leaves Cortina at 9.30, 11.30 and 16.30 and reaches the airport at 11.45, 13.45 and 18.45.

Cortina's tourism office also names Flixbus and Atvo as buses on the airport link. If you land after the last bus, plan a night in Mestre.

Innsbruck and Other Gateways

Regional guides list Innsbruck, or Venice, as the air gateways, with Innsbruck about 2-3 hours from the range by car. Milan is roughly four hours away. For a trip that starts or ends in Venice, Marco Polo is the obvious choice.

Pick Innsbruck only if you are driving and heading to South Tyrol.

Stations That Serve the Dolomites

The table lists the stations that lead into the range, with the bus that finishes the journey. Distances come from Cortina's tourism office and the Bolzano route from regional travel guides.

When the Train Makes Sense

For Cortina, the direct bus from Mestre or the airport is simpler than any rail combination, at 2 hours 10 minutes from the airport. The train earns its place on the western side. Bolzano is the closest major train city for Val Gardena, and buses run from there to Ortisei.

Official train times and fares for these routes are not published alongside the buses, so check the rail operator before you travel.

Departures from Venice

This table shows every daily departure from Venice to Cortina and its arrival time, as printed on the Cortina Express timetable, which also lists the Dolomiti Bus runs.

Departures Back to Venice

This table lists the runs from Cortina back to Venice with their arrival times. The early Dolomiti Bus leaves at 7.00 on the winter timetable and 7.30 on the summer one.

Tickets and Stops

Cortina Express lists tickets in either direction from 12.50 EUR and gives no separate return price. Dolomiti Bus sells its Venice to Cortina ticket at the office and on board, with two fares set by distance. In Cortina the bus terminal is at the Ice Stadium (Stadio del Ghiaccio).

The timetables name the stop Piazza Roma in summer and Piazzale Revis in winter, so read the stop on your ticket.

The Car-Free Chain, Step by Step

This table follows the car-free route from Venice to the Three Peaks and Lake Braies, with the cost of each link as given by Cortina Express, Dolomiti Bus and the Prags tourist office.

Rules That Catch Bus Travellers

The Tre Cime shuttle runs daily from 30 May. Dolomiti Bus sells its 10 EUR day ticket in the Dolomitibus app, on its website, by contactless card on board, at ticket offices and at the machine in Misurina. Cash is not accepted on the bus.

At Lake Braies, from 1 July to 15 September between 9:00 and 16:00, you arrive only by public transport, on foot, by bicycle or with a reservation. The Prags tourist office says buses 439 and 442 must be booked and paid online first. Once they are full, you cannot reach the lake by bus that day.

If this chain is too much for one day, a guided Dolomites day trip from Venice covers Cortina and the lakes in 9 to 10 hours.

What Driving Costs at the Big Sights

This table lists the parking toll on the Tre Cime road to Rifugio Auronzo by vehicle, as published by the Auronzo tourist office. The road is about 6 km of paved track ending at 2,333 m.

Road Rules Before You Set Off

Driving to Rifugio Auronzo needs an online parking reservation tied to your number plate. The Tre Cime road is normally open from about the end of May to the end of October, weather permitting, and winter tyres or chains are advised. At Lake Braies, the Prags tourist office sells a 44 EUR combined ticket with a full-day transit permit, guaranteed parking and a 22 EUR voucher for restaurants and shops.

Arriving before 9:00 does not guarantee a space. The parking office for Tre Cime answers daily 09:00-15:00, closed Thursdays.

Day Trips by Bus or with a Guide

The table compares a do-it-yourself bus day with the guided day trips sold on this site, by length, price and what each one reaches. Bus times come from Cortina Express, trip prices from the tour listings.

Which Day Suits You

The bus day is the cheapest way to stand in Cortina. It cannot reach Lake Braies or the Three Peaks and back in the same day on the published timetables. A guided day covers several stops, and the driver deals with the Tre Cime toll and the Braies access rules.

The Best of the Dolomites Mountains Day Trip runs 10 hours for $111 per person.

Sights and the Base That Serves Them

The table pairs the best-known sights with the base town and the way in from Venice. Sight groupings come from regional travel guides, distances and stations from Cortina's tourism office.

Walking Once You Arrive

From Lake Misurina the Three Peaks are in view. The Cadini di Misurina viewpoint is a 30-minute walk from Rifugio Auronzo. The Tre Cime loop is under 10 km with 468 m of ascent and takes about 3.5 hours.

That loop alone fills most of the time a bus day leaves you, which is why most visitors from Venice see it on a guided trip.