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The Dolomites are located in the regions of Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, and Friuli Venezia Giulia, covering an area shared by the provinces of Belluno, Vicenza, Verona, Trentino, South Tyrol, Udine, and Pordenone.
There are a few ways to get to the dolomites and I will share them in this blog post.
There are no international airports in the Dolomites therefore if you're coming from out of the country the best airport to land in is Venice Marco Polo Airport. It is the closest, about 160km away.
The other options include:
The best way of getting around in the Dolomites is by car! Getting around by public transportation isn't easy in the Dolomites and if you truly want to experience this area to its fullest you need to rent a car.
Where? Mestre, Venice (It isn't really Venice, but it's a short bus ride away from Venice).
Company: We rented the car through Europcar.
Cost: Since we booked our trip last minute it was a bit pricey for an automatic car, so we rented a manual car for 278 Euro for 4 days.
*Manual cars are pretty common in Italy and also much cheaper! We saved an extra 223 euros by renting a manual car over an automatic one.
Gas Cost: We spent 194.84 euros and drove about 771km in total.
︎ Should you rent a car? Our recommendation is YES! The Dolomites is a HUGE area! Getting from one area to another takes a while.
You could rely on public transportation but it shouldn't be the first option. There are buses around the Dolomites that can take you to popular destinations like Lago di Baries, Lago di Carezza and Ortisei, but do remember arrival time will be based on the availability and timing of the public transportation.
Do you have to rent a car? No. Saying that, a car offers more flexibility and is a time saver.
The second best option is taking the train to the Dolomites. The trains will take you to Belluno or Bolzano. Do take into consideration when using traveling by train, bus transportation will be required, adding more time to your travel.
The buses will get you to either Cortina d'Ampezzo or Bolzano South.
From Verona - Take the direct bus from Verona Porta Nuova to Bolzano South (Stazione FS).
Total Time: 2 hours and 30mins.
Cost: About 10-12 euros, depending on the season, the hour you choose to leave, and how far in advance you book tickets.
From Bologna - Take the direct bus from Bologna Centrale to Bolzano South.
Total Time: 2.5 hours.
Cost: About 16-73 euros, depending on the season, the hour you choose to leave, and how far in advance you book tickets.
From Florence - Take the direct bus from Bologna Centrale to Bolzano South. Lines 531 and 485.
Total Time: 5 hours and 20mins.
Cost: About 20-25 Euro, depending on the season, the hour you choose to leave, and how far in advance you book tickets.
From Milan - Take the direct bus from Milan Linate Airport to Bolzano South. Lines 531 and 485.
Total Time: 3 hours and 55 minutes.
Cost: About 15-20 euros, depending on the season, the hour you choose to leave, and how far in advance you book tickets.