Where to stay in the Dolomites: Bolzano, Ortisei or Cortina d’Ampezzo?
Where to stay in the Dolomites – Bolzano, Ortisei or Cortina d’Ampezzo?
The towns mentioned in the title of this blog post might not look that far apart at first glance on a map. But once you start trying to work out how to get from A to B you’ll start to realize some of these places are 3 – 4 hours apart via public transport due to all the winding mountain roads.
Some distances from major cities for quick reference:
Bolzano is
- 2 hour train from Innsbruck (in Austria)
- 1.5 hours from Verona
- 3 hour direct train from Venice (slightly longer if you don’t get a direct train)
- 3hr 10 min direct express train from Florence
- 6.5 hour train from Rome (you may need to switch trains twice)
Note: you might also see Urtijëi on maps and bus timetables, this is just another name for Ortisei. Cortina is just the shorter / easier to pronounce name for Cortina d’Ampezzo. Bolzen and Bolzano are the same town.
You can’t get a train to Ortisei, the closest stations are Bolzen / Bolzano or Waidbruck – Lajen (regional trains only to this station). Buses from Bolzano to Ortisei are timed with the arrival of trains into Bolzano, but the buses are packed so if you have luggage you need to pre-buy a ticket well in advance. The other option is to stay in Bolzano and visit Ortisei and Selva Val Gardena via day trips on the bus.
Cortina is
- 2.5 hours on the Cortina express from Venice (Flixbus also available)
- There is no train from Venice to Cortina, only bus
- 3.5 – 4 hours from Innsbruck (you will need to change trains then take a bus)
- If you’re coming from Verona, Florence or Rome you’ll have to switch from train to a bus in Venice
Helpful Links
Google Maps is good for getting an idea if it’s even possible to get from one place to another and which modes of transport are available. But I prefer to use the transport companies direct websites when I need to know the exact times that trains and buses are operating.
- Bus schedule for Val Gardena (Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva Val Gardena) – the website gets updated for the different seasons. There are more frequent buses during peak season (summer from June through to September)
- Cortina Express bus schedule for Venice to Cortina (and visa versa)
- Flix bus schedule for Venice to Cortina (and vise versa)
- Frecciarossa express trains (these move up to 300km/hr and are ideal for navigating between arrival and exit destinations such as Venice, Rome, Innsbruck) – I book through Trainline or Omio as the trenitalia website is confusing. Note: train timetables might not be released until a few months before the dates of your journey
So instead I took the long way around and turned it into 10 days in northern Italy.
I’m not game enough (or crazy enough?) to drive in Italy so there was no way I was hiring a car, even though that would definitely give you the most flexibility. Keep in mind that parking at gondolas, chairlifts and the starting point for hiking routes is super limited, some of those carparks are full by 9am (when chairlifts and gondolas usually open) during peak season.
I chose to fly into Venice, take a bus to Cortina from Venice airport and stay in Cortina for a few nights.
Then I worked my way around to Bolanzo via the train stopping for a night in Venice, and another night in Verona. I then did day trips from Bolzano to Ortisei and Selva Val Gardena.
I took the train back to Venice stopping for a night in Bologna.
You could go to Milan instead of doubling back to Venice, but I have no desire to go back to Milan. But that’s a story for another day…
Verona and Bologna can be done in 3/4 of a day so if you take an early train and arrive at 10 – 11am you’ll have time to see the highlights in the afternoon before heading onwards the next day.
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So I’m going to assume that once you get to the Dolomites (whether that’s by train or car), you’ll be navigating the Dolomites by bus.
Navigating the Dolomites via Bus
There are good bus systems in the Bolzano, Ortisei and the Val Gardena area (Santa Cristina and Selva Val Gardena). I also think this is the more scenic part of the Dolomites if you want the postcard views without too much effort.
Cortina is more for ‘real’ hiking, although there are still some more tame hiking options, they are logistically far more difficult to get to via the public transport bus system. When I was researching there were very limited bus routes and frequency and some involved switching buses too. I didn’t want to feel rushed on a hike, potentially injure myself in my haste, and become stranded from missing the bus. There are taxi companies but I never saw any marked taxis in town and I’m very skeptical Uber drivers operate in that area. So for those reasons I wanted to stick to the towns.
Cortina had more happening in the town including a supermarket and scenic areas to wander on the roads / hills just outside of the town. Ortesei felt smaller and busier with far less restaurant options.
Bolzano is convenient for arriving and departing to your accommodation. Hotels are only a short walk from the train station. But then you’ll have the inconvenience of having to take a 45 minutes bus each way, each day that you want to visit Ortesei (longer bus ride to Santa Christina and Selva di Val Gardena). Plus the last bus of the day is early in the evening, so you should plan to be off the mountains around 4pm for the 5pm bus (second last bus of the day).
Where to stay in the Dolomites
Stay in Bolzano if
- You’re not staying long in the Dolomites, so it’s not worth the hassle and extra time getting to fancy accommodation in the alps
- Are on a tight budget
- If you’re travelling solo (Bolzano has more accommodation options / larger hotels that are more likely to have a single or double room instead of booking an apartment style accommodation in Ortisei)
- Don’t want to lift your suitcase onto a bus (required to get to Ortisei, Santa Christina and Cortina)
- Are heading to an airport after your time in the Dolomites, so need a reliable form of transport to get out of the Dolomites
- Are passing through the Dolomites on your way to Austria, Switzerland or other parts of Italy (such as Rome)
- Have booked last minute (as there will be more accommodation options)
- Want more restaurant options (ideal for solo travelers, there were multiple pizza places so I did takeaway and just ate in my hotel room as restaurants were packed)
- Want to cook your own meals (as there is a supermarket)
The back alleyways of Bolzano were very quiet and had more of a local feel, they weren’t overrun by tourists.
Note that everything is closed on Sundays.
Lake Karersee is only a 45 minute bus ride from Bolzano. You can do a loop around the lake in 1 hour (or less if you walk fast). It’s not a steep or strenuous walk at all. I did this on arrival in Bolzano (the below photo was taken around 12 – 1pm), then caught the bus back to Bolzano and went up the gondola for a view (operates every 4 minutes until midnight).
Stay in Ortisei if
- You want the ‘true’ Dolomites experience and prioritise staying in nice accommodation
- You’re travelling with other people (can book an apartment)
- Want to be close to the chairlifts when they open
- Are staying in the Dolomites for a few days (save time getting the bus to and from Bolzano each day)
- You want to maximise your time on the hiking routes (buses back to Bolzano do not run late into the evening, so you may need to get off the mountain sooner than you would if you were staying in Ortisei)
Alpe di Siusi was one of my favorite hikes (moreso just a walk) I did in the dolomites. it’s an easy chairlift ride up from Ortisei.
Seceda is another easy gondola then approx. 30min steep uphill walk to properly see it. You can extend this into a 3/4 or even full day hike with a one way walk to the Col raiser chairlift. There are plenty of huts where you can stop along the way for rest, toilet break and lunch.
Col Raiser – where I ticked off seeing cows with bells in the Dolomites!
Stay in Cortina if
- Your itinerary already includes Venice (Cortina is the closest access to the dolomites from Venice)
- Want to be near an airport that has good flight connections to other parts of Europe, and international flights
- You want to do serious hikes (that you’ll actually need hiking shoes for)
- You don’t have a lot of time (it’s logistically easier to get to Cortina than Ortesei), and some companies even offer a visit to the Dolomites via a day trip from Venice. The days trips do look a bit rushed but if you’re going for photos and not so much for hiking, then it could be a good way to get a ‘taste’ of the Dolomites
- If you have a car
- You’re travelling solo
Read more: 3 Days in Cortina d’Ampezzo: Best Viewpoints, Cable Cars and Things to Do
I attempted a hike to Lake Ghedina from the gondola interchange station (Ra Valles) but it wasn’t very scenic walking through forest and there was too much steep loose gravel. I saw a guy ahead of me on the trail with 2 hiking poles and hiking shoes slip and immediately turned back – my sketchers weren’t going to cut it on that trail. Too much effort and risk for a view of a lake. Lake Kayersee is much easier to get to and still very pretty!
There’s another gondola with another viewpoint on the other site of Cortina (the Funivia Faloria). I think that hat one has a better view over the town.
I did really enjoy the Cinque Torre Hike which you can get to via a public bus from Cortina.
Some of the views along the Cinque Torre Hike
Other popular hikes in the area (if you have hiking shoes and are up for it), are Lago di Sorapis and Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
Stay in Santa Cristina or Selva di Val Gardena
- You want a quieter Dolomites experience
- You’ve been to the Dolomites before and want a more off the beaten path destination
- You don’t intend to eat in restaurants and want to rent a chalet and cook your own meals
- Are travelling in a group
You might notice that Santa Christina and Selva di Val Gardena didn’t make the title of this blog post. Both of these towns are on the Ortisei side of the Dolomites. They are much smaller than Ortisei, and take longer to get to, from the main entry point of Bolzano.
Because they’re much smaller than Ortisei, it’s probably even harder to get accommodation, and the best chairlifts / most scenic views (I think) were up the gondolas from Ortisei. Selva di Val Gardena is the farthest from the main bus and train hub of Bolzano, so it’s more time consuming to get to.
Hotel recommendations
Most hotels in the Dolomites will include breakfast for free. Be sure to check if the hotel room has air-conditioning.
I stayed at Hotel Montana in Cortina and Hotel Greif (a Member of Design Hotels) in Bolzano.
The hotel in Cortina was right near the bus stop and along the Main Street which was very convenient, but the room was very small and did not have air conditioning. It was the most affordable option I could find as a solo traveler booking last minute. If I had been able to book further in advance (I was made redundant from my day job and spontaneously decided to go to Europe the following week), I would have booked another hotel that had a bigger room, better reviews (and air con). Breakfast was included in the price and it wasn’t too bad.
Related post: How to Efficiently Plan a Month-Long European Itinerary in Just One Week
The hotel in Bolzano was within a reasonable walking distance of the train station and was right on the main square (I actually had one of the rooms that overlooked the square). The hotel is multiple buildings merged together so the floors are at different levels. There were steps in the lobby to get up to the lift, and from there once you reached your floor, steps down and then back up again to the rooms which is completely impractical in my opinion. I wouldn’t stay at that hotel again. It was also overpriced for what you got, and breakfast didn’t start until late so even though it was included, I never had the chance to try it.
No matter which destination you choose, there’s stunning scenery everywhere in the Dolomites! None of the photos on my website are edited, the scenery really is that pretty in real life.
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