Dolomites: Important Things you Need to Know!

Located in northern Italy (north-eastern to be exact), the Dolomites span three different regions. There are literally hundreds of hiking trails, forests, meadows, waterfalls, and so forth to discover. A paradise for sports enthusiasts, you can try your hand at dozens of outdoor activities; from climbing to fly-fishing in the summer season, to snow-shoeing and skiing in the winter season— there is literally an option for everyone.

Spring and Fall in the Dolomites

The Dolomites don’t really have in-between seasons to be honest.

What we call spring in the Dolomites is still what most would consider winter. Trails are frequently still inaccessible due to snow or ice (this is still considered skiing season), and temperatures are still very low. However, if crowds are your biggest worry, spring is the season you probably will encounter the least people.

Fall can also be quite complicated with erratic weather (like spring) with ice beginning to form. You will get some wonderful colors with the foliage turning but bear in mind that this is also the time of year where most lakes are at their minimum water level.

How to get to the Dolomites Italy

If flying into Italy:

The closest and largest international airport to the Dolomites is in Venice (Marco Polo). This is hands down your best option for flying in. From Venice you then have 3 options to make your way up to the Dolomites.

How to get to the Dolomites from Venice

Driving from Venice to the Dolomites

Rent a car at the airport and drive. Drive time is about 2-3.5 hours depending on your base town.

Take the Bus from Venice to the Dolomites

You can take the ACVO bus from Venice to the town of Cortina which takes about 2.5 hours. Bear in mind that this option means you will then have to rely on transportation to and from Cortina.

Trains from Venice to Dolomites

There are no direct trains into the area of the Dolomites from major cities. If heading towards the South Tyrol eastern Dolomites in Trentino-Alto Adige (Val Gardena, Val di Fassa, Val d’Ega, etc.) you can take the direct train to Bolzano from Venice and then rent a car from there. Drive time from Bolzano to final destination will depend on your base town.

If heading towards the eastern Dolomites in the Veneto region, you can take the train from Venice to Calalzo, but I highly discourage this option. It is not direct, so you will be changing trains AND taking a bus and you also will need to take further transportation to get to your accommodation. I strongly encourage you to rent a car instead