Plan your Dolomites trip here

Venice and the Dolomites are close enough (about 120 km) that flying makes no sense — most travellers either drive or take a direct coach into the mountains. There's no railway into the high Dolomites, so the train option requires a change to a bus partway through.

• car · about 2 hours Self-drive from Venice via the A27 motorway toward Belluno, then mountain roads into the Dolomites (e.g. Cortina d'Ampezzo); the most flexible option given the lack of direct rail access.
• bus · about 2 to 3 hours Direct coach services (such as Cortina Express) run from Venice (city and/or Marco Polo airport) straight to Cortina d'Ampezzo and other Dolomites towns, no transfer needed.
• train + bus · about 2.5 to 3.5 hours total Regional train from Venezia Santa Lucia to Calalzo-Pieve di Cadore, then a connecting local bus onward into the Dolomites resorts, since the rail line stops short of the mountains.

Most travellers drive or take the train from Milan toward the Dolomites, since the region has no airport of its own and is really a collection of valleys and resort towns rather than a single city. Driving is the default choice because it gives direct access to whichever valley or resort you're headed for; the train works well if your destination is near Bolzano or Bressanone, from where a local bus continues into the mountains. Flying into Venice or Innsbruck only makes sense if you're starting outside Italy, since from Milan itself it adds an extra flight leg without saving time.

• car · about 4 to 5 hours Via the A4 and A22 motorways toward Verona/Bolzano, then mountain roads into the specific Dolomites valley or resort; time varies significantly by exact destination.
• train · about 4 to 5 hours From Milano Centrale, change at Verona or Bolzano/Bressanone, then continue by regional bus into the Dolomites since the rail line stops at the valley floor towns.
• bus · about 5 to 6 hours Long-distance or connecting coach services run from Milan (or from Bolzano/Verona) directly to Dolomites resort towns such as Cortina d'Ampezzo, useful if avoiding a car.
• flight · about 4 to 5 hours door-to-door No airport serves the Dolomites directly; flying to Venice (VCE) or Innsbruck (INN) still requires a further 2+ hour car or bus transfer, so it rarely beats driving or the train from Milan.

Florence and the Dolomites aren't connected by any direct fast link, so most travellers either self-drive via the A1/A22 motorway or take a train up to Bolzano or Trento and then a regional bus into the mountains. Flying isn't practical for this leg since Venice and Innsbruck airports mainly serve travellers arriving from outside Italy, not those already in Florence.

• car · about 4 to 5 hours Self-drive north via the A1 to Bologna/Verona then the A22 Brenner motorway toward Bolzano or Cortina, the most flexible option for reaching specific Dolomite valleys.
• train + bus · about 5 to 7 hours total Take a train from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Bologna and on to Verona or Trento/Bolzano, then transfer to a regional bus for the final stretch into the Dolomite valleys, since no rail line runs d
• flight · not practical No useful direct connection exists; flying via Venice (VCE) or Innsbruck (INN) would still require a long onward bus or car transfer, making it slower than driving or the train for this route.

Most travellers fly from Rome (FCO or CIA) to Venice (VCE) and then rent a car or take a bus for the final stretch into the Dolomites, since there's no airport directly in the mountains. A high-speed train to Verona or Bolzano/Trento followed by a regional bus or transfer is a common train-based alternative, while self-driving the whole way is popular for travellers who want flexibility once in the mountains.

• flight + car/bus · about 1 to 1.5 hours flying, plus 2 to 3 hours onward travel Fly Rome FCO to Venice VCE, then rent a car or take a bus/shuttle north into the Dolomites (e.g. Cortina d'Ampezzo or Bolzano area).
• train + bus · about 5 to 7 hours total High-speed train from Roma Termini to Verona or Bolzano/Trento, then a regional bus or local train into the Dolomite valleys.
• car · about 6 to 7 hours Self-drive via the A1 and A22 motorways gives full flexibility for reaching specific Dolomite towns and resorts.
• long-distance bus · about 8 to 10 hours Intercity coach services connect Rome to northern hubs like Verona or Bolzano, though this is a less common option due to the long ride.

There's no direct link between Naples and the Dolomites, since the Dolomites are a mountain region rather than a single city with its own airport. Most travellers fly from Naples to Venice or Verona and then continue by rental car or regional bus/train into the mountains, which is faster overall than the long train journey up the peninsula followed by the same final leg.

• flight + car/bus · about 5 to 6 hours door to door Fly Naples Capodichino (NAP) to Venice Marco Polo (VCE) or Verona, then rent a car or take a regional bus/coach the final 2 to 3 hours into towns like Cortina d'Ampezzo or Bolzano.
• train + car/bus · about 7 to 9 hours total High-speed train (Frecciarossa/Italo) from Naples to Venice or Verona takes roughly 4 to 5 hours, followed by a bus or local train and often a further transfer to reach specific Dolomite valleys.
• car · about 7 to 8 hours driving Direct drive via the A1 and A22 motorways covering roughly 655 km, with the final stretch on winding mountain roads once off the highway.
• flight via Innsbruck · about 5 to 6 hours door to door Alternative routing flies into Innsbruck (INN) across the Austrian border, then continues by rental car or bus into the northern Dolomites, useful for areas like the Alta Badia or Val Gardena.