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Table of Contents:
When to travel to Cortina d’Ampezzo
How to get to Cortina d’Ampezzo
How to get to Cortina d’Ampezzo from Venice
How to get to Cortina d’Ampezzo from Verona
Where to stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo
What to do in Cortina d’Ampezzo
When to travel to Cortina d’Ampezzo
Cortina d’Ampezzo is one of the most sophisticated and prestigious resorts in the Dolomites. Everything here is exclusive, from natural landscapes to touristic infrastructure. Cortina d’Ampezzo once hosted the Olympic Games, and since then the resort has become known all over the world. Cortina is located in the northeast of the Dolomites, almost close to the border with Austria. Other resorts in the region are located nearby, including Val Gardena, Val di Fassa, Val di Fiemme, but it is Cortina d’Ampezzo that is included in the honorable list of Best of The Alps resorts.
After some research, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to organize a holiday in Cortina. I figured out how to get to the resort, where to stay & what to do there. I really hope this detailed information will help you plan your trip to Cortina.
Travelling to Cortina is an excellent idea for all tourists who love breath-taking natural landscapes and sport activities related to mountains. In winter you can try skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice-skating, cross-country skiing, etc. In summer you can try sightseeing, hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing, tennis, golf, etc. That is exactly why Cortina is considered to be the all-year-round resort. You can visit the resort any season you choose and try different sport activities and enjoy stunning natural views, be it snowy winter, blossoming spring, sunny summer or colorful autumn.
How to get to Cortina d’Ampezzo
Where do you fly into to get to Cortina d’Ampezzo? The most convenient way to get to Cortina is from Venice, which is the closest major Italian city. The distance between the city and the resort is 160 km, which is approximately 2,5 hours on the road. Tourists also often get to Cortina from Verona. Verona also has an international airport which takes a lot of flights from all over the world. The distance between Verona and Cortina is 260 km, which is approximately 3,5 hours on the road. You can check the current flight timetable to Venice or Verona via different international services such as Aviasales and others. I use this online service pretty much often and I can totally recommend it as it has a very useful search and a lot of filters to sort the results as you may need.
How to get to Cortina d’Ampezzo from Venice
By public transport: You can get to the resort by direct Cortina Express shuttle bus, which runs exactly from Venice Airport. Shuttles depart up to 4 times a day. As an option you can also use a regular bus by Flixbus, which runs once a day from Mestre Train Station in Venice directly to Cortina resort. The bus departs from the station at 2 pm daily. The travel time by Flixbus is 2.5 hours. You can purchase tickets in advance on Flixbus online service. As I know Flixbus is a pretty popular bus service in Europe and designed for cheaper trips with affordable prices.
You can also use public transport, for instance, take the train to the town of Calalzo di Cadore. You can check the current train timetable and purchase tickets at the Raileurope booking service. I love this service as it covers almost all the European railway connections and it helps me a lot to plan my upcoming trips. Then you need to take a regular bus to Cortina from Calalzo. Focus on bus line # 030. The travel time by bus is another 1 hour. Buses depart from Calalzo every hour during the day.
By transfer service: Another option is to take a taxi or to order an individual transfer in advance, then the driver will already be waiting for you at the time of your arrival. Using a transfer service, you can transport ski equipment and a lot of luggage pieces; in addition, it is easier to travel by taxi or transfer car with little kids. You can book an individual transfer via various international services such as Kiwitaxi, Intui.Travel and others. The travel time from Venice Airport directly to Cortina is about 2 hours. In my point of view, both online services are good and very helpful when planning a holiday to the ski resorts.
By rented car: Tourists can also rent a car at Venice airport and go to the resort along highway No. A27. There are rental offices of more than 20 rental companies in Venice Airport, including such well-known ones as Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar and others, i.e., the service is very popular. To rent a car, you must have a passport, a driver’s license and a bank card for payment. You can book the desired class of car in advance via the search services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings and others. The distance is 160 km; the travel time is about 2-2.5 hours, depending on traffic (see on the map). I can recommend both services as they have a decent search with a lot of useful options to find out the best available car rentals.
How to get to Cortina d’Ampezzo from Verona
By public transport: To get to Cortina from Verona, you can take a regular bus by Flixbus, which runs once a day, at 5 am from Verona Porta Nuova Train Station. The travel time is 4 hours. Buses run daily, except Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You can purchase tickets in advance on Flixbus online service. Based on my research, the Flixbus company is well-known in Europe and their services can be very helpful when travelling to the ski resorts.
You can also try some train + bus combinations. For example, you can reach Venice from Verona by train and then take a Cortina Express bus, which runs 4 times a day from Venice Airport. You can also reach Belluno from Verona by train, where you need to make a change to bus to Calalzo. In Calalzo you also need to take the bus #030 directly to Cortina. As you see, you need to make changes along the route, using public transport. You can check the current train timetable and purchase tickets at the Raileurope booking service. I love this online service as it helps me a lot when I`m planning my trips around Europe. Raileurope has a decent search and a lot of options to sort and narrow down the results.
By transfer service: if needed, tourists can take a taxi car from Verona Airport or book a transfer service in advance to get directly to Cortina. In case of ordering a transfer car, the driver will already be waiting for you at the time of your arrival. Using a transfer service, you can transport ski equipment and a large amount of baggage. The travel time is approximately 3 hours. Kiwitaxi and other transfer services run along the route. Based on my research, Kiwitaxi has a lot of positive reviews so I can totally recommend it.
By rented car: As an option tourists can also rent a car to go to Cortina on their own. The distance is about 260 km. The travel time is 3-3,5 hours. You can book a car in advance directly at Verona Airport, using online services, for instance, Discover Cars, Economybookings and other similar ones. To rent a car you need to have a passport, a driver`s license and a bank card. To reach your travel destination, focus on the road # A4/E70 (see on the map).
Where to stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo
Cortina d’Ampezzo is a fairly large resort, so there are a lot of accommodation options here. Basically, these are hotels of various star categories and apartments. Other accommodation options such as guest houses or B&B`s are less popular at the resort. The price category, on average, is higher than in other resorts of the Dolomites, but you can still find affordable hotels, especially if you book a room or an apartment in advance.
As I discovered after some research, most hotels in Cortina d’Ampezzo are alpine houses with several floors. But the external unpretentiousness should not confuse you; inside the hotels are equipped with everything you need and even more. Depending on the class of the hotel, in its area you can find, for example, a spa or a wellness center with a sauna, a fitness room, and a restaurant. You can find spa area at the following resort hotels:
Cristallo Luxury Collection Resort & Spa 5* – The hotel has a picturesque location and offers a wellness center, an indoor swimming pool, 3 restaurants, rooms of various categories, including family rooms. Breakfast is offered. The nearest ski lift is located just 700 m from the hotel. Private paid parking area is also available. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge;
Rosapetra Spa Resort 5* – the hotel provides a free shuttle bus to the ski slopes and has in its area a spa center with a swimming pool, a Turkish bath, a sauna, a fitness room and a massage cabinet. You can choose a room of various categories. Breakfast is offered. As online booking services provide tourists reviews, I found out that there is a restaurant and free private parking lot at the hotel area;
Grand Hotel Savoia 5* – the hotel is located in a picturesque location and has a spa area with an indoor pool, as well as a terrace with a winter garden. Guests can stay in rooms of various categories, including family-type rooms, with breakfast included. Wi-Fi is available free of charge throughout the hotel;
Hotel Bellevue Suites & Spa 4* – the hotel is located 350 m from the nearest ski lift and has a wellness center, a fitness room and a restaurant in its area. The hotel offers accommodation in rooms of various categories, including family rooms, with buffet breakfast. Parking spaces are available upon reservation;
Hotel Olimpia 3* – the hotel is located in a picturesque location. Here you can find a spa area with a sauna and hydromassage. The guests can stay in rooms of various categories. Buffet breakfast is offered. Guests are provided with ski storage space and wireless internet. Parking is paid and reservations are required.
Also, when choosing a hotel, pay attention to its possibilities of direct access to the ski slopes, if the main purpose of your trip is alpine skiing. Hotels, which have the following options, are:
Hotel Piccolo Pocol 3* – the hotel is designed in Alpine style and has a sauna and a Turkish bath, as well as a garden with a children’s playground. Guests can stay in rooms of various categories, including family rooms, with buffet breakfast. Free private parking is available on site. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge;
Hotel Villa Argentina 3* – the hotel is located in the surroundings of Cortina. The hotel has a restaurant, rooms of various types, including family rooms, free private parking, wireless Internet, ski storage, a terrace, and a children’s playground. Breakfast is offered.
Otherwise, free shuttles run throughout the resort to the slopes.
As for apartments, they are quite popular among tourists, especially among large groups of friends or families with children. Cortina has both detached chalets and aparthotels. In particular, the Daniela Apartment gets good reviews from guests. More budget accommodation options can be found in neighboring villages such as San Vito di Cadore, Borca di Cadore, Misurina, Pieve di Cadore.
What to do in Cortina d’Ampezzo
The main focus of the resort is skiing. Cortina’s home ski area includes 140 km of slopes, of which 61 km of slopes are reserved for beginners, 56 km for experienced skiers and 23 km for pros. There is some useful information for visiting that I discovered:
- The longest descending trail in Cortina is Bous de Tofana, its length is almost 10 km.
- There is a snowboard park and a fan park with figures of various difficulty, and there is an air cushion jumping area.
- 70 km of skiing is allocated for cross-country skiing.
- There are also freeride areas.
- The resort has 33 + more lifts, and a free ski bus runs between ski areas.
You can ski in Cortina both in the home ski area and throughout the whole region. In the second case, you need to purchase a Dolomiti superski ski pass. If you plan to ski only in the home area (which is 140 km), then the Cortina d’Ampezzo ski pass is sufficient. The cost of a home ski pass varies depending on the season. So, at the beginning of the season, a day ticket for one adult costs from 46 euros, and already at the peak of the season it costs from 58 euros.
In addition to skiing, Cortina d’Ampezzo offers ice skating (the Ice Palace skating rink is open), snowshoeing, ice karting, fitness centers and indoor tennis courts, etc. In the summer, Cortina becomes a center for golfing. A huge golf club, called Circolo Golf Miramonti Cortina, is open here. Traditional entertainment such as restaurants and nightclubs are also available all-year-round. Restaurants can often be found right on the mountain slopes. Such restaurants are often called “Rifugio” which is translated as “mountain hut”. They serve unique local cuisine.
To my mind, Cortina d’Ampezzo is a self-sufficient resort. There is entertainment for every taste, and the home ski area mileage is enough even for an experienced skier. However, if the ski area of 140 km turns out to be small for you, then with the “Dolomite Super Ski” ski pass, you will be able to master a much larger distances, for example, ski at neighboring resorts of Val Gardena, Val di Fassa and Val di Fiemme.
Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerging medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: Luca Sartoni
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Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…