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Table of Contents:
How to get to Val Gardena from Verona
How to get to Val Gardena from Milan
When to travel to Val Gardena
Val Gardena is one of the most famous ski resorts in Italy, located in South Tyrol, in the Dolomites region. The resort infrastructure is considered to be one of the best. By the way, the World Alpine Ski Championships were held here. In the Val Gardena valley, there are three resort towns called Selva Gardena, the largest, cheerful and noisy; Ortisei, the second largest, is suitable for families and for spa lovers; Santa Cristina, the smallest and most cozy, for lovers of countryside landscapes.
Fans of skiing, staying at the resorts of Val Gardena, will be able to test their skills on the slopes of the Sella Ronda massif, which is considered to be the most popular circular ski route. All three resorts are connected with each other by lifts for maximum comfort on vacation.
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 Val Gardena. I figured out how to get to resorts in the region, where to stay & what to do there. I really hope this detailed information will help you plan your trip to Val Gardena.
The skiing period usually lasts from the end of November until the middle of April in Val Gardena. If you want to try skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, cross-country skiing, and freeriding, then this period will be perfect for it. But you should know that Val Gardena is an all-year-round resort. It means that tourists can visit resort towns during the period of April to October incl. to try hiking, rock climbing, sightseeing, and other summer activities. As I found out, lifts operate all year round here, except for a short period of time in November between seasons.
How to get to Val Gardena
Where do you fly into to get to Val Gardena? Getting to the towns of Val Gardena by public transport is quite difficult and time-consuming. The closest city with an airport in Italy that accepts flights from around the world is Verona. Milan Airport is also a popular option among tourists. You can check the flight timetable to Verona or Milan on the specialized services of Aviasales and others. I usually use Aviasales when planning my upcoming trips, because it can compare a great variety of available flight options and helps me find out the best suitable one.
How to get to Val Gardena from Verona
By public transport: Verona is located at a distance of almost 200 km from the resort. To get from Verona to Val Gardena by public transport, you need to take a train to the town of Bolzano, and from there to take a bus to one of the villages of Val Gardena. Together with getting from Verona airport to the railway station and getting to Bolzano, the total travel time takes at least 5 hours. You can check the train timetable at the Raileurope booking service. It is one of my favourite online services and I use Raileurope very often when planning my trips in advance. It has a convenient search and the results can be sorted by various filters, if needed. Then you should take a bus in Bolzano; focus on bus line # 350.
By transfer service: This is why those tourists who go on vacation to Val Gardena most often use transfer services or rent a car at the airport. An individual transfer from Verona to Val Gardena is not a cheap option, but it completely solves the issue of getting to the resort and significantly reduces travel time. Kiwitaxi, Intui.Travel and other similar services run along the route. The travel time between Verona Airport and the Val Gardena valley takes about 2 hours 10 minutes. I like both online services mentioned above. Based on my experience and other tourists’ reviews, their transfer cars arrive on time and there is no need to wait for them or look for a taxi on the spot. For sure, there are a lot of other taxi services available at the airport.
By rented car: The same amount of time will be needed to get to the resorts of Val Gardena by rented car. You can rent a car right at the Verona airport, it doesn`t take much time. All you need to have is a passport, a driver`s license and a credit card. Please note that car rental in Verona is a popular option among tourists, that is why I would recommend booking a car for renting in advance, especially during “high” skiing season.
⇒You can book a car in advance via various international services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings and others. The distance between Verona and Val Gardena resorts is approximately 200 km (depends on chosen village to stay in). You need to take a motorway # A22/E45. The travel time is about 2,5 hours (see on the map).
How to get to Val Gardena from Milan
By public transport: The distance between Milan and the resorts of Val Gardena is about 300-315 km. To get from Milan to Val Gardena valley by public transport, you need to take a train to the town of Bolzano (via Verona), and from there take a bus to one of the villages of Val Gardena. The travel time between Milan and Bolzano is 3,5-4 hours. Trains operate 2 times an hour during the day. You can check the train timetable at the Raileurope booking service. This is one of the online services I can totally recommend as I often use Raileurope for planning my own trips around Europe. Then you need to take a bus in Bolzano directly to one of the villages of Val Gardena valley; focus on bus line # 350.
By transfer service: Tourists on vacation often use taxi or transfer services to get to Val Gardena. Kiwitaxi, Intui.Travel and other similar services run along the route from the Malpensa Airport in Milan. The travel time takes about 5 hours 15 minutes. In case you arrive at Malpensa Airport in Milan, you can also use group shuttle bus services, operated by Alto Adige Bus company. The travel time is about the same.
By rented car: Tourists can also reach Val Gardena by rented car. For registration you need to have a passport, a driver`s license and a credit card. Please note that car rental in Milan is super popular, so I would recommend booking a car for renting in advance. You can book a car in advance via various international services such as Discover Cars, Economybookings and others. Based on my experience, both services are reliable and have a very convenient search with a lot of individual filters to narrow down the results. The distance between Milan and Val Gardena resorts is approximately 300 km (depends on chosen village to stay in). You need to take the motorways # A4 and # A22/E45. The travel time is about 4,5-5 hours (see on the map).
You can get to the Val Gardena valley in similar ways from other cities in Italy, but all of them are located at a greater distance than Verona. For example, Bergamo is located at a distance of 277 km and Venice is located at a distance of 309 km.
Where to stay in Val Gardena
You can stay in Val Gardena at the three nearest resorts called Selva Gardena, Ortisei and Santa Cristina. All of them have a wide range of hotels and are located close to the ski slopes. For accommodation in the resorts of Val Gardena, you can choose between hotels and apartments. The general recommendation when looking for accommodation in Val Gardena, regardless of its type, is to book in advance as the place is very popular among skiers.
I did some research and I can say that tourists can find a lot of different accommodation options to stay here. In the Val Gardena valley, you can find hotels of various star categories, including both budget accommodation options and exclusive five-star ones. Most hotels in the resort include breakfast or half board in the price, while the restaurant infrastructure is also well developed here. Another advantage of local hotels is that almost all of them have access to the ski slopes. Many hotels are chalet-style, cozy and made from natural materials. Cozy accommodation, combined with local cuisine and hospitable vibes, gives tourists the opportunity to feel the true spirit of the Dolomites.
Hotels in the 4- and 5-star categories, as a rule, are additionally equipped with spa and wellness centers, where relaxation is possible without leaving the hotel. Spa areas are usually equipped with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sauna, hydromassage, a fitness center, a Turkish bath, etc. For those who have chosen a hotel without a spa center, you can find a place to relax in the center of the Val Gardena resorts, which have wellness complexes with a similar range of options.
After examining a lot of reviews, I can conclude that, besides Selva Gardena, Santa Cristina or Ortisei villages, you also can look for an accommodation, for example, in Campitello, Vilnos, Alpe di Susi and other towns nearby.
Hotels that are consistently popular among tourists include, for example:
Hotel Diamant 4* (location is the town of Santa Cristina) – The hotel is designed in an Alpine style; there is a wellness center with a swimming pool, a gym, a sauna and a hydromassage. There is also a restaurant and a bar on site. You can stay in rooms of various categories; breakfast is offered. You can leave your car in a paid private parking area, but advance reservation is required. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel;
Hotel Pinei 4* (location is the town of Castelrotto; guests are offered a free shuttle bus to the ski area) – The hotel has a spa center with an indoor pool, a sauna, a Turkish bath and hydromassage. There is also a restaurant and a bar on site. You can stay in rooms of various categories; continental breakfasts are offered. Ski storage area, free public parking, wireless Internet are also available;
Charme Hotel Uridl 3* (location is the town of Santa Cristina; guests are offered a free shuttle bus to the ski area) – The hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a terrace. The nearest ski lift is located 800 m away. Guests can stay in rooms of various categories; half board is offered. As online booking services provide tourists reviews, I found out that there is a children’s playroom and playground in the area of the hotel. The hotel also offers ski storage, free public parking, wireless Internet;
Hotel Pradell 3* – The hotel is located in the town of Ortisei, 400 m from the nearest ski lift. The hotel has a spa area with a sauna, a terrace for relaxation, and an Italian restaurant. You can stay in rooms of various categories; half board is offered. The parking area and Wi-Fi are provided free of charge on site.
Apartments in Val Gardena can be found in the town of Ortisei, while aparthotels (a mix of hotels and apartments) can also be found in Selva Val Gardena. The main difference between apartments and hotels is that when renting an apartment, breakfast or half board is not included and you have to cook by yourself or eat in restaurants. As a rule, apartments are equipped with a kitchen area and all necessary appliances.
In my opinion, the advantage of renting an apartment is the ability to find an apartment at the same price as a hotel room, while the size of the apartment, as a rule, is larger than the size of any room, i.e., the apartments can be compared to a semi-detached house or even a detached house. In general, apartments as holiday accommodation are more suitable for families with children, as well as for large groups of people (family, friends, etc.). Based on my research, the following apartments are popular in Val Gardena:
Residence Antares 3* (location is Selva Val Gardena) – there is an indoor swimming pool, a spa, a restaurant on site. The nearest ski lift is located 200 m away. Guests can stay in studios or apartments of various sizes, including family-type apartments. All rooms are equipped with a kitchen area. Public parking and wireless Internet are provided and are free of charge;
Mountains Apartments Gran Tubla (the complex is located in the town of Ortisei; there is a free shuttle bus to the ski slopes) – tourists can stay in apartments of various sizes, each with an equipped kitchen area. Breakfast is provided for an additional fee. The complex has free private garage parking. Wi-Fi is provided free of charge throughout the whole complex area.
What to do in Val Gardena
The main attraction of the Val Gardena resorts is skiing. I did some research to collect practical information for visiting Val Gardena and here it is:
- The total length of the ski slopes in Val Gardena is 175 km;
- 52 km are easy slopes, 100 km are of medium difficulty and 20 km are of difficult ones, suitable for professional skiing;
- A record number of lifts operates in the Val Gardena valley. It is 83 lifts at a time.
Val Gardena also offers great opportunities for cross-country skiing and hiking. The only ones who may not feel entirely comfortable at the resort are snowboarders, because the resorts were originally built for skiers, so there is no fan park here. The nearest fan park with various options and a length of 700 meters can be found in the town of Piz Sella.
You can relax after a busy day of skiing on the mountain slopes at the local spa complexes. Both are located in Ortisei. MarDolomit is a wellness center with swimming pools and saunas. Thus, the complex has outdoor and indoor pools, waterfalls, children’s pools, trampolines, showers of varying intensity, stone baths, brine baths, vitarium, heat therapy, Finnish sauna, inhalations, Kneipp baths and much more. The complex is open daily. I found out detailed information for visiting the complex:
- The pool area is opened from 1 pm until 8 pm during the summer time and from 10 am to 10 pm during the winter season;
- The sauna area is opened from 2 pm to 8 pm during the summer time and from 1 pm to 10 pm during the winter season;
- The ticket price to the pool area starts from 12,50 euros for 2,5 hours (daily ticket costs 14,70 euros);
- The ticket price to the pool + sauna area starts from 24,50 euros for 3 hours (daily tickets cost 26,50 euros);
- The family tickets are also available.
Another spa center called 181Fit is also located in Ortisei. This center has a strong focus on fitness, wellness and self-care. A fitness room, a spa area with a sauna and a treatment room, as well as a beauty salon are the main options of relaxation in this spa center. You will be offered various types of massage, masks and facials, depilation, peeling, anti-cellulite treatments, makeup, manicure, etc.
Val Gardena offers an active holiday to spend. In addition to alpine and cross-country skiing, the resort offers rock climbing, mountaineering, horse riding, ice skating, paragliding, sledding, tennis, golf (in summer), and snowshoeing. All these activities are available in the resorts of the Val Gardena Valley. In general, I can say that vacation here combines active sports with pleasant relaxation in spa areas and interesting leisure time. To my mind, Val Gardena has excellent slopes, ski lifts, all kinds of hiking routes, spas and wellness centers, restaurants, discos, bars, cafes, shopping promenades, so every tourist can find entertainment here.
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: Eric Kilby
Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…