How to get from Marco Polo to Val Gardena
| Option | Price | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train + bus | €25–40 | ~4.5 h | to Bolzano, then the valley bus; one change |
| Via Chiusa station | €25–40 | ~4.5 h | closer to Ortisei, but noticeably fewer buses |
| Car hire | from €60/day | 3 h | paid parking in the villages, winter tyres required by law |
| Private transfer | ≈ €420 | 3 h | fixed price, name sign, skis carried free, to the hotel door |
Train to Bolzano, then the bus
From Venice the train runs via Verona onto the Brennero line; at Bolzano you change to a local bus that climbs the valley to Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva in about an hour. There is also Chiusa station, closer to Ortisei, but fewer buses serve it — on an evening arrival that is a gamble.
Three villages, one ski pass
Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva sit along one valley, linked by lifts and a ski bus. The Sellaronda circuit around the Sella massif starts here too. Tell your driver the village and the hotel: it is ten kilometres from one end of the valley to the other, and “Val Gardena” is not an address.
The transfer
≈ €420 per car, 3 hours from the terminal to your hotel door. The price is agreed before you fly, the driver tracks the flight and waits with a name sign, skis and boards travel free, and winter tyres and chains are in every car. For four people that is €105 each, with no reloading of ski bags at a change.
In daylight and travelling light, the train and bus work: €25–40 against €420. A car wins on an evening arrival, with a group, and when your hotel is at the far end of the valley.
Fixed price, meet & greet with a name sign, payment on arrival.
The essentials
No. The nearest are Bolzano and Chiusa, and from there it is about an hour by valley bus.
About 3 hours, 230 km. In winter it depends on the weather and on Saturday changeover day, when the road is busier.
Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva share lifts and one ski pass. Put your hotel in the booking: the end villages are ten kilometres apart.