Venice airport to Arabba, beneath the Marmolada

Why going without a car takes all day

There's no station in Arabba or anywhere at the foot of the Marmolada. Nor are there direct services from the airports, so you have to piece the route together yourself:

Via Belluno. A train from Venice to Belluno, then a local bus into the mountains. Often there's one more change along the way. It comes to €25–40 and 5–7 hours.

Via Bolzano. There are more trains to Bolzano, but the journey itself is longer: 6–7 hours and €30–45.

Your whole arrival day goes on travelling, and you won't be on the slopes until the next morning.

A hire car costs from €60 a day, with the same 2 h 30 min drive. The Pordoi and Campolongo passes are cleared in winter, but winter tyres and chains are compulsory up there.

What the car costs and what's included

€330 in a saloon and €420 in a minivan: that's the price for the whole car. It shows up in the booking form right away and doesn't change afterwards. Motorway tolls, luggage and 60 minutes' waiting at the airport are already included.

Ski carriage is included: put the number of ski bags and snowboards in your booking and we'll choose a car with room for them. Child seats for any age are free.

For four of you, a minivan works out at €105 per person. By bus, each of you would save €65–80, but you'd pay for it with a day of changing buses with ski bags.

The driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Marco Polo with a name sign. We send the driver's name and the car's number plate the day before.

We track your flight by its number: if it's delayed, the pick-up moves to your actual landing time at no charge. You pay on the spot, by card or in cash, with no prepayment.

The road: passes and a fallback route

In winter, the drive time depends on the weather at the Pordoi and Campolongo passes. The pass roads are open all season, but now and then they close for a short while.

For bad weather there's a lower route through Agordo and Alleghe, roughly half an hour longer. The Fedaia pass under the Marmolada has been closed before because of avalanche risk.

Veneto Strade and the provinces of Trento and Bolzano publish pass bulletins, and we check them before every departure. In winter our cars go out on winter tyres and carry chains.

Where you're dropped off

Arabba is a small village at the base of the Porta Vescovo lift, on the Arabba side of the Marmolada. The cable car up to the glacier leaves from the other side of the mountain, at Malga Ciapela.

So when you book, don't just say "Marmolada": name the village and the hotel, and the car will bring you to the door.

Skiing and the 2026/27 season

Arabba lies right on the Sellaronda. Lifts link it with Val di Fassa, Alta Badia and Val Gardena, all on the shared Dolomiti Superski pass. So choosing a base really comes down to where you'd like to sleep.

The Marmolada glacier is the highest point in the Dolomites, and it's known as the "Queen of the Dolomites". One of the longest runs in the region comes down from it.

The Arabba – Marmolada area is open from 4 December 2026 to 18 April 2027. Of the Dolomites resorts we drive to, this one has the latest end to the season, a point in Arabba's favour if you want to ski in mid-April.

Distances and fares

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