Before anything else, work out which of the three villages you're going to.
A valley of three villages
Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva sit one after another along a single valley, about 10 km from one end to the other. They're linked by lifts and a ski bus and share one ski pass. This is also where the Sellaronda starts, the circuit around the Sella massif that skiers complete in a day.
To a driver, "Val Gardena" isn't an address. Put the village and hotel in your booking and the car will stop at your door.
Ortisei. The centre is pedestrianised, and cars bypass it through tunnels. Some hotels inside the pedestrian zone have their own garage. Public garages lie just outside its edge, next to the Seceda and Mont Sëuc lifts.
Santa Cristina. Home to the Saslong Classic, a men's World Cup race.
Selva. It's 196 km from the airport, and that's the figure in the fares table.
How to get there: compared
Train and bus via Bolzano
From Venice the train runs via Verona onto the Verona–Brennero line. At Bolzano you change to a local bus that climbs the valley to all three villages in about an hour. Door to door, allow around 4.5 hours. In daytime and with light bags, it works well.
Via Chiusa or Ponte Gardena
The stations nearest the valley are Ponte Gardena (18 km) and Chiusa (23 km), with the 350 bus heading up from there. Chiusa is closer to Ortisei than Bolzano is, but there are far fewer buses, and in the evening you may be in for a long wait.
Hiring a car
Behind the wheel the drive takes the same 3 hours, with hire from €60 a day. Parking in the villages is charged, and winter tyres are required by law.
Car with driver
The driver meets you in the Marco Polo arrivals hall with a sign, and 3 hours later you're at the hotel. The price is per car, not per person, and is locked in when you book. It covers motorway tolls, luggage and 60 minutes of waiting at the airport.
Ski carriage is included: say how many ski bags you have and we'll pick a car that takes them. Child seats are free for any age.
We meet flights around the clock, so a late arrival is no problem. For four people, the €530 minivan works out at roughly €132 each. Train and bus are cheaper, but you'll be shifting ski bags at the change.
The drive in winter
You turn off the A22 Brenner motorway into the valley at Chiusa or near Bolzano. Traffic is heaviest on Saturdays, when hotel guests change over, so allow extra time that day.
From Selva the Gardena Pass leads over to neighbouring Alta Badia. It's closed only briefly after heavy snowfall.
The 2026/27 season and races
- Val Gardena's lifts, part of Dolomiti Superski and the Sellaronda, run from 4 December 2026 to 4 April 2027.
- Selva has a new reservoir for snowmaking.
- The Saslong Classic in Santa Cristina: super-G on 18 December, downhill on 19 December 2026, both starting at 11:45.
- From 18 to 21 December the Gardena and Alta Badia races run back to back. It's the busiest week of December, so book your car early.
Fares from other airports and cities
Tap a row to book this route.
Questions
Does it take longer to reach Val Gardena from Bergamo than from Venice?
Only slightly: 3 h 20 min against 3 hours, although the route is longer at 278 km. The price is higher: €600 for a saloon, €755 for a minivan.
We're staying in Ortisei, not Selva. Is the price different?
The fare is worked out to your village and hotel. Enter the address in the form on the site and the amount appears instantly, with no sign-up.
How will I recognise the driver at the airport?
The day before, you'll get the driver's name and the car's number plate. In arrivals, the driver holds a sign with your name.
What if our flight is two hours late?
We follow the flight by its number and move the pick-up to the actual landing time free of charge. If the flight is cancelled, we'll rebook the ride or cancel it at no cost.