Accessing the Dolomites trails by train or bus

I have only been there once, and only to Ortisei so I hope you get more expert responses. As a start, there is bus from Bolzano to Ortisei that takes about an hour and runs several times per dly. Fom Ortisei, you can walk to several lifts that will take you to a number of trailheads. You can also get a bus to trailheads elsewhere in Val Gardena. Most lodging in the Val Gardena area will give you a free bus pass for all the local bus routes. The bus schedules for the various routes are available online.
The book Walking in Italy's Val Gardena by Laurel and Richard Barton provides detailed directions for getting to trailheads for 23 different walks. The author is a contributor to this forum and very helpful. The book focuses on easy walks; it sounds like you may be looking for more challenging hikes. However, the information on getting around to various trails maybe be helpful even if you then continue to other trails.

In July, you should stay in the mountains. Oritsei is the most convenient lifts going up to the hiking trails from town. I hope you are not planning on staying in Bolzano in July as it can be very hot in the bottom of a deep valley. The buses from Bolzano and Ortisei (or surrounding communities like Santa Christina and Selva) are frequent.
https://www.suedtirolmobil.info/en/#/

Hi Marie. A week is a very nice amount of time to spend if you really like mountain walking/hiking. You can make it as hard or as easy as you like (we specialize in easy ourselves).

Buses are convenient and encouraged by the tourist industry and locals make frequent use as well. It is a lifestyle choice. As mentioned, most lodging gives you a pass to use for buses during your visit and even returning to Bolzano at the end of your stay. Buses drop you at most of the lifts except for those walkable from city center. Also, there are walks led by guides from Val Gardena Active and many hotels participate making them free for guests. See examples here https://www.valgardena-active.com/en/summer.

In 13 years of visiting the area we have never experienced a strike. There are, by the way, taxis available for short trips or even long hauls, like Ortisei to Bolzano. I even have friends who had one take them (a party of 6) all the way to Milano.

Come back with more questions as you have them.

I was just in Ortisei last week and can report that the buses are excellent. They run frequently and all of ours were on time. We used a pass provided by our hotel.

For our first visit to Ortisei, we stayed five nights. I hated leaving. For this recent visit, we stayed eight nights and I was satisfied with that stay. It was absolutely glorious and we had time to do all the hiking we wanted to from the lifts in Ortisei, St Christina, and Selva. We took the bus to the latter two towns, although one time we walked back from St Christina. (It takes about an hour and we wanted to try it.)

If you have the time and money, stay for at least a week. It’s just stunning.

I would really recommend getting a car for this trip. Just get the full insurance package if you are nervous.

In peak season you will want to hit the trails early to avoid crowds and beat the heat. Also public transportation I imagine is going to be a huge inconvenience.

I was there last month and having a car was the best. I had extra food and water waiting for me after the hike, as well as a change of clothes, and AC! Sometimes I was exhausted and I just wanted to get back to my home base to shower or take a nap, and a car got me back ASAP.

People here go on and on about Ortisei, but the best hikes are not the ones reachable by cable car from there. If this is a bucket list trip, do it right and don’t get funneled around with the masses.

Totally agree with acechrist’s post above. We’re just finishing up four days in Selva di Val Gardena with a car rental. The car made it possible to go to the spectacular hiking east of the Gardena Valley to the CINQUE TORRI and where the really incredible scenery in the Dolomites is located. Without a car, it would not have been possible to reach the unbelievable scenery and trails by bus in a day.

Selva di Val Gardena is at the end of the valley and has great views of the mountain peaks. Found it to be more relaxed than the tourist hub of Ortisei.

are there any steps I can take ahead of time to minimize the anxiety of not having a bus back to my lodgings after I finish hiking?

You should check to make sure there are no transit strikes announced. Your more likely concern is missing a ride down the mountain because the lift has reached the end of its service for the day. If you're hiking in the late afternoon be sure to check lift operating hours.

We got caught in a bus strike last year in Ortisei on the day we needed to take the bus down to Bolzano to leave the Dolomites. Fortunately they had guaranteed strike service hours in the morning of 6-9am so we just had to take an earlier bus down than we had planned on.

While I do not doubt that there are things you can see and experiences you can have with a car that you cannot by public transportation, we enjoyed five lovely nights in Ortisei this past June without a car. As first time visitors, we found plenty to do.

I have a trip report under that heading that you might read the section on the Dolomites to get a sense what doing this trip carless means practically speaking.

We spent five nights and felt like that was a good length of time.

I am also planning similar trip for August 2026. Our first time in the Dolomite and will rely on buses.
I plan to stay 6 nights in Ortisei and 2 nights in Santa Maddalena.
Based on my research buses are frequent, i am not worry.

I may take a private transfer (taxi) from Bolzano to Santa Maddalena to safe some time.
We are family of 3.
Someone recommended me to contact taxi ivan

An important distinction nobody usually does is between hikes in mezza montagna - that is, flat hikes or almost so, at the elevation of towns - or alta montagna - that is at higher elevations, often starting from a pass or from the top station of a cable car; or starting low with a long ascent to begin with. Almost all towns in Dolomites offer mezza montagna alternatives and often you don't have to worry about transportation, or maybe just find a bus back home in order not to walk the return. A car offers a lot of possibilities at higher elevation; for example, a beautiful if engaging hike from Ortisei is the Sassolungo circuit from the cable car at passo Sella, but you have to get to the pass and back. There are buses but a car is obviously much more convenient and faster.

Another concern is that Ortisei - the place where all people from this forum want to spend time - is getting very crowded in August. My experience during past years is that you are not there by 9.30am you won't find a parking place, and they told me this year was not any better. This won't concern you if your accomodation has parking but should be a warning about how much the place is getting crowded. Of course it is crowded: it has acceptable bus connection to Bolzano, two cable cars and lovely landscape. Still, crowds may be a concern.

Hello Marie. We are finishing 9 days in the Dolomites. We spent 5 days in Ortesei to experience Val Gardena. And 4 days near Cortina. If you feel comfortable driving hilly, tight curves with a clutch (or I think pay extra for an automatic), I would recommend the freedom of having a car.
We did not use our car for several days in Ortesei, but it was helpful to get to some locations as mentioned above and necessary to get to Cortina and beyond for our itinerary. The busses between Ortesei and Selva were very easy to use, and free via a pass from our hotel.
In Ortesei I can HIGHLY recommend Hotel Grones (with the halfboard) and they do provide a parking garage. Ortesei is in the valley end of Val Gardena. The two best hikes we found were at the top of the Seceda lift and top of the Resciesa funicular. Gentle meadow walking with beautiful surrounding mtn views is on Alpe di Suisi. If you are a confident mountain biker that is also an option on Alpe di Suisi with an ebike.
The town of Selva is at the eastern end of the valley. It is smaller and starts to feel more rugged and mountainous. I don’t have a hotel recommendation.
The mountains become more rugged as you head to the Dolomites east of Selva. These are the type of mtn views and hikes that I prefer. You can find lots of good hiking suggestions from Earth Trekkers and others online. Many of these are demanding hikes and require a good level of fitness. Make sure you know your capabilities and limits. If you are a 30yr old avid mtn hiker, you should do fine.
Hope this is helpful. I’m happy to answer any other questions. You could also consider the Alta Badia valley. We did not stay there but drove through. There are several quaint towns and probably some good hiking there too. Maybe start a separate question if you want info specifically on Alta Badia. Best wishes.

Or stay in Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm). In 2006, DW and I took the bus from Bolzano to Siusi/Seis, then the Seiser Alm cable car to Compatsch in the car free meadow, as detailed in the RS guidebook. We had a hotel which provided half-board (breakfast and dinner). All the lifts in the meadow are at your feet. There's a free shuttle which goes back and forth in the meadow. Lunch and refreshments were at chalets, mostly at the top of lifts or at refugio. The hotel food was the best I've had in Europe. A wonderful combination of German and Italian food.

remember to bring a credit card

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/31/travel/italy-dolomites-farmers-turnstiles-instagram-tourism

I concur that Ortisei is the best location for lodging. Also, bear in mind that these towns are located along the valley surrounded by slopes. So, try to pick a hotel that is not that high up, otherwise you will have to walk up/down lots of stairs to reach the town center.