Alta Badia transfers: the villages and the ways in
Alta Badia is the upper part of Val Badia, a Ladin valley in South Tyrol at the foot of the Sella group. It has six villages: Colfosco, Corvara, La Villa, San Cassiano, Badia (with Pedraces and San Leonardo) and La Valle. In winter it sits at the heart of the Dolomiti Superski area and the Sella Ronda; in summer it is a base for hiking, passes and mountain huts.
There are three ways into the valley: from the west over Passo Gardena, from the north up Val Badia from the Pusteria valley, and from the east and south over Passo Valparola and Passo Campolongo. Speedy Dolomiti Service, a licensed private driver service based in Bolzano, chooses the right approach for where you land, the season and the state of the roads, and drives you to the hotel door.
From Bolzano: Passo Gardena or Val Pusteria
Bolzano is the closest starting point, whether you arrive by train at the station, land at Bolzano airport or are already in town. There are two roads, and they could hardly be more different.
- Via Val Gardena and Passo Gardena, about 65–70 km, roughly 1 h 15 – 1 h 45: up the Isarco valley to Ponte Gardena, then Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva, over Passo Gardena at 2,121 m and down to Colfosco and Corvara. The shortest road and the most scenic.
- Via Val Pusteria, about 100–105 km, roughly 1 h 45 – 2 h: the A22 motorway to Bressanone, the Pusteria valley to San Lorenzo di Sebato, then about 30 km up Val Badia through Longega, Pedraces and La Villa. Longer, but with no high passes: the alternative when Passo Gardena is closed or snowbound.
From Verona, Innsbruck, Venice and Treviso airports
Ferjy waits in the arrivals hall with a name board and monitors your flight: if you land late, he adapts the pick-up time. Here are the roads and indicative times to the centre of Alta Badia; for hotels higher up or off the main road, allow a few extra minutes.
- Verona (VRN): north on the A22 Brenner motorway, then over Val Gardena and Passo Gardena or through Val Pusteria. About 215–260 km, roughly 3 h – 3 h 30. More on our Verona airport transfer page.
- Innsbruck (INN): over the Brenner, the A22 to the Bressanone/Val Pusteria exit, the Pusteria valley to San Lorenzo di Sebato and up Val Badia. About 130–135 km, roughly 2 h – 2 h 45. See also our Innsbruck airport transfer to the Dolomites.
- Venice (VCE) and Treviso (TSF): the A27 to Belluno, the Alemagna road to Cortina, then Passo Falzarego and Passo Valparola down to San Cassiano and La Villa. About 165–185 km, roughly 2 h 45 – 3 h 30.
- Bolzano (BZO): the city’s small airport is about 70 km away, with the same timings as from Bolzano.
- Milan and Bergamo: the drive takes more than four hours; it makes sense when that is where the most convenient flight lands.
Seasons, passes and dates to know
Alta Badia lies between roughly 1,000 and 2,000 m, and in the cold season winter tyres or snow chains are required; the V-Class carries the winter equipment the rules require. The passes into the valley can close temporarily after heavy snowfall or when the avalanche risk is high. We then drive up through Val Pusteria, which takes longer but stays lower.
A few dates change the traffic. In December the Gran Risa slope at La Villa hosts a men’s Alpine Ski World Cup giant slalom, and the village is busier than usual. On a Sunday in early July the Maratona dles Dolomites cycling race starts in La Villa and finishes in Corvara: for much of the day the Gardena, Campolongo, Pordoi, Sella, Valparola, Falzarego and Giau passes are closed to traffic. If your arrival falls on one of those days, we plan the time and the road in advance.
For Passo Gardena, the Province of Bolzano is planning a seasonal limited-traffic zone from 2027, subject to final approval. Before every journey we check the rules in force and choose the road accordingly. The busiest arrival days remain high-season Saturdays, the weeks between Christmas and Epiphany, February and August.
Hotel to hotel: Val Gardena, Cortina, Arabba
Alta Badia is often the centre of a holiday spread over several valleys. Corvara to Selva in Val Gardena is about 20 km over Passo Gardena, roughly 35–50 minutes; San Cassiano to Cortina d’Ampezzo about 30 km over Valparola and Falzarego, roughly 45 minutes to an hour; Corvara to Arabba about 10 km over Passo Campolongo, roughly 20–30 minutes. We move you and your luggage from hotel to hotel, or drive you to dinner in another valley.
Heading west? There is our Val Gardena transfer. Heading east, the Cortina d’Ampezzo transfer. And the private day tours can start from your hotel in Alta Badia too, for example the passes of the Great Dolomites Road private tour.
By train to Brunico or Bolzano, then by car
Arriving by rail, you have two useful stations. Brunico, on the Pusteria valley line, is the closest: just over 30 km from Alta Badia, with buses several times a day. Bolzano, on the Brenner line between Verona and Innsbruck, is about 65 km away via Passo Gardena.
With light luggage the bus works well. With suitcases, skis, children or a train that gets in late, a private transfer from the station takes you straight to your hotel: a pre-booked alternative to a taxi, at one fixed price for the whole vehicle.
How the transfer works
Send us the date, arrival time, number of guests, luggage and skis, and the name of your hotel. Within hours we reply with the suggested road, pick-up time and a fixed quote for the vehicle, confirmed in writing. On the day Ferjy is there to meet you with a black Mercedes V-Class, clean and well kept, air-conditioned, with room for everyone’s luggage and child seats on request.
For the journey home we suggest a departure time with a sensible margin, allowing for the season and the passes. Use the enquiry form on our homepage or message us directly on WhatsApp.
