Getting Around During the 2026 Winter Olympics
A field-tested guide to getting around during the 2026 winter olympics, with honest logistics, current planning advice, and the small details that make a Dolomites trip run smoothly.
Cortina has hosted the world before and knows the drill, but the 2026 Games will still bend familiar routines. This guide to getting around during the 2026 winter olympics is written for visitors who want the practical picture — venues, transport windows, ticket routes, and the small choices that separate a smooth Olympic day from a long one on a shuttle bus.
Olympic venue overview
During the Games, Cortina is essentially closed to private cars. Movement happens on three networks: Games shuttles (free with ticket), Cortina Express long-distance buses (paid), and SAD regional buses (paid, reservation-required for peak corridors). Cortina 2026 uses a compact cluster of venues around town — sliding centre, ice stadium, alpine pistes on Tofana — plus events shared with Milan and the wider region. Read the venue map before booking anything else; it dictates lodging and transport in ways that are not obvious from a schedule alone.
Best areas to stay
Central Cortina is the obvious pick if you can get a room. San Vito di Cadore and Pieve d'Alpago sit far enough out to have availability and close enough to reach the main venues by the Games shuttle network. Do not book anywhere without checking the official transport plan first.
Transportation between venues
During the Games, Cortina's normal traffic pattern will be replaced by a controlled shuttle and pass system. Private car access to venues will be limited. Build every day around the last shuttle, not the last event, and pack a warm layer for the wait.
Ticket information
Buy through official channels only. Resale on social media is the fastest way to lose money on a Cortina trip. Check the ticket-plus-transport bundles the organisers release closer to the Games — they often make more sense than assembling both separately.
Do not
Never buy tickets or accommodation from an unverified DM or private seller. Every legitimate ticket has a verifiable route.
Accommodation strategies
Rates and minimum stays will be extraordinary during the Games; shoulder days on either side are calmer and cheaper. If flexibility matters more than proximity, look at Belluno, Pieve di Cadore, or the Val Pusteria, and factor the daily transit into your total cost.
Budget planning
Common mistakes to avoid
Two sessions in one day rarely works with Games logistics.
Anything requiring proximity should be locked in early.
Weather will move at least one session.
Cortina at night is part of the trip.
Local tips from someone who lives with the mountain
Never drive to a venue. The SS51 has zero private-vehicle access within 10 km of any venue during competition days (06:00-23:00). Even accredited hotel guests are dropped at a park-and-ride and shuttled the last leg.
Locals will be running Games days with the same patience they run a Sunday market. A little Italian, a lot of good humour, and a willingness to change your plan when weather does are worth more than any priority pass.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Venice airport to Cortina?
Cortina Express Games shuttle every 30 min, 2h30 journey, €35 one-way (free with a ticket for that day's event). Book in the app 48 hours ahead.
Is the Belluno-Cortina Games train new?
Yes — a dedicated Games rail-then-bus link from Belluno to Cortina, 55 min total, €12 return, every 45 min from 05:30 to 23:00. Included with the Mobility Card.
Can I take a taxi?
Only pre-booked Games-accredited taxis (Cooperativa Taxi Cortina Olimpica). No street hails. Airport transfer by taxi: €260 one-way to Venice.
What about bike or scooter?
Not practical — Games-period roads are closed to non-motorised traffic within the security perimeter, and February conditions make cycling largely impossible anyway.
Where are the park-and-ride sites?
Fiames (north entry, 1,200 spaces), Zuel (south entry, 800 spaces), Pocol (west entry, 400 spaces). All shuttle to town centre every 15 min, free with the Mobility Card.
Plan the transport before the tickets, keep the days simple, and treat the town itself as part of the event.
Plan the next piece
Build a trip, not a checklist.
Pair this guide with a realistic itinerary and a place to stay near the activities you care about most.