Where is Livigno Italy?
The Livigno ski resort is in a remote (for Europe anyway!), deliciously snow-laden valley, deep in the Alta Valtellina of north Lombardy, Italy. The resort is 206km by road southeast of Zurich, 235km north of Milan, and 180km southwest of Innsbruck. Close to the Swiss border, during winter the resort can be reached from the south via Tirano & Bormio Italy over the Passo Foscagno; or from the north via Zernez & Müstair Switzerland through the expensive Tunnel Munt La Schera.
Once in Livigno it is worth knowing two things. The first is primary among the things worth knowing before skiing at Livigno is which bus to take & where to get off to access the best terrain because a misunderstanding could cost a lot of valuable time (see the bottom of the page for intel on the local buses). The second is a boon for anyone driving here is that Livigno’s strange duty-free status places it in the position of having probably the highest number petrol stations with cheap fuel per capita of any place in the Alps.
Best Airports for Livigno
Due to its central location in the Alps, numerous airports can be used to reach Livigno. The closest useful airport is Innsbruck (INN) Austria, 180km & 3hr drive away. The airport at Innsbruck is perfect for skiers & snowboarders from Europe & UK. For intercontinental travellers, the best airports are Milan Malpensa (MXP) (250km & 4hr+ drive away), and Zurich (ZRH) (220km, up to 4hr by road). Zurich airport is an excellent choice if intending to travel via the excellent Swiss train system to Zernez and then by bus to Livigno (4hr total journey time).
Train & Bus Transport
Whilst we would love to say that public transport to Livigno is the quickest way to travel there, we are disappointed to say it is not! However, if happy to take a little time to soak in some of the most spectacular (& wild) scenery in the Alps, the combined train & bus journeys to Livigno are for you.
Sadly, there are no direct trains to the region, but there are 3 lines with stations well-connected by bus to Livigno at Zernez Switzerland (from the direction of Zurich, St Moritz, Davos Klosters or Scuol), Malles (a.k.a. Mals) Italy (from the direction of Bolzano), & Tirano (from the direction of Milan). If we had to choose, for reasons of reliability and comfort, we would travel to Livigno on public transport from Zurich Airport via Zernez.
Train travel to Livigno has a multitude of possible permutations, however the most direct journey times on the train are as follows:
• From Zurich Airport railway station to Zernez requires at least a change at Zurich central station & Landquart. From Landquart, trains direct to Zernez are possible via Klosters. The best journey time from the airport to Zernez is around 3¼hr. Knowing the Swiss, your bus to Livigno will be waiting for you at the station!
• From Bolzano railway station to Malles/Mals is via Merano with trains running every half hour to Merano, but less frequently onward to Malles. The best connections will take around 2¼hr for the entire journey. Bolzano station can be reached from either Innsbruck or Verona, which can add an hour or more to the journey.
• From Milano Centrale railway station to Tirano, trains usually leave every hour and take around 2½hr to complete the journey. Add at least an hour if coming in from Milan Malpensa airport.
To finish the journey by bus, the following provides the basis for onward travel from the railway stations to Livigno:
• From Zernez railway station in Switzerland connect with the route 815 bus that departs every 2hr and gets to Livigno via the Munt La Schera Tunnel in a journey time of just 40 minutes.
• From Malles (Mals) train station in Italy, the route 811 bus departs every 2hr and travels via Müstair before meeting the route 815 bus from Zernez at the entrance to the Munt La Schera Tunnel (the locality at the entrance is called Punt la Drossa). A swap is required on to the 815 bus to complete the journey to Livigno. Total journey time from Malles to Livigno on the bus is around 1hr50min. Malles can also be reached by bus from Austria but that is all whole different equation!
• From Tirano train station in Italy, the route 070 bus regularly departs to Bormio. A swap is required at Bormio for the route 072 bus to complete the journey to Livigno. Total journey time from Tirano to Livigno on the bus is around 2¼hr.
Search & book a train tickets to Tirano or Zernez. Buy bus tickets at Tirano or Zernez.
Driving to Livigno
Much like driving to St Moritz, the road journey by rental car to Livigno doesn’t come easy during winter storms and on icy roads. In winter there are two ways in, one from the north via the Munt La Schera Tunnel, and one from the south via Passo del Foscagno. The summer road in via the 2,315m Passo Forcola is closed to all traffic during winter.
Whatever direction one takes to Livigno, once in town drivers should be wary of the one-way roads & pedestrian-only zones. Unless parked at one’s hotel, most parking in the town requires payment of some sort. Due to its duty-free status, you will note a multitude of cheap petrol stations in and around the town. Don’t forget to fuel up before leaving.
Driving via Passo del Foscagno
From Italy, the usual direction to Livigno is from Milan via Bormio. Once up past Bormio, it involves a fantastic mountain drive up the valley through the narrow lanes of Isolaccia before climbing over the 2,291m Passo del Foscagno (with its border-like customs gate). From there you soon see your first discount petrol stations start to appear (fill up before you leave!) and then the ski lifts of the Mottolino sector as you drive up Passo Eira (2,208m) through Trepalle village before finally descending to Livigno.
The drive time from to 250km from Milan Malpensa Airport to Livigno via Passo del Foscagno is between 3½ 7 4½hr. Time of day, day of the week and the road conditions over the pass can all influence the travel time.
During snowy or icy road conditions, be wary of Italian drivers that don’t have snow tyres and leave it to the last moment to put chains on. They stop anywhere and everywhere!
Driving via the Munt La Schera Tunnel
From the northeast of Italy the journey to Livigno is via Bolzano & the Val Venosta. From Innsbruck in Austria the best route is via Reschen Pass near Nauders and then into the Val Venosta as well. At Sluderno or Glorenza (ah Glorenza ...... such a cool place!) one heads in the direction of Switzerland through the village of Müstair in the canton of Graubünden. Past Müstair, and once over the 2,149m Fuorn Pass (a.k.a. Ofen Pass), a transit of the privately owned Munt La Schera Tunnel is required. It is also possible to get to the Tunnel via Zernez in Switzerland, a journey in winter that usually requires using car-train to get between Klosters & Zernez. The tunnel is 3.5km long, and a single lane wide (one-way only), with an alternating direction of travel controlled by traffic lights at either end. The toll for a one-way journey is quite expensive, and one can wait for considerable periods waiting for traffic from the opposing direction to exit the tunnel. You can buy a pass for the tunnel at the booth near the entry point on the Italian side or pre-purchase online here. Coming in from the Swiss side there is no toll booth, so if without a pre-purchased pass for the tunnel, you will pay at the other end in Italy!
For most days of the week the tunnel operates with regular alternating directions of travel. However, during winter, on Saturdays between 0600 to 1800hr (6am to 6pm) [and occasionally extended to 2000hr (8pm) depending on traffic volume], the tunnel is one direction only:
• Saturdays from 0600 to 0900hr (6am to 9am) the direction of travel is on-way only from Livigno -> Switzerland;
• Saturdays from 1000 to 1800hr (10am to 6pm) the direction of travel is one-way only from Switzerland -> Livigno.
• Saturdays prior to 6am and after 6pm, the tunnel reverts to regular alternating direction of travel to both Switzerland & Livigno.
We have used the tunnel only once and it was a Saturday! Intending a leisurely exit from Livigno, we were caught out having to wait until after 6 pm to head into Switzerland! Traffic in the direction of Switzerland after the Saturday closure is absolute carnage as a result. Plan your trip accordingly and leave Livigno early on a Saturday!
Once out of the tunnel, a 10km long drive south beside Lago di Livigno brings you directly into Livigno.
Car-parking for Day-trippers
Day-trippers coming over from the direction of Bormio for a ski are best to park in either the undercover or open-air car parks near the base of the Mottolino gondola. Due to the added cost and time constraints of the Munt La Schera Tunnel, we DO NOT RECOMMEND day-tripping to Livigno from the Swiss side. At least stay the night to make it worth it.
Car Rental & Hire
A fully winterised rental car is best way to get to & around the region. All the major airports & cities have car hire available. If renting a car in Zurich, read the fine print carefully because some locations charge exorbitant security deposits. If renting in Milan, ensure the vehicle is fully winterized, i.e. with winter tyres. We do not recommend renting a car from downtown Milan as the drive & navigation out can be hectic to say the least.
Search & book all rental cars.
Private Transfers
If lacking time or the confidence to drive, but have the euro to splurge, a private transfer direct from the airport to the door of your accommodation in Livigno can is the quickest and most efficient mode of ground transport. Private transfers are also cost effective for larger groups of 3 or more people.
Search & book here for all Private Airport Transfers to Livigno.
For hints, tips & warnings about travel to Italian ski resorts in winter, see our Travel in Italy page.
Getting Around Livigno
Once in Livigno, you can leave your car parked (if you have one!) and use the multi-coloured local free bus services to get around – a warning though that some buses are better than others (read on further below). Alternatively, the central part of Livigno is pedestrian-friendly (around Via Fontana)and a great place for strolling.
Ski Link Bus
Livigno has two non-lift connected sides to the resort. Whilst neither Mottolino or Carosello is necessarily better than the other & both are similar in size, how one gets efficiently from one to the other is a reasonable question. The answer is a small ‘Ski-Link’ bus that runs at the north & south ends of the town linking both sectors of the disparate resort. The buses are on constant rotation through the day, running every 10-minutes at least.
Local Free Bus Transport Network
The local free bus network at Livigno is excellent, but as previously indicated has some elements worthy of mention. Lines are coloured i.e. Yellow (Giallo), Green (Verde), Blue (Blu), Red (Rossa) & Brown (to Trepalle) and the routes seem straight forward. Be careful though. You may think you are on the right colour, but if it is heading in the wrong direction, a simple journey of 5min can turn into a torturous 40min to 1hr. Try and avoid the Verde or Blu buses at the point on the circuit where they head out to the cross-country ski trails at Forcola (or the Latteria at the other end). If you head out there you will get to see loads of men, women & children on skinny skis in lycra & spandex plus the ice driving school, but otherwise its half an hour you’ll never get back! For inner town circuits, stick with the Giallo & Rossa lines, then change closer to your destination if you need another bus.
Check out the Livigno local free bus transport map below.
For hints, tips & warnings about travel to Italian ski resorts in winter, see our Travel in Italy page.