Where is Val di Fassa Italy?
Val di Fassa is amongst the most spectacular of the Dolomites peaks in Trentino Italy, just east of the fabulous city of Bolzano.
The Val di Fassa ski resort stretches along the valley from the villages of Pozza di Fassa, Campitello di Fassa, Canazei, Alba & ending at Passo Fedaia below the Marmolada. The resort’s major centre of Canazei is less than 50km (1hr) by road from the city of Bolzano. The far eastern end of the ski resort, Carezza’s Nova Levante is a paltry 20km (25min) from Bolzano but is not technically in the Fassa valley!
To the north via the Brenner Pass is Innsbruck, 140km by road (2.5hr). To the south is Trento & Verona (210km/3.5hr drive). Verona links with the main east west train & motorway routes between Venice & Milan.
Driving (or being driven) is the easiest mode of travel to Val di Fassa, however a combination of train & bus is certainly possible. Both modes have been employed successfully by the Powderhounds.
Flights
The major gateway airport to Val di Fassa is Innsbruck (INN) however it only serves flights from the UK & Europe. The Venice Marco Polo (VCE) International airport is only 120km directly south of Val di Fassa, but an interesting 180km (3hr) drive through the bulk of the southern Dolomites.
There are public transport train & bus connections to Val di Fassa from Innsbruck & Venice or private transfers can be arranged. Alternatively, numerous car rental options exist at the airports.
Other airports that can be linked to Val di Fassa with some extra land transfer time & effort is Milan Malpensa (MXP) (if driving!) & Munich (MUC).
To search for a great deal on a flight to Innsbruck or other European airport, search & book with our preferred flight search engine.
Airport & Hotel Transfers
Due to the proximity of Innsbruck airport to Val di Fassa, a private transfer direct to your hotel at the resort can offer value & efficiency, particularly if in a group of 3 or more people. If financially flush & don’t wish to rent a car, a private transfer also makes sense from other airports. A useful alternative is to take trains to Bolzano, then have a prearranged transfer from the train station to the ski resort.
Search & book private transfers direct to your hotel in Val di Fassa.
Train & Bus Transport
Whilst it may take a little longer, a sure way to POW (Protect Our Winters) is by taking the public train & bus to Val di Fassa. A caveat though, it will involve several trains & you may need to take more than one bus to get there depending in which village one is staying. If near the Carezza ski area or Pozza di Fassa only one bus is required from Bolzano, if Alba, Canazei or Campitello di Fassa then its two buses.
See the Dolomites regional transport network map here.
Bolzano (Bozen) train station (bahnhof/stazione) provides the best direct access to most of Val Di Fassa. Trains direct to Bolzano run at least every 2hr from Munich & Innsbruck or Verona.
From Bolzano station the route 180 bus makes the journey up & into the valley 8 times per day via Nova Levante & Carezza & finishing at Pozza di Fassa. See the route 180 bus timetable here.
If staying further up the valley from Pozza di Fassa, the regular route B101 bus goes the rest of the way up the valley to Campitello & Canazei. See the route B101 bus timetable here.
An alternative is taking a regional train south of Bolzano to Ora Auer stazione, then take the route 140 bus to Cavalese & change onto the B101 bus all the way to Canazei. Too many choices……!
Bus tickets are cheap & can be purchased from the driver. From Munich or Innsbruck to Bolzano or Milan & Venice via Verona to Bolzano, search & book train tickets.
Driving to Val di Fassa
Val di Fassa isn’t one of the easiest major Dolomites ski resorts to access by car, but it is far from the worst. From the major A22/E45 motorway that links Verona to Innsbruck, the journey into the Dolomites involves at least one major mountain pass – Passo Costalungo near Carezza.– a refreshing change for those with a nervous driving disposition. Tolls will need to be paid on all Italian ‘autostrade’ motorways. They are reasonably cheap comparative to France & booths with humans in them are always available if in doubt how to pay. A toll is required to be paid in Austria to traverse the Brenner Pass as well.
Driving from the north (Austria or Germany) involves a journey up & over the Brenner Pass. The truck traffic can seem overwhelming at times if the weather is poor on the Brenner but in general the trip into Italy is swift. From Innsbruck in winter conditions, the journey all the way up the valley to Canazei should take around 2.5hr. From the A22/E45 motorway, exit at Bolzano Nord then get onto the SS241 road. From the exit, climb up the valley to Nova Levante, past Carezza & the Passo Costalungo, then down into Pozza di Fassa. Driving time from the motorway exit all the way to Canazei is around 1hr & way less if staying lower in the valley. An alternative is via Val Gardena to Canazei, & whilst a spectacular drive, it involves alot more high-altitude winter driving. Travel time is similar though.
From Venice or Milan the A4 motorway cuts a swathe across almost the entire north of Italy & provides the simplest drive to Val Di Fassa. Exiting near Verona, the route joins the A22/E45 via Trento. Mid way between Trento & Bolzano, take the exit at Egna Ora Termeno, joining the SS48 road all the to Canazei via Cavalese, Moena, Pozza di Fassa & Campitello. The alternative is continuing to Bolzano & take the same route from the Bozen Nord exit as described above.
In good weather a quicker alternative from Venice is the spectacular 3hr trip through the southern Dolomites via Belluno, Agordo, Alleghe, under Marmolada through the Passo Fedaia to Alba & Canazei.
For hints, tips & warnings about driving to Italian ski resorts in winter, see our Travel in Italy page.
Car Rental & Hire
All the major airports & cities have car hire available. The closest rental locations to Val di Fassa is Bolzano & Trento, but by far the best deals & widest range of vehicles are at the highly competitive airports of Venice, Innsbruck, Munich & Milan Malpensa.
Search & book rental cars.
Driving in the Dolomites can be ‘interesting’. Ensure the rental car has winter tyres. If planning on a lot of driving, snow chains are also recommended.
Getting Around Val di Fassa
Once in the valley of the ski resort, the intricate ski lifts & pistes connect some of the towns & villages, but more important are the many ski buses which fill in all the gaps & link up the entire valley. Taxis are throughout the resort villages if desperate (i.e. tired, drunk or otherwise indisposed!).
Nearby Ski Resorts
Val di Fassa is interlinked with the major Dolomites ski resorts of Arabba Marmolada & Val Gardena. Further on by lift & piste is trail is Alta Badia ski resort. A host of other great Dolomites resorts are within striking distance.