Driving to Cortina d'Ampezzo: tolls, fuel & road trip guide

Cortina d'Ampezzo is the best-known mountain resort of the Italian Dolomites, a town on the Boite river in the province of Belluno, Veneto, ringed by the Tofane, Cristallo, Sorapiss and Cinque Torri peaks. It belongs to Ladinia, the area of the Ladin language and culture; it was ruled by Venice from 1420 and then mostly by the Habsburgs from 1508 until 1918. Cortina hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics and, together with Milan, the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the Dolomites around it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. Expedia's autumn 2026 data ranked it among Europe's fastest-rising destinations, with searches up 115%.

For a road trip Cortina makes a natural Dolomites detour between the Grossglockner and Innsbruck: the drive runs through East Tyrol and the Puster Valley via Toblach/Dobbiaco, then back north over the Brenner. Park at the edge of the centre and walk the car-free Corso Italia, then use the town as a base for the high passes and the Tre Cime toll road at Misurina. In the shoulder season between autumn and winter many lifts and mountain huts close and high passes can see early snow, so check opening dates and carry winter equipment.

Top attractions

Corso Italia & Basilica of Saints Philip and James

The car-free main street is lined with shops, cafés and mountain views, and is anchored by the parish basilica built between 1769 and 1775 on the site of two earlier churches, with its tall bell tower rising above the town.

Tofane & the Freccia nel Cielo cable car

The Tofane massif rises west of town, and the Freccia nel Cielo ("Arrow in the Sky") lift system climbs from Cortina almost to the top of Tofana di Mezzo, leaving a short walk to the summit. The Olimpia delle Tofane slope hosted the 1956 men's downhill. Lifts run seasonally, so check the timetable.

Cinque Torri & the Great War open-air museum

The "Five Towers" are a cluster of rock pinnacles southwest of Cortina. The area was a front line between Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops in the First World War, and restored trenches and shelters now form an open-air museum, part of the wider Great War routes towards Lagazuoi.

Tre Cime di Lavaredo & Lake Misurina

Northeast of Cortina, Lake Misurina (1,754 m) hosted the 1956 Olympic speed skating on natural ice. From there a toll road climbs to Rifugio Auronzo below the three battlement-like peaks, whose Cima Grande reaches 2,999 m; the classic loop walk circles them via the Lavaredo and Locatelli huts.

Passo Giau

This 2,236 m pass links Cortina with Colle Santa Lucia and Selva di Cadore, crossing open alpine pasture at the foot of Nuvolau and Averau. The top looks out to the the Marmolada and the Tofane, making it one of the most scenic drives around Cortina.

Musei delle Regole d'Ampezzo

Run by the Regole, the valley's historic community land trust, the three museums are the Rinaldo Zardini Palaeontology Museum of local Dolomite fossils, an ethnographic museum in a restored Venetian sawmill, and the Mario Rimoldi Modern Art Museum, with over 800 works by 20th-century Italian artists.

Driving to Cortina d'Ampezzo

Road charges in Italy

No motorway vignette or environmental sticker is required for passenger cars in Italy; motorways are free or distance-tolled.

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Mandatory equipment in Italy

Driving distances from Cortina d'Ampezzo

ToRoad kmDrive time
Venice1652 h 21 min
Bologna3064 h 22 min
Florence4105 h 51 min
Pisa4676 h 40 min
Siena4927 h 02 min
Montepulciano4997 h 08 min
Pienza5027 h 10 min
Assisi5037 h 11 min

Fuel prices in Italy

Petrol 95 €2.02/L · Diesel €2.24/L (2026-10-12)

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