MILAN — Traveling to Italy for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics is already far for many international fans. Most Olympic spectators have to save up for years to be able to attend one Olympic Games. But to add to that, if they want to travel to different venues, it will likely include really long day trips or multiple mini trips.
The travel inconvenience for these Olympics is harder than any other Winter Games, but the views and elite-level competition make it all worthwhile.
For those traveling from Milan to Cortina, the itinerary must be planned in advance because of limited housing options. To stay one night near the Cortina venues, it costs thousands of dollars for one hotel room. As a result, most fans are staying a few hours away from Cortina.
In order to go from one of the host cities to the other, fans have to take a tram, bus or train from where they are staying to the Milan Centrale train station. Next, depending on how far away the hotel or Airbnb is, people will likely have to take a two-hour or longer bullet train towards the mountains. Then, each morning, fans, family or friends of athletes, or media members take long bus rides up to the Cortina venue, where skeleton, Women’s Super G, curling, bobsledding and luge competitions are being held.
Chaira Rossetti is from Venice, Italy, and is studying at PoliMi University in Milan. She’s been enjoying following the Olympics so far in her home country.
“I like skiing, so I like to see the people that ski and to see the sports because I love sports,” she said.
However, Rossetti can tell how hard it is for international fans trying to watch different Winter Olympic sporting events in different cities across Italy.
“I think it makes it difficult for people because if it is just in one place in one city, you can go around [easily],” she said. “If they were only in Milan, you could just go in Milan and maybe you could be able to see the events in person, but with it like this, it is difficult because sports, like hockey, are in Milan but the others are in Cortina and Bormio.”
Maddie Hitschue and Anna Laible are part of eight students from UNC who are experiencing the travel difficulties first-hand. They are taking a two-and-a-half-hour train to Mestre, where their hotel is (around 10 minutes outside Venice).
From there, every morning they take a two and a half hour bus at 7 a.m. to Cortina and another two and a half hour bus ride back to Mestre in the late afternoon.
They’re repeating this complicated travel schedule for four days in a row.
While the travel might be a hassle for those attending the Olympics, if they can make it up to the mountain villages or ski towns, the experience is well worth the travel challenge.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW