From 6 to 22 February takes place Milano Cortina 2026, a Winter Olympic Games with two souls: the urban one, in Milan, and the alpine one, spread across several valleys in northern Italy. This formula allows the event to rely on existing venues (more efficient and environmentally friendly), but it also stretches the map like few editions before: changing discipline can mean changing region, hotel and, above all, planning.
For a media outlet, the logistical plan cannot be improvised: if the aim is to follow skating in the city while also covering alpine skiing, snowboard or biathlon, the coverage requires several correspondents and an almost shift-based operation. The very distribution into “clusters” forces different base camps, because trying to be everywhere at once is simply not realistic, either in time or budget.
Games where you choose a base, not a hotel on the fly
The spectator faces the same dilemma, with less room for manoeuvre. Either stay in Milan to make the most of ice events and ceremonies, or settle in the mountains to experience the snow disciplines up close. Jumping from venue to venue may sound appealing on paper, but the road rules everything. Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo are about 370 kilometres apart by road, a transfer that already turns any double session into a long day.
From there, the “perfect route” depends on the sport. Bormio and Livigno are relatively close to each other, which makes it easier to combine alpine skiing and park disciplines, while the Cortina–Anterselva axis is short in kilometres but not necessarily simple in terms of timing if sessions are chained together. The message, in any case, is the same: choose carefully, avoid improvisation, and have your own vehicle if the goal is to mix disciplines on consecutive days.
Distances that make you think like a press team
The official list of venues confirms this dispersion: Milan concentrates ice events, Cortina hosts women’s alpine skiing, curling and sliding sports, and the rest of the mountain venues are divided between Valtellina (Bormio and Livigno), Val di Fiemme (Predazzo and Tesero) and Anterselva for biathlon. The countdown for each day here is measured in minutes behind the wheel and in prior decisions: where to sleep, which tickets to buy and which two venues, at most, are compatible on the same day.
There is also an added detail: even the ceremonies are spread out. The closing ceremony takes place at the Arena de Verona, another point added to the overall itinerary. For a special correspondent, it is one last change of city; for the spectator, one more choice that shapes the end of the trip.
The name of these Games is no coincidence… Milano-Cortina. Below, we list the different venues and the road distances between them as a guide and context to understand how complex the map of these Winter Games is. Taking into account, in addition, that many of those kilometres run along mountain roads.
Venues, sports and road distances
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Milan (Lombardy)
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San Siro Olympic Stadium: ceremony
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Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena: ice hockey
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Ice Skating Arena: figure skating, short track
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Ice Park: speed skating, ice hockey
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Cortina d’Ampezzo (Veneto)
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Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre: alpine skiing
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Curling Olympic Stadium: curling
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Sliding Centre: bobsleigh, skeleton, luge
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Bormio (Lombardy)
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Stelvio Ski Centre: alpine skiing, ski mountaineering
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Livigno (Lombardy)
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Snow Park: snowboard, freestyle skiing
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Aerials & Moguls Park: freestyle skiing
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Anterselva (Trentino-Alto Adige)
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Biathlon Arena: biathlon
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Val di Fiemme (Trentino-Alto Adige)
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Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium: ski jumping, Nordic combined
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Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium: cross-country skiing, Nordic combined
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Verona (Veneto)
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Arena de Verona: closing ceremony
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Approximate road distances between main venues
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Milan ↔ Cortina d’Ampezzo: 369 km
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Milan ↔ Bormio: 195 km
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Milan ↔ Livigno: 205 km
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Milan ↔ Predazzo: 282 km
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Predazzo ↔ Tesero: 9 km
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Predazzo ↔ Cortina d’Ampezzo: 84 km
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Livigno ↔ Cortina d’Ampezzo: 236 km
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Bormio ↔ Livigno: 35 km
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Cortina d’Ampezzo ↔ Anterselva: 49 km
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Milan ↔ Verona: 138 km
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Verona ↔ Cortina d’Ampezzo: 233 km
