How to get to Venice on your own: from Marco Polo Airport and Mestre, other places (cities and countries)? Routes, travel time, prices 2026? How to reach Venice by train, bus, car, what you need to know – tells Eurotraveler.
Venice is a city of dreams. A visit to which for many is on the list of the most tempting places on the planet at number TWO – approximately immediately after Paris.
However, due to the city’s location in the lagoon (it’s called the “City on the Water” for nothing), many suspect that getting to Venice is not easy. That is, it’s not that difficult – it’s expensive, boats and all sorts of ferries associated with them immediately pop up in my mind.
In fact, this is far from the case: As with any major European city, Venice can be reached by literally any type of public transport. To fly by plane, to get by train, bus or car, and yes – to sail by boat or “water bus”.
You need to know that Venice is served by two airports:
- named after Marco Polo, who is in the immediate vicinity
- and the second, named after Antonio Canova, he is stationed near Treviso.
The Canal City also has its own Santa Lucia train station. Which trains arrive from almost all cities in Italy, as well as from other countries.
There is nothing easier than to get to Venice by bus: as from Marco Polo airport, so, for example, from Mestre or Milan in general.
The La Serenessima bus station is located across the bridge (Santiago Calatrava) from the railway station at Piazzale Roma.
The most natural way, of course, is the waterway – from Marco Polo to Venice you can take both a regular Alilaguna water bus and a taxi boat.
As for how to get to Venice by car and where to park, we’ll get to that too… but a little later! First, let’s look at all the other (much more in-demand) options.
How to Get from Marco Polo
Yes, the main Venetian airport is located on the continent, and there is still a way to get from it to the “City on the Water” itself. But it’s not that hard to do it yourself!
The most democratic, cheapest and most efficient way to get to the center of Venice from Marco Polo is… bus.
There are two routes:
- “regular” bus 5, with stops (see the schedule here)
- bus “express” 35 only from the airport to the Rome Square (and its timetable is here).
The first one can spend up to half an hour on the road, the second one will take you to the city in just 20 minutes. Buses run from 4.20-4.30 am to 0.40 am, one-way ticket costs €10, round trip – €18.
You can save money by purchasing an airport transfer ticket plus a vaporetto pass in Venice (as well as all other modes of transport) for 1, 2, 3 or 7 days. Since in 2026 you need to pay €32 for a 24-hour subscription, and €52 for a 3-day subscription.
Detailed up-to-date information on this subject is available here – www.veneziaunica.it/en/e-commerce/services.
Alilaguna
If you immediately decide to immerse yourself in the local “marine” atmosphere, then, obviously, you will decide to get to Venice by water, on the Alilaguna company boat. There are three main routes, which are color-coded for clarity.
The route with the letter A (Arancio or orange) completely ignores the island of Murano. And you should go straight to the Madonna dell’Orto pier.
Then he makes his way to the Grand Canal and ends up at the Santa Maria del Giglio stop. That is, a couple of blocks from San Marco.
Travel time from the airport is 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Route R (Rosso, red) first intends to get to the island of Murano in Venice (stop Museo), then it docks at the islands of Certosa and Lido. After that, it also stops at the embankment near the Doge’s Palace and sails through the Giudecca Canal to the ferry terminal on Tronchetto Island.
The Alilaguna boats with the letter B (Blue, light blue) on the bow follow an approximately similar route. But they finish it on Giudecca Island, that is, a little earlier.
There is also another line, V (Verde, that is, green). But her tasks are different, sightseeing.
Detailed routes, schedules, and ticket prices are available on the official website: www.alilaguna.it.
Have you heard something about the night route, which is expected to be marked N? Alas, this is a line of internal Venetian transport, a vaporetto.
And she has no stops at Venice airport, but only turns along the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal.
Taxi
This option is addressed to those who arrive in Venice in the dead of night, when public transport is fast asleep. Or those who intend to afford unnecessary expenses on vacation, but providing additional comfort.
There is no need to look at the schedule – you order a water taxi from the airport to Venice. Then you swim, look around, and gradually realize that you have arrived in an unrealistically beautiful, fantastic place!
It’s a bit difficult to do this at night. But it comforts the mind to think that you will get there quickly.
Note that a taxi can also take passengers to the ferry terminal, Tronchetto. But we recommend that you choose Rome Square as your destination.
A much more lively place (even at night), where all the main routes of the Venetian water bus converge. Including lines 1, 2 and night (N) route.
You can get to the center (St. Mark’s Square) by vaporetto No. 1 (long) and 2 (fast) “through the Grand Canal or the Giudecca.” Learn more about how not to get lost and see as many attractions as possible in our itineraries – where to go in Venice in 3 days.
Well, or for a little more – after all, everyone chooses for himself how long he needs to stay…
How to Get from Treviso
Some low-cost airlines also use Antonio Canova Airport in Treviso as a hub – it is located 30 km north of Venice. To get to the “Canal City” after exiting the terminal of this airport terminal, you need to take an ATVO bus to Piazzale Roma (once again, this is next to Santa Lucia train Station).
The trip lasts just over an hour, along the way there are 2 stops in Mestre (on the main square and near the train station).
The first bus leaves around 8 a.m., the last one at the beginning of 11 p.m. The timetable is available here, a one-way ticket in 2026 costs €12 (round trip – €20).
To use the railway, you will first have to get to the Treviso City Bus station. Then walk from there to the train station and take the train to Venice.
This option is not suitable for citizens in a hurry, as they will have to spend more than 2 hours on the road. But for those who would like to see Treviso in 1 day (in a few hours), it’s worth thinking about!
How to Get There by Train
There are not many direct international trains arriving at the main station, Santa Lucia. For example, there is a train from Munich, which is on the road for about 7 hours. You will have to transfer from other cities in Germany.
It will require a transplant or two
a rail rip to Venice from Nice, Dijon, Paris, Lyon, Dutch Amsterdam or Swiss Bern.
A trip from London will last about 13-14 hours, and the tourist will have to change trains twice (in Paris and Turin).
If you choose an Italian city as your departure point, there will be significantly less hassle. If you plan to take the train to Venice from Rome, then at best you will spend 3 hours and 45 minutes on the road (Frecciarossa).
The Intercity train, which is much more leisurely but also very comfortable, will spend 2 hours more on the road, but it will also be cheaper. The easiest way to view the schedule and estimate the cost of tickets is here: www.trenitalia.com/en.html.
A non-stop train ride from Milan to Venice will take 2 hours and 25 minutes, and you can get from Turin in 3 hours and 40 minutes.
By Tram
Few people know about this, but you can get from Mestre to Venice by direct tram route T1. By purchasing a regular (valid 75-minute) public transport ticket for 1.5 euros and spending about 20 minutes on the way from the center of Mestre to the Venetian Piazzale Roma.
It is worth remembering that the T1 tram does not enter the Mestre Railway station. The current schedule should be checked on the official website of the carrier – actv.avmspa.it/attachments/pdf/UM/U-T_1.pdf.
And yes, you probably know that staying at a hotel in Mestre will save you a lot. For our part, we recommend the Hotel Delle Rose, located near the tram stop and from the supermarket (with inexpensive products)…
By Bus
From Mestre to Venice, you can take the regular route No. 2, departing from the train station.: 15 minutes on the way, the ticket costs €1.5 (valid for 75 minutes). The bus arrives at Piazzale Roma.
You can easily get to Venice from other Italian cities by intercity bus. For example, from:
- Milan, by Flixbus company. A direct bus from the bus station of the capital of Lombardy runs from 3.5 to 4 hours. The ticket costs €12-13 if you travel in the morning, and only €8-10 if you travel in the middle of the day. Arrives at Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto Island. Continue to San Marco by vaporetto 2 (via the Grand Canal or by going in the opposite direction, via Giudecca)
- Rome, by company Buscenter.it. Vehicles depart from the Tiburtina bus station and arrive at Tronchetto after 6 hours and 45 minutes on the road. The ticket costs from €25
- Turin, by Flixbus company. Departs from Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, arrives at the ferry terminal 7 hours later. It costs several times cheaper than a train (from €15).
By Car
This way of traveling (by coaches) around Europe is becoming more and more popular every new year. Which is not surprising!
Naturally, at the same time it is a convenient, very comfortable and inexpensive way to travel to Venice (you can argue with this when you see the parking rates).
It is somewhat more labor-intensive compared to air travel or rail travel, but it also promises to receive much more vivid impressions.
We wrote in great detail about how to travel to Italy by car from Central and Northern Europe, even Russia, and therefore we will not repeat ourselves here. Let’s just note that car trips on Italian roads are not cheap.
This is because fares on local toll highways inspire respect and awe. And for another reason – the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel in Italy is one of the highest in Europe.
For example, to get from the border with Austria (Villach) to Venice (250 km) on toll highways (up to 130 km / h) you will have to pay under 20 euros. And a liter of fuel at a gas station near such roads costs more than €2.2.
Savings
The time difference compared to driving on freeways in Italy (in cities there is a limit of 30-50 km / h) will be from an hour to several hours. The travel time, if you travel from Milan (via the toll highway), will be:
- from Milan (270 km): 3 hours 40 minutes
- from Rome: (538 km): 6 hours
The trip along the free regional highways is slightly longer in mileage (+50-70 km). A service for planning car trips with distances and prices: viamichelin.com.
Parking on Tronchetto in 2026 costs €29 for 24 hours. And the same amount for each subsequent day.
There are many places, including in multi-level garages. You will have to pay from €35 per day for a parking space near Piazzale Roma.
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© Eurotraveler
