The staff at Otels hope you enjoy the following transportation tips
on your next visit to this magical city of canals!
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Marco Polo Intercontinental Airport (VCE)
This newly renovated airport (www.veniceairport.it) sits on the mainland facing the Venetian lagoon, in the small town of Tessera just 6 km (4 miles) north of Venice and Mestre. At the passenger terminal you will find cafes, a Bancomat (ATM machine), and foreign currency exchange shops. From the airport, you have several options to get into Venice:
At the Alilaguna ticket booth in the Arrivals
area, you can purchase a 10 Euro ($12) ticket for an enjoyable 70-minute boat ride to Piazza San Marco.
These boats run every half hour until a few minutes after midnight. (A free shuttle
takes you from the Arrivals area to the Alilaguna boat pier
or simply walk 3 minutes to get there.)
map of Alilaguna routes
["Red Line" Alilaguna boats
speed across the lagoon to Murano (Venice's island of
glassblowers) at the "Murano Museo" stop ... then continue to the Lido (the beach resort island of
Venice, facing the Adriatic)... before heading for "Arsenale", then 2 stops
near Piazza San Marco ... and finally "Zattere" (on Dorsoduro island,
facing the Giudecca Canal.]["Blue Line" Alilaguna boats follow two lengthier routes. One stops on Murano (but at the "Murano Colonna" stop) and then detours south to "Fondamenta Nuove" on its way to S. Zaccaria and San Marco, while the other offers a shuttle service between San Marco and the Stazione Marittima cruise terminal.]
["Gold Line" Alilaguna boats are a new express route the company has added between the Airport and Piazza San Marco. It is more expensive (25 Euros for adults, with a discount for children). These boats depart the airport at 09.25, 10.25, 11.25, 12.25, 13.25, 15.25 ... and leave San Marco at 06.00, 07.45, 08.25, 09.25, 10.25, 11.25, 12.25, 14.25.]
Groups or those in a hurry may prefer to hire a water taxi directly to their hotel, which often takes
only 30 minutes. (Negotiate the fare
before boarding these boats, as this private service may cost 80 Euros (US$110) or
more, depending on the location of your hotel location and any excess luggage.
Share a ride with other travelers and split the fare.)
Those heading for the west side of Venice (as opposed to San Marco in the
center) may instead want to take the 25-minute ride on the new
Venice Express Bus (a large blue bus costing 3 Euros) or a public airport
bus (ACTV or ATVO) (costing 1.5 Euros) to reach the
Piazzale Roma, the transportation hub in Venice which brings buses and
taxis into Venice after crossing the 7-mile causeway from the
mainland. (Note: If you opt for an airport bus, you might want to
purchase the Venice Card, which offers
unlimited transportation by public autobus or water bus, known
as vaporetto, for 1, 3, or 7 days. See below.)
Note: Those needing to stay near Marco Polo Airport should ideally remain on the mainland and reserve a hotel near Mestre ... or stay near the Piazzale Roma in Venice, since there are no hotels at Marco Polo Airport itself. (To make reservations at a hotel 1 km from the airport, click on the "Marco Polo Airport" category at the left side of our www.VeniceHotels.net page.)
Treviso Airport (TSF) &
Brescia Airport Treviso Airport (www.trevisoairport.it) is 19 miles (30 km) northwest of Venice in Ancillotto, and serves budget airlines such as Ryanair and Transavia (formerly Basiq-Air). Nearby are scenic villas of the Veneto region. From here, ATVO Eurobus runs blue buses to and from Venice (bus station at Piazzale Roma) coinciding with flight arrivals and departures; the ride takes 70 minutes each way and the fare is €5 one-way or €9 roundtrip. (Note: Before crossing the causeway into Venice, these buses pause for 2 stops on the mainland in Mestre, an industrial suburb of Venice: at the Mestre train station and the "Piazza 27 Ottobre". From the Mestre railroad station, you can catch high-speed through trains to other cities in Italy.) Once in Venice at Piazzale Roma, there is a platform for boarding a vaporetto (water bus).
Brescia Airport (www.aeroportobrescia.it) is a smaller airport 2 hours northwest of Venice by train and serves budget airlines such as Ryanair. Treviso Airport, in a city that lies 19 miles or 30 km from Venice.
Reaching Venice by train
Trains arrive at the Stazione Ferrovia "Santa Lucia", a modern railway station in Venice just over the causeway from Mestre (the closest town on the mainland). For train times, visit www.trenitalia.com. As you leave the station's main entrance, you will see the floating waterbus (vaporetto) platforms. Buy a ticket before boarding either the No. 1 vaporetto, which makes stops all along the Grand Canal all the way to San Marco and beyond to Lido, or the No. 82 express boat to San Marco. Make sure you are going in the right direction -- for instance, toward Piazza San Marco -- unless you're staying in one of the outlying districts. Or if you are feeling energetic after a long train ride, walk through the city!
Note: From the Mestre railroad station (back on the mainland), you can catch high-speed through trains to other cities in Italy.
By vaporetto (water bus) Fares for adults on these water shuttles around Venice's waterways have recently risen to €6 (US$8). Children up to age 12 are half-price. Going from one stop to the next across the Grand Canal, known as "traghetto", still costs only €2 however. This often saves time instead of walking to the nearest bridge.
There are a dozen routes, including the No. 1 vaporetto making stops at every place on the Grand Canal ... from Piazzale Roma and Santa Lucia train station ("Ferrovia") in the west to Piazza San Marco and eventually Lido Island on the east). The No. 82 vaporetto is an "express" boat (leaving Piazzale Roma and the train station, then stopping only at major points on the Grand Canal, such as Piazza San Marco, before looping back, including one route along Giudecca island). No. 41 travels counter-clockwise around Venice (avoiding the Grand Canal), stopping at Giudecca island, Piazza San Marco, Murano, Fondamenta Nuove and Piazzale Roma ... while No. 42 travels the same circle, but clockwise. The No. 51 vaporetto also travels a circular route clockwise, with stops including Piazzale Roma, Ferrovia, Tre Archi, Fondamenta Nuove, Ospedale (the hospital), and Lido ... while No. 52 vaporetto travels the same circle, but counter-clockwise.
Be sure to punch your tickets in the little yellow box when you board any vaporetto. If you plan to use public transportation often, the Venice Card for 1, 2, 3, or 7 days may be worthwhile. (As of 2007, a 24-hour pass costs €15 and a 2-day pass costs €25.) There is also a Venice Card Orange, which is more expensive, but includes discounted admission to the Doge's Palace and other municipal museums. For more details, visit www.venicecard.it
Note: "
Water
taxis"
are smaller private boats you can hire at many canal
docks. They are much more expensive than a "water bus" (vaporetto),
but their fares are regulated. Finally, gondolas
are another private (and romantic) option. You can even hop on a public
gondola ferry to cross the Grand Canal in seven places. 
By carApproach Venice on the A4 Autostrada. (If driving in on the A27 from Trieste, you'll merge with the A4 a few kilometers north of Mestre.) Use the central Mestre exit if you're coming from the south. From the north, take the Mestre Est-Favorita exit. To avoid high parking costs and traffic jams, it's advisable to park in Mestre -- either next to the railroad station or in the San Giuliano lot, which is near the water as you head toward Venice. Then catch a train or bus into the city or take the public boat (from San Giuliano). Otherwise, cross the Ponte della Libertà (the bridge / causeway that connects Venice with the mainland) and find parking in the Autorimessa Comunale, the municipal garage at the Piazzale Roma.
By ship
Those arriving on a cruise ship or ferry will come in to the main Stazione Marittima basin and the San Basilio pier (which serves smaller ships and river vessels).
By Bus
Buses arrive into Venice at Piazzale Roma (a transportation hub and plaza on the west side of the island group), located only 300 meters from the Santa Lucia train station. Here at Piazzale Roma, there is a platform for boarding a vaporetto (water bus) to reach other areas of Venice. And if you are catching a flight, express buses depart from here to both Marco Polo as well as Treviso airports.
By foot
Venice is not too large a city and is a pleasure to walk through. Even if you take the water buses, be prepared to walk 5 or 10 minutes to reach your hotel from the nearest canal dock. Those with light luggage will find their careful packing time well spent, especially when walking up and down the many small bridges! Water buses may also charge extra for large amounts of luggage. Here is a short glossary to help you understand street signs in Venice:
