Flying into Marco Polo and other Venice, Italy Transportation Tips

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Venice Marco Polo airport is located at Tessera, some 8km north of Venice on the edge of the lagoon. Its the main airport for scheduled flights and also the budget airline Go (now part of Easyjet). NEW from summer 2005 Jet 2 (another budget airline) will fly from Manchester as well as Leeds Bradford to Venice Marco Polo. From here its a 20 min coach jouney (co-incides with flights) - Venice Express is a new bus service from Venice airport to Piazzale Roma. It is a direct, non-stop coach style bus that runs every 20 minutes. Look for a large blue bus outside the Arrivals area, under the Venice Express sign and digital clock.

Alternatively take a water bus for the scenic way to arrive in Venice proper (airport ferries approx 10 euro and private water taxis horrendously expensive comparitively - check before you board).

The airport website gives lots of useful info regarding flight arrivals and departures etc..

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.veniceairport.it/core/index.jsp?_requestid=118996&language=en#

'Mode': TO
Category: Ship/Boat
Getting TO/AROUND: Our visit in 2005 was the first time we had flown into Marco Polo. So here's my notes for water transfers to Venice: From Marco Polo Airpot ther is a free shuttle bus to the boat station - alternatively you can walk, will take about 5-10 mins and it is sheltered from the hot sun. Once there there are expensie motor boat taxis you can take if you have money to spare from the outset! Alternatively the Alilaguna boats run a service every 30 mins. There are the Rosa and Bleu lines which have slightly different routes but in the main they head to Murano first (Rosa line stops at Museo stop) then the Lido and then Venice itself. Ticket prices in 2005 were 10 euros each way or just 5 euros if staying on Murano as we were - and we were happy to have a short transfer time, as it can take up to 50 mins to arrive in Venice. Plenty of room for all the luggage too. Check the website link for more info.

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.alilaguna.it/

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Venice Treviso Airport is approximately 19 miles from Venice. Treviso's tiny Angeli Airport is used by Ryanair and a few other charter services to and from London. ATVO buses run from Venice's Piazzale Roma and back to coincide with flights. Phone 041 541 5180 for timetable information. (seea also web link below as other flights use connecting bus service) Just by the coach station at Piazzale Roma there is a handy chute for suitcases to be loaded onto water taxis as seen in this pic.

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.atvo.it/eng/airport.php?var=t

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: Most trains arrive at Santa Lucia station in the northwest corner of island Venice, though a few will only take you as far as Mestre on the mainland, where you will need to change to a local train (every five minutes or less during the day) for the ten-minute hop across the lagoon.

If arriving just for the day and need to leave luggage at the station simply go to platform 14 to the left luggage counter. Here you will be given a receipt when you habd over your 3 euros - abit extra if its left over 12 hours. Opening/closing hour are up til midnight and then then open again at 6am. Alternatively luggage lockers (various sizes and prices) can be used.

Leave a Comment

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Ship/Boat
Getting TO/AROUND: Exploring Venice on foot to see the hidden, off the beaten path Venice is essential. When you are tired of walking hop on the number 1 ACTV ferry boat for a relaxing journey down the Grand Canal and just soak in all that architecture. There is an extensive network of ferries all around Venice with a frequent timetable that extends late into the night too.
Check out the excellent website (see link below) for timetable details.

The 3 day ticket (19 Euros) is excellent value even if you only uses the ferries moderately in that time and can also be used to visit the lagoon islands and the Lido - single or return tickets work out comparitively dearer . A weekly ticket (31 Euros) is even better value if you are here for a longer spell.

The single water bus fare is € 3,50 for one journey on the Venice network, excluding the Alilaguna, Fusina, LineaBlu, Clodia lines and Actv routes along the Grand Canal. Single tickets can also be bought on board. In this case, however, it must be requested from the attendant on boarding. A one-day return water bus ticket may be bought for € 6,00 and is valid until midnight on the day it is first stamped, and only along the Grand Canal.
The fare for a shuttle journey from one stop to the next one across the Grand Canal, or on the section between Lido and S. Elena, or S. Giorgio and S. Zaccaria, is € 1,80.

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.hellovenezia.com/jspvenezia/htmlincludes/pdf/orario_navigazione_est_07.pdf

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Ship/Boat
Getting TO/AROUND: Gondolas are overpriced and tourist traps (IMHO) so to travel like a true venetian local then cross the Canal Gande by "traghetti" - almost as good as a gondola.
There are several routes availbale:
between Ferrovia (station) and Fondamenta S.Simeon Piccolo
between S.Marcuola and Fontego dei Turchi
between S.Sofia (Ca'd'Oro) and Rialto market
between riva del Carbon and riva del Vin a Rialto
between S.Tomà and S.Angelo
between S.Samuele and S.Barnaba
between S.Maria del Giglio and calle del Traghetto in Dorsoduro
tra la punta della Dogana de Mar e S.Marco-calle Vallaresso

The longest and probably most useful is the one between S.Tomà e S.Angelo. Best of all you only have to spend about 1 euro!! These gondolas are slightly different to the others and are called "parada".

Well I confess I only tried this out during our visit in Sept 2005 - and I found it a bit scary and had to sit down, not stand like the locals would. My mistake was getting in first - the traghetto was more unstable and I thought I would end up in the canal! So an extra tip here is to be one of the last to get in when people in already are balancing the traghetto :-S

Leave a Comment