Venice Essentials. How to Get to and Around Venice

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If you’re planning a visit to the famed city of canals and gondolas you might be thinking how on earth do I get to and around this strange floating island? First of all, let’s talk basics:

The Essentials: Venice at a Glance

• Currency: Euros
• Language: Italian/Venetian Dialect
• Drink: Spritz/Bellini’s
• Eat: Seafood! Cicchetti – Venetian style tapas
• Visit: Out of season to avoid the crowds, Feb-April, Sept-Nov, Carnival (late Feb/early March)
• Highlights: Piazza San Marco, Doges Palace, Bridge of Sighs, Ponte di Rialto
• My personal recommendations: Burano island, Dorsoduro and Cannaregio sestieres, Ponte dell’Accademia…

Read my top ten things to do in Venice for more on these highlights!

Basic Italian

Getting To Venice

By Plane

Venice has two airports, Marco Polo close by and Treviso airport which is further away.

Treviso Airport

• Sadly there’s no scenic route to this airport – you have to take the bus to Piazzale Roma. If possible I recommend flying in to Marco Polo so you can see Venice for the first time from the water – a far more magical experience!
• Only Ryanair and Wizzair fly to Treviso so on the plus side it’s a fairly small and straightforward airport. It’s also worth remembering when booking your flights if you want to fly to Marco Polo don’t book with Ryanair.
• To get to/from the airport: Atvo buses run to match up with Ryanair flight times. From Piazzale Roma they generally run on the hour from 6am -7pm. You can check their website for an up to date timetable. A single ticket costs €12,00. The buses clearly say Venice-Treviso on the side so you don’t need to worry about finding the right one! Journey time is 45 mins – 1 hr.
• If you’re flying in and out from different airports you need to make sure you know your route! (Guess what I didn’t!) If your flying home from Treviso knowing where Piazzale Roma is would be a good place to start! Even if you flew in from Treviso it will still be worth walking it in the opposite direction! Bear in mind that 12 minutes on google maps does not account for getting lost, hauling your suitcase over yet another bridge or taking early morning snaps of the canals! Venice can be a confusing city so make sure to leave extra time!
• Having said that I got on the bus with two minutes to spare so if you’re a laid back kind of traveller and you don’t want to spend your short time in Venice doing reccy’s then by all means follow my lead! (Just don’t blame me if you miss your flight!)

Marco Polo

• Main tip for this airport: plan your transfer in advance! Make a decision and ideally book online before you go.
• If you’re still weighing up the pros and cons of each mode of transportation when you arrive you will end up floundering!
• Because Venice transfers are a tricky one – do you go for broke on a private water taxi and arrive like the movie star you are? Or do you save your hard earned cash knowing that it’s just one boat ride?
• Private water taxis can be as much as €110,00!! But if you have the budget why not? Motoscafi private water taxis.
• A mid range option is the Venice Link boats. Note: if you want a shared water taxi you will need to book in advance!
• The Alilaguna public transport isn’t the most glamorous option, but you are still on your way to Venice in a boat for just €15,00!
• Again the best advice I can give is make a decision in advance!!
• It’s worth factoring in where your hotel is. Check to see if there’s a vaporetto stop on the airport route close to your accommodation. If so the Alilaguna is even better value for money. It does also depend on how many bridges you will have to lug your suitcases over to get there. If you’re far from a vaporetto stop a private taxi might be the easier option!
• When you enter the arrivals hall all the different boat companies have booths – if you’ve booked online you still need to exchange your voucher for a proper ticket. You then take the lift to the 1st floor and follow the blue signs for the boats. It’s very straightforward from there. Once you reach the dock there is a long line of boats so make sure you find the right one. The Alilaguna was a long walk down to the end.
• Another option is to take a bus or land taxi but those are the least enticing options! Plus you would have to find your way from Piazzale Roma as no buses or cars can go any further into Venice!

By Train

• Venice is on a major rail line served by local, regional and high speed trains.
• Don’t get off at Venezia-Mestre, get off at Venezia S.Lucia!
• You can take a vaporetto from just outside the station to journey up the grand canal.
• Check the Ferrovie dello Stato website for timetables and tickets.

Getting Around Venice

Obviously there are no cars, trains, taxis, whatever! In Venice you walk or you hop on a boat.

The vaporetto runs up and down the Grand Canal – this will probably be your main route in Venice. There are also other lines which can take you to islands such as San Giorgio Maggiore or further afield to Murano and Burano. And of course many more!

Be aware that it isn’t always obvious where/how to buy tickets for the vaporetto! Lots of the smaller stops don’t sell them so you need to find a larger stop such as Piazzale Roma, Ferrovia, Rialto or San Marco Vallaresso and Zaccaria. You can also get them from tobacco shops and newstands. The best option is to buy a multi–day ticket so you’re covered for your entire stay. Remember to swipe your ticket on the machines to validate it for each trip.

Europe For Visitors has lots of information on vaporetto routes and buying tickets.

Ticket Info

Travelling by Vaporetto

Routes in detail

Vaporettos can be a great way to see Venice by boat – especially if you don’t want to pay for an expensive gondola! Get a seat outside at the back for the best views.

The main mode of transportation you will use is walking so make sure you pack comfy shoes! Remember that google maps can be helpful but Venice revels in defying it. What may look like a simple place to get to may actually involve a labyrinth of twists and turns and crisscrossing over bridges! Signs saying Per San Marco or Per Rialto are a good marker for civilisation!

Top tip: Sometimes it’s good to put the maps away and let your feet guide you, look up and enjoy getting lost!

Venice might not be the simplest city to get around but is it worth it? Find out if Venice matched my high expectations!