Arriving in Venice by Car

From: Arriving in Venice

ABOVE: The Tronchetto parking garage is on an artifical island. It accommodates cars, RVs, and buses.

Arriving

Chances are, you'll be approaching Venice on the A4 Autostrada from the north or south. (If you're driving in on the A27 from Trieste, you'll merge with the A4 a few kilometers north of Mestre.)

From the south, use the central Mestre exit.

From the north, take the Mestre Est-Favorita exit.

Follow the signs to your destination, depending on whether you'd prefer to park on the mainland (which is easier) or at the edge of Venice's historic center (which can be easy or a nightmare, depending on whether traffic on the causeway is backed up).

Parking

To avoid high parking costs and traffic jams, it's best 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. You can then catch a train or bus into the city or (from San Giuliano) take the public boat.

If you're brave, well-heeled, or visiting in low season, cross the Ponte della Libertà (the bridge or causeway that connects Venice with the mainland) and try one of the following:

Autorimessa Comunale, the municipal garage at the Piazzale Roma. This is slightly cheaper than the private garages but tends to fill up with local residents' cars. From here, you can take a vaporetto to the Piazza San Marco or--better yet--walk and enjoy the sights along the way.

Tronchetto, an artificial island with its own ramp leading off from the causeway before you reach the Piazzale Roma. Once you've parked, you can take a vaporetto across to the city.

In the unlikely event that you're staying at a hotel on the Lido and want to take your car with you, head for Tronchetto as you approach the end of the causeway and take the automezzo, or car ferry, to the Lido. The ferry isn't cheap, but it's worth it if your hotel has free parking or if you plan to return to the mainland via the isthmus road to Chioggia.

For more information on reaching Venice and the Lido by automobile (including parking suggestions), see:

• Tronchetto Parking Garage veniceforvisitors.com
  Our article includes a booking link.
  
  
• How to get to Venice by Car (Comune di Venezia)
  This page on the Venice municipal Web site has autoroute directions, parking addresses, and more.
  

• Urbis Limen
  Use this site to reserve a space in advance at the city-owned Piazzale Roma garage and the much cheaper parking facility in Mestre. (Rates are shown in a pop-up window that can be slow to display on some computers.)
  

• Parking San Marco
  The Garage San Marco is on the Piazzale Roma. Rates are higher than at city-owned facilities, but some hotels have negotiated discount rates for guests.

• Venice-Lido Car Ferry article veniceforvisitors.com

• Hotels in Mestre and the Mainland veniceforvisitors.com

Next page: Arriving by ship

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Top inset photo copyright © Peugeot.