If you're boarding a cruise ship in Venice, the simplest way to get between the airport and the ship is to buy a transfer from your cruise line. This can be expensive, however, and many passengers resent having to pay hefty prices for a 20-minute ride by chartered coach. In this article, we'll tell you how to reach the cruise terminals on your own by bus or land taxi and by boat or water taxi.

San Basilio photo

ABOVE: San Basilio (the smaller of Venice's two main cruise terminals) is next to a vaporetto stop. INSET BELOW: The quays at Marittima.

Stazione Marittima photo Before deciding how to reach the cruise terminal, you'll need to know where your ship will be moored. Megaships and other large vessels of cruise lines such as Costa, MSC, Princess, and Holland America normally use the main Marittima terminal. Smaller ships often use San Basilio, especially on Saturdays at busy times of the year when Marittima may not have any vacant berths.

Important:

If you're arriving in Venice by ship and need transportation to the airport, simply follow our directions in reverse.
This article focuses on transportation between the airport and the cruise terminals. If you're arriving or departing by train, use the new glass-and-metal Ponte di Constituzione pedestrian bridge to get from Venice Santa Lucia Station to the taxi stands at the Piazzale Roma. (Alternatively, you can take a land taxi between the Piazzale Roma and the Venice Mestre railroad station on the mainland.)
If you're arriving in Venice a day or two before your cruise, or if you're staying in Venice afterwards, you may find it convenient to book a hotel room near the Piazzale Roma instead of lugging your bags to another part of the city. See Venice Cruise Terminal Hotels and Venice Airport Hotels for suggestions. Another option--which works especially well if you've got bulky luggage--is to stay in Mestre, on the Venetian mainland, and take a cab to your ship. For details, read our Venice Travel Blog post, "Mestre for Venice Cruise Passengers."
Our other articles about Venice cruises and Venice local transportation may be helpful when you're planning your trip. And now, on to the next page:

Next page: By land: Airport buses and taxis

In this article:

Getting to the port - Introduction

By land - Airport buses, taxis

By water - Airport boats, water taxis

Also see:

Transportation from the Venice Cruise Port (arriving passengers)

Venice for Cruisers - Index of cruising articles

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Hotel Advice:

Location can be important in a car-free city with 400+ bridges, especially when you're walking with luggage. Before you book, see:

Hotel Recomendations by Area
Find hotels that are handy to the airport, railroad station, cruise port, or Piazza San Marco, and in Mestre.

Aerial Venice Hotels
Read our tips on choosing the right sestiere or district. Then view individual hotels and their surroundings in large satellite photos and aerial close-ups.

MSC cruise ship in Venice

Venice for Cruisers:

Venice canal reflections

From our Venice Travel Blog:

A water taxi ride to Venice Airport
A warning about water taxis
Venice Railroad Station: a vaporetto view
Long lines at Venice Airport
Free boat trips to Murano
Need to pee? Prepare to pay
Crime in Venice
The perils of overpacking
Venetian daily life

Maggie in Venice

From Maggie in Venice:

A dog's life in Venice
A Beagle boards a water bus
Maggie in Venice video clips