Venice for Cruisers
ABOVE: MSC Poesia (see our
MSC Eastern Mediterranean cruise review) comes up the Giudecca Canal on its way to Istanbul.
Venice,
Italy is one of the most popular cruise ports in Southern Europe, and
it's tied with Rome's
Civitavecchia as
the busiest port in Italy.
The city
is located within the Venetian Lagoon, which has a port entrance that leads to
the Adriatic Sea. Its cruise-ship piers are on the edge of the
historic center, and Venice's Marco Polo Airport is only about 6 km or 4 miles
away. (See our
Venice
Satellite Photo Map for a geographic overview. Our
Aerial Venice: Cruise Port photos will
also come in handy.)
For more information on Venice's cruise terminals, ground
transportation, and other cruising topics, please read these articles:
| If you're ready to cruise: |
| If you're thinking about a
cruise: |
| Our European cruising
site: |
Important tips:
-
The Port of Venice often provides free shuttle buses from
the Piazzale Roma (where land taxis and
Venice airport buses discharge
passengers) to the pier and back. The buses are coaches with luggage space
underneath, and they typically run at half-hour intervals from the time the ship
disembarks one batch of passengers until boarding of new passengers is
complete. Check with your cruise line to learn if a shuttle will be
available.
-
If you're staying in Venice before or after your cruise, we
strongly urge you to read our
Venice Cruise Terminal Hotels
article before booking a hotel room.
-
Do not assume that your
cruise-travel
agent knows Venice: We often get panicky e-mails from cruisers who have been
booked into hotels that are a long distance on foot (or a painfully
expensive water-taxi ride) from the cruise piers.
More transportation advice:
Arriving in Venice
How to reach the city by plane, train, car, or ship, with links to articles on
airport transportation and related topics.
Getting Around
Venice
An introduction to Venice's water transportation system, with links to articles
on vaporetti, gondolas, traghetto ferries across the Grand Canal,
etc.
Accessible Venice
If you use a wheelchair, can't walk long
distances, or have trouble with steps (e.g., on bridges), read this article
before you arrive in Venice. The article includes links to special maps and
other local resources in English.
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