Ponte della Liberta, Mestre to Venice Mestre and its neighbor, Marghera, are districts of the Comune di Venezia, a.k.a. the city of Venice. They're located on the Italian mainland at the foot of the Ponte della Libertà, the causeway that runs approximately 4 km or 2.6 miles to the historic center of Venice, which is a cluster of 100 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon.

Many tourists choose to stay in Mestre (or, sometimes, in Marghera) to save money on hotels, to avoid parking and luggage-hauling hassles, or to be close to the Venezia Mestre Railroad Station, which is the Venice stop for many long-distance and international through trains. If you're among these visitors, you needn't feel guilty or worried about your choice: Mestre and Marghera are far more pleasant than most guidebooks and travel sites will tell you.

In the following pages, we'll take you on an informal--and somewhat random--virtual walking tour through Mestre and Marghera. We hope you'll find our photos and detailed captions helpful in visualizing the Venetian mainland before your trip.

Suggestion: If you haven't already done so, look at the list of articles on our Mestre home page, which cover such topics as where to stay in Mestre and Marghera, how to commute from Venice to Mestre by train, buses to Mestre from Venice Marco Polo Airport, and the convenient, reasonably-priced parking lot at San Giuliano.

Next page: Photo Tour: Mestre train station

In this article:

Introducing Mestre-Marghera: Overview

Index of Photo Topics

Also see:

Mestre - Index

Mestre Hotels - Where to Stay

Mestre Airport Buses (Marco Polo Airport to Mestre Railroad Station)

Mestre Railroad Station

Mestre to Venice by Train

San Giuliano Parking, Mestre

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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