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 on the mainland. (The
San Giuliano parking lot is convenient: It's located by the water, and you
can catch a boat directly to Venice's historic center.)
If you're brave, well-heeled, or visiting in low season,
cross the Ponte della Libertà (the bridge or causeway from the mainland to
Venice) and look for a parking space at:
-
Tronchetto, an
artificial island with its own ramp leading off from the causeway before you
reach the Piazzale Roma. You can catch a
vaporetto or water bus
from Tronchetto to many points in the historic center, or you can use the
new (and inexpensive)
People Mover to reach the Piazzale
Roma in three minutes. If you've got more cash to turn, try:
-
Any of the garages in the
Piazzale Roma, a large square that's
usually filled with coaches, city buses, taxis, and motorists.
For more detailed advice, including Google satellite-photo maps,
see our illustrated article (with links) on
parking in Venice.
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 using if your hotel has free parking or if you
plan to return to the mainland via the isthmus road to Chioggia.
Next page:
Arriving by ship
Top inset photo copyright �© Peugeot.
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