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Venice People Mover to Marittima Cruise Port

Piazzale Roma map, Venice, Italy.

ABOVE: In this map of the Piazzale Roma (Venice's gateway for buses and taxis), the People Mover station is on the left. From this station, elevated trams run frequently to the Marittima cruise terminals and the Tronchetto parking garage.


Venice People Mover mural

The Venice People Mover offers a quick, inexpensive way to reach the Marittima cruise terminals from the Piazzale Roma, which is Venice's arrival and departure point for airport buses, taxis, and other wheeled traffic.  (Venice's main Venezia Santa Lucia Railroad Station is just across a footbridge.)

The People Mover's automated trains shuttle back and forth between the Piazzale Roma and the Tronchetto parking island, with an intermediate stop at the Marittima cruise port. Travel time to Marittima is about one minute, and the modern stations are accessible to wheelchair users and passengers with heavy wheeled luggage.

We've been covering the Venice People Mover since April, 2010, when we shot videos during the People Mover's first day of operation.

In this article, we're doing something different: We're providing step-by-step illustrated instructions for cruise passengers who want to get from the Piazzale Roma to their check-in terminals at Marittima without hiring taxis, paying for expensive cruise transfers, or relying on shuttle buses (which aren't always available).


Venice cruise hotels banner

Please note:

  • Most cruise ships now depart and arrive at ports on the italian mainland, rather than in Venice itself.  Only the smallest ships (up to 25,000 GRT) continue to use the Marittima cruise basin or the smaller San Basilio and Santa Marta piers. However, cruise lines frequently use Marittima's terminals for check-in and disembarkation in Venice, with shuttle buses providing transportation between Marittima and the pier.

  • For a detailed index of our Venice cruising articles, type "Veniceforcruisers.com" into your browser's address bar or click here. (We've supplied links to our most important cruise articles at the bottom of this page.)


How to get from the Piazzale Roma to your cruise ship
with the Venice People Mover:

Venice People Mover station at Piazzale Roma

People Mover signThe entrance to the People Mover station at Piazzale Roma is on the corner of a public parking garage (at right in the photo above, where you can see the People Mover's platforms above the street). It's just a few meters from Ca' Doge, a small hotel where cruise passengers with heavy luggage often stay. (A larger three-star hotel, the Santa Chiara, is also on the square.)

The People Mover runs from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. on weekdays year-round. On Sundays and holidays, hours are 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. during the main cruise season (April through October) and  8:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. from November through March.


Venice People Mover ticket machine

Buy a one-way ticket for €1,50 at the multilingual, easy-to-use vending machines inside the station entrance. The machines accept coins. banknotes of €5 to €20, and credit cards. Change is given in coins.

Note: If you have a leftover ACTV land-bus ticket, you can use that instead of buying a People Mover Ticket. (ACTV bus tickets are available from vaporetto ticket booths and machines, tobacco shops, and many newsstands.)


Venice People Mover turnstilesAi Treni / To Trains sign

After you've purchased your ticket, scan the barcode at the turnstiles and take the escalator or elevator upstairs to the platforms. (If you're using a bus ticket, you'll need to hold the ticket against the white electronic card reader and wait for the green light to flash.)


Venice People Mover platform at Piazzale Roma

The next train should arrive within a few minutes.


Marittima station platform of Venice People Mover

Get off at Marittima (the first station) and go downstairs via the escalator or lift.


Marittima Port Entrance sign

As you leave the People Mover station, a sign will direct you to the port entrance, which is only a short distance away.


Venice Marittima cruise basin from People Mover station

Marittima cruise port, Venice

Follow the crowd to the piers. (On busy departure days, port employees usually are on hand to direct passengers.)

As you approach the Marittima basin, you should see signs pointing to your check-in location. (Marittima has a number of terminals, and all are within walking distance of the People Mover station over level ground.)



People Mover station at Marittima

If you're going from Marittima to the People Mover, simply head for the port exit and follow the signs to the station. (You can't miss it: Just look for the elevated tracks.)

Related articles:
Venice People Mover (with videos)
Departing: Transportation to your ship
Arriving: Transportation from your ship
Venice Cruise Terminals
Venice Cruise Hotels
10 Hotels Closest to Cruise Ships
Venice for Cruisers (index of all cruising articles)

About the author:

Durant Imboden photo.Durant Imboden has written about Venice, Italy since 1996. He covered Venice and European travel at About.com for 4-1/2 years before launching Europe for Visitors (including Venice for Visitors) with Cheryl Imboden in 2001.

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