Transportation from the Venice Cruise Port

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Transportation from Stazione Marittima

ABOVE: A passenger's view of the Stazione Marittima during a cruise departure.

To Venice's historic center:

Shuttle bus. Many cruise ships offer free shuttle buses from the cruise terminal to the Piazzale Roma, which is the vehicular gateway to Venice's centro storico.

From the Piazzale Roma, you can walk to the sights (allow 30 to 40 minutes to reach the Piazza San Marco) or take an water bus of the ACTV, Venice's public-transit network. (The No. 1 vaporetto is the most popular water bus, with plenty of scenery to watch as it zig-zags its way up the Grand Canal to the Piazza San Marco and the Lido.)

People Mover. The Venice People Mover is an automated tram that runs from the Tronchetto parking island to the Piazzale Roma with a stop at Stazione Marittima, right outside the port entrance. The fare is cheap, and the ride takes about two minutes.

Alilaguna boat. Alilaguna, the company that runs Venice's airport boats, has a Linea blu or "Blue Line" that runs from the Staziona Marittima ("Terminal Crociere") to the main tourist area of San Marco and Marco Polo Airport. Travel time to the San Marco stop is 22 minutes.

Land taxi. Four-wheeled cabs can take you only as far as the Piazzale Roma. From there, you'll have to walk or take a water bus. (A cab is worth considering if you're staying or catching a train in Mestre, on the mainland. Expect to pay €35 for a taxi from the cruise port to Mestre. Also see our Venice Travel Blog post titled "Mestre for Cruise Passengers.")

Private car. For a flat fee, you can have a limousine service meet you at Marittima and drive you to Marco Polo or Treviso Airport. (We can't recommend any companies personally, since we haven't used such services.)

Water taxi. A water taxi can take you directly from the cruise basin to the landing nearest your hotel. Expect to pay at least €40 for a ride within the city center. See our Venice Water Taxis article for advice and booking information. (Also read the warning about water taxis in our Venice Travel Blog.)

To the airport:

Cruise transfer. Most cruise ships offer transfers (usually on chartered coaches) from the pier to Marco Polo Airport. Prices are on the high side, but the convenience can justify the expense, especially if you don't have five hours or more between the ship's arrival and your flight.

Airport bus from the Piazzale Roma. Take the People Mover to the Piazzale Roma, where you can catch an inexpensive Marco Polo Airport Bus or a Treviso Airport Bus. (Treviso's small airport is used by Ryanair and at least one other budget airline.)

Alilaguna boat. The "Blue Line" airport boat takes nearly two hours to reach Marco Polo Airport from the cruise terminal. Boats leave at half-hour intervals, and tickets are fairly reasonable in price.

Land taxi. You can catch a taxi from a stand near the port entrance. Travel time to the airport is 20 to 30 minutes, and the fare was €45 the last time we checked. (Allow plenty of time to get a cab, since the demand often exceeds the supply. For more information, or to book a cab, see the Radiotaxi Venezia e Mestre Web site.)

Water taxi. A water taxi costs more and takes longer to reach the airport than a land taxi does, but it's an enjoyable alternative to a four-wheeled cab if you can afford the fare (€110-120) and don't mind walking 10 minutes or so from the airport's water-taxi pier to the departures terminal. Our Venice Water Taxis article has more details (and a warning for visitors who aren't used to small boats).

To the railroad station:

Venice has two railroad stations: Venezia Santa Lucia, in the city center, and Venezia Mestre on the mainland. Many long-distance express trains stop only at Mestre. (Trains to or from Santa Lucia also stop at Mestre.)

• To reach the Venezia Santa Lucia station, take the People Mover to the Piazzale Roma and follow the crowd across the large, modern Calatrava Bridge. The station is five or 10 minutes from the Piazzale Roma on foot.

• To reach the Venezia Mestre station, we recommend hiring a land taxi. The ride is quick, and the fare is reasonable.

Hotels near Stazione Marittima:

If you're traveling with heavy luggage, you can save hassle and money by staying within walking distance of the Piazzale Roma. See the Hotels near Piazzale Roma page from our Venice Cruise Terminal Hotels article for specific recommendations.

Next page: From San Basilio

About the author:

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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