Arriving by Air

The main international airport, Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo (Venice Marco Polo Airport) is located 10 km (6.5 miles) north of the city. It is served by many European airlines, such as British Airways and low-cost carriers easyJet and Jet2, and the national carrier Alitalia. London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris are also transport hubs for Venice. From the US, Delta Airlines departs from New York, and American Airlines flies direct from Philadelphia.

To transfer to the city from Marco Polo Airport, you can travel by bus, airport shuttle or taxi, but the most exciting way to reach Venice from the airport is by water. The public Alilaguna water bus (vaporetto) leaves every 15 minutes and takes about an hour. Tickets (€15) are available at the nearby quayside. A water taxi (motoscafo) takes about half the time but will cost around €110. The cheaper option is to take a bus to Piazzale Roma. The direct ATVO Airport bus (€8) and the ACTV public bus No. 5 (€8) leave every 30 minutes. There is a ticket office in the arrivals hall.

Charter flights and low-cost airline Ryanair also fly into Antonio Canova Airport at Treviso, which is 40 km (29 miles) north-west of Venice. To reach Venice from here, take an ATVO Airport Bus to Piazzale Roma (€10), which takes around 50 minutes, or the public bus No. 6 (€1.30) to Treviso station and then continue by train.

For those visiting the Veneto, Valerio Catullo Airport, in Verona, receives direct flights from the UK, other European countries and Africa. A bus service connects to Verona city centre, and costs around €5 each way. In summer a direct minibus shuttles visitors to Lake Garda.

International Train Travel

Italy’s train network is operated by Trenitalia. Regular high-speed trains connect the main towns and cities of the Veneto to the rest of Italy, Austria, Germany, France and countries in Eastern Europe. Reservations for these services are essential, and tickets get booked up quickly.

Train Travel in Venice and the Veneto

The easiest and most convenient way to get around the Veneto from Venice is by rail. Trenitalia runs an extensive and efficient network throughout the region, and the cost of travel is very reasonable. Services range from the slow reggionale, which stops at every station en route, through the various intercity trains to the high-speed Freccia and Eurostar, which link Venice with Verona Porta Nuova and beyond.

Direct lines serve Venezia Santa Lucia – Venice’s main railway station – and Venezia Mestre from numerous northern Italian towns including Bologna, Florence, Milan and Verona. Both stations are extremely busy, with over 450 trains arriving in Venice daily.

Train tickets must be validated before boarding by stamping them in machines at the entrance to platforms. Heavy fines are levied if you are caught on board with an unvalidated ticket.

Long-Distance Bus Travel

An inexpensive way to travel to Venice is by coach. SITA Bus offers reasonably priced coach travel throughout Italy. You can buy tickets on board, and services usually depart from outside main railway stations or from the main piazza of smaller towns or cities.

FlixBus is a low-cost intercity coach network with direct services to Venice from Florence, Milan, Naples, Rome and Turin, as well as from international destinations. Coaches into Venice arrive at the main bus terminus in Piazzale Roma.

Cruise Travel

Venice is one of the busiest cruise ports in the Mediterranean, with around 500 ships per year and over 700,000 cruise passengers. The city has two main cruise basins, Marittima (near the main Santa Lucia railway station) for large vessels, and San Basilio (in Giudecca canal) for smaller ships. Both passenger terminals are managed by the Venezia Terminal Passeggeri. An automated People Mover carries passengers from the central part of the terminal to Piazzale Roma in minutes. However, it is usually more convenient to travel by the shuttle buses that are provided by the individual cruise companies as they pull up at boarding points. Santa Marta and San Basilio are served by vaporetto line 6, which terminates at the Lido.

If you do choose to arrive in Venice by cruise ship, it’s important to be aware of the issues that surround this increasingly popular mode of transport, and the detrimental effects it is having on the city and its lagoon. Venetians have a complicated relationship with cruising vessels. Although they do provide local jobs, the average cruise liner emits as much pollution as 14,000 cars, damages the already fragile lagoon environ-ment and brings in an unmanageable number of visitors to this tiny city. While their plight is often overlooked by the Italian government, the No Grandi Navi (no big ships) campaign – which calls to ban large cruise ships entering the lagoon – is gaining significant attention on the global stage. Their cause has even been taken up by UNESCO, who have threatened to put Venice and its lagoon on their list of endangered heritage sites unless the ban on cruise ships goes ahead.

Public Transport

Each city in the Veneto has its own public transport provider. Safety and hygiene measures, timetables, ticket information, transport maps, and more can be obtained from their individual websites.

Verona is served by ATV, Padua by APS Holding, Vicenza by AIM Mobilità and Belluno and the surrounding area by Dolimiti Bus.

Venice has a unique transport system. No cars, buses or bicycles are allowed in the streets, and boats are the city’s main mode of transportation. Venice’s transit authority, the ACTV, operates three different types of waterbus –vaporetti, motoscafi and motonavi – plus a network of buses on the Lido and the mainland.

Waterbus

Vaporetti are the slow, single-storey waterbuses you will see chugging along the major canals. They are flat-decked and fully accessible for wheelchairs, prams and buggies, with plenty of seating and standing room. The most popular route is line 1, which makes a leisurely journey down the Grand Canal from Piazzale Roma to San Marco. Faster, more streamlined motoscafi travel beyond the sheltered waters of the city to outlying islands, as do the large double-decker motonavi ferries.

Waterbus stops are shown on most Venice maps and are clearly signposted around the city. Their yellow and white floating platforms are easy to spot. At stops with multiple platforms, check the boat number you require and the direction of travel. All the departure quays (pontile) have route

maps and timetables.

Tickets are available from ACTV booths, from machines at larger stops and also at some newsstands and tobacconists. Validate your ticket at the white electronic ticket reader near the entrance to the platform prior to boarding. Note that green ticket readers are “read only” and will not validate your ticket. If the stop doesn’t have a ticket machine, you can approach the conductor immediately after embarkation and ask for a biglietto. If you are caught travelling without a validated ticket, you may be fined.

Traghetti

These are large unadorned gondolas which cross the canal at seven points between San Marco and the railway station from early morning until around 7 or 8pm (although they are not all always in operation). They are rowed by oarsmen who ply backwards and forwards with no fixed timetable, and are a fun and convenient way of crossing the Grand Canal, as it only has four bridges. Simply wait on a traghetto pier for the boat to arrive. Pay cash (€2 per person) to the oarsman as you board or leave the gondola. It is customary to stand up for the crossing, but you can opt to sit if you prefer. (Note that these vessels are not suitable for wheelchair users. Instead, travel one stop on vaporetto Line 1 to cross, as it conveniently zigzags the length of the Grand Canal.)

Gondola

Venice’s traditional hand-built wooden gondolas are undoubtedly the most romantic way to see the city, but also the most expensive, used almost exclusively by tourists. There are a number of gondola ranks along the Grand Canal, including beside the Palazzo Ducale and Rialto, and also at busy pedestrian crossings along secondary canals. Each location offers a different type of gondola experience – choose whether you would prefer to experience the hustle and bustle of the Grand Canal or a quieter backwater before you start. Official tariffs should be available at the dock. Expect to pay around €80 for the first 40 minutes, then €40 for additional 20-minute increments. After 7pm, prices are hiked to around €100, and €50 for an extra 20 minutes. However, do not assume you will automatically pay the going rate: before boarding, agree a price with the gondolier to avoid being overcharged. Most gondoliers speak English and have a good knowledge of the main Venetian sights, art and history.

Water Taxi

Small, sleek motorboats, with highly polished wooden decking and stylish leather-upholstered cabins comprise Venice’s water taxi fleet – an elite form of transport, which is reflected in the price. Expect to pay around €50–70 for a short hop within the city; and in excess of €110 to travel from the airport to a city centre abode. Water taxis can hold up to ten people, making it a viable option if you are splitting the fare with family or friends.

Bus

In Venice, buses serve the mainland and the Lido only. The main bus station in Venice is at Piazzale Roma near the main train station. On the Lido, route A serves the north of the island, while route B heads south.

City buses in the Veneto are cheap and regular. Tickets, which must be bought prior to travel, are available from newsstands, tobacconists, and shops that display the relevant bus company logo in the window. A flat fee usually covers the city centre and suburbs. Tickets must be validated upon boarding.

People Mover

This high-tech elevated People Mover tramway shuttles passengers cheaply and rapidly between the city’s three main arrival points: Marittima cruise terminal, the Tronchetto parking island and Piazzale Roma. It runs 7am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, 8am to 10pm (9pm in winter) on Sundays and costs €1.50. Tickets are available at all three stations. You must scan your ticket to validate it at ground level before you can access the tramway.

Walking

Although it is very pleasant to sit on a vaporetto as you cruise down the Grand Canal or visit the outlying islands on one of the big motonavi ferries, Venice is a tiny city and all the main sights in the centro storico are accessible on foot within half-an-hour of each other.

It is also a city where getting lost in the tangle of alleyways (calli) is part of the attraction. Take the time to explore these backwaters, with their hidden churches, monuments, squares and locals’ bars and restaurants, for a taste of hidden Venice.

Just remember to follow the frequent yellow signs on the walls indicating the direction of the main sights, keep to the right and keep moving on bridges or in the narrowest alleyways.

Bicycle Hire

Cycling is not allowed in Venice city centre, but bike hire is popular on the mainland and on some of the islands in the lagoon, including the Lido. The BicinCittà city bicycle scheme has a number of stations for bike hire in Marghera and Mestre, and three on the Lido (at Piazzale Santa Maria Elisabetta; Palazzo del Cinema/Via Candia; and Riva di Giovanni Diacono/Piazzale Malamocco). The first hour is free, the second hour costs €1, and then it’s €2 per hour thereafter.

Car Rental

There are a number of car rental offices at Marco Polo, Treviso Antonio Canova and Valerio Catullo airports and at Piazzale Roma, including Avis, Europcar and Hertz, for those wishing to explore the Veneto. Some of the smaller towns and scenic drives are only accessible by private vehicle, and the rolling hills of the Veneto landscape make it perfect terrain for a scenic driving holiday.

To rent a car you must be over 21 and have held a valid driver’s licence for at least a year. Driving licences issued by any of the EU member states are valid throughout the European Union, including Italy. If visiting from outside the EU, you may need to apply for an International Driving Permit.

Rules of the Road

Drive on the right, use the left lane only for passing, and yield to traffic from the right. Seat belts are required for all passengers, and heavy fines are levied for using a mobile phone while driving. A strict drink-drive limit is enforced. During the day dipped headlights are compulsory when you are driving on motorways, dual carriageways and on all out-of-town roads. A red warning triangle, spare tyre and fluorescent vests must be carried for use in an emergency. In the event of an accident or breakdown, switch on your hazard warning lights and place the warning triangle 50 m

(55 yd) behind your vehicle. For breakdowns, call the ACI emergency number (116) or the emergency services. The ACI will tow any foreign-registered vehicle to the nearest ACI-affiliated garage free of charge.