How to Get to Venice from the Marco Polo Airport
Are you thinking about visiting the incredible city of Venice? Excellent choice! If Venice is your first (or only) stop in Italy, you’ll be flying into Marco Polo International Airport (VCE). From there, you have several options to get to Venice from the Marco Polo airport.
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Arriving in Venice
Before I started planning our trip to Venice, I incorrectly assumed that the airport was located on the island. Nope, it is actually on the mainland! The question, then, is how do you get to Venice from the Marco Polo airport?
Before we talk about that, let’s clarify two things that may be confusing if you’ve never traveled to Venice. I mention them multiple times in this post (and you’ll see them mentioned elsewhere on the internet), so it makes sense to cover them before we go any further.
The Vaporetto
The vaporetto is the water bus service taking you from stop to stop along Venice’s Grand Canal. Although Venice is extremely walkable, you’re likely going to need to use the vaporetto at some point during your visit. In order to ride the vaporetto, you need to purchase tickets, available at each stop/loading platform. We purchased the 24 hour ticket (20 Euros) which allowed us unlimited rides within that time frame. Be sure to hold on to your ticket, though!
You will need to validate your ticket each time you board the vaporetto. It’s a very simple process: just scan your ticket at the validation machine (on the loading platform) and then board. This website outlines the process in greater detail.
Once you’ve boarded, try to get a spot along the edge of the boat. You’ll be able to take in the views of the city and get some of the breeze off the canal. If you’re lucky enough to get that spot, get your camera ready for some amazing pictures and videos!
If you are traveling during peak season (summer) be prepared for crowded boats and hot conditions. These boats get packed full of people; add in all of their luggage and it’s bound to be a tight squeeze. You’ll need to stow your larger luggage items and place your backpack at your feet. You’ll then grab your luggage at your final stop and disembark.
Piazzale Roma
The Piazzale Roma is the last bus terminal on the mainland of Venice. It is a prominent location in the quest to get to Venice from the Marco Polo airport. Assuming you take ground transportation from the airport, you’ll disembark here and then purchase vaporetto tickets for transport along Venice’s Grand Canal. Tip: Check with your hotel to determine which vaporetto line and stop you should take from Piazzale Roma.
If you are confused about which vaporetto line or which loading platform to use, ask the Piazzale Roma staff. We tried to figure this out on our own and ended up heading away from central Venice and our hotel. There are many loading platforms at the Piazzale Roma and it can be confusing. Trying to figure this out right off a long (likely sleepless) international flight makes it even more puzzling!
Transportation Options
Let’s now focus on the main transportation options you have to get to Venice from the Marco Polo airport.
Bus
There are two types of ground busses you can take from the airport: the ACTV and the ATVO. (We opted to use the ATVO merely because we found their ticket counter first.) Both busses cost approximately 8 Euros per person and drop you off at Piazzale Roma. Be sure to check your flight’s arrival time with the bus schedules. Tip: It’s a good idea to have a back-up plan in case your flight is delayed and the busses are not available.
The ACTV is no-frills, city-run bus service with a direct route from Marco Polo airport to Piazzale Roma. While there is no luggage storage available underneath the bus, there are limited storage areas inside the bus. Bus route No. 5-Aerobus picks up right outside of the airport and drops you at the Piazzale Roma within 20-25 minutes. You will then board the vaporetto from Piazzale Roma to travel the Grand Canal. Purchase your tickets online here or at the airport ticket counters or automated machines. Don’t forget to validate your ticket before boarding!
The ATVO is a private bus service with a direct route from the airport to Piazzale Roma. These busses are coach-style so they will feel a bit more luxurious than the ACTV. Luggage can be stored under the bus, giving you more room to spread out during the 20 minute ride to Piazzale Roma. ATVO busses claim to have WiFi available. (I’ve never had consistent WiFi on any bus, anywhere in the world.) Purchase tickets online or at airport ticket counters or machines. Don’t forget to validate your ticket before boarding!
Water Bus
Water busses are run by Alilaguna and cost roughly 14 Euros from the airport to central Venice. This is not a private boat ride; it is just like any other bus, this one just happens to travel on water instead of pavement. In addition to the higher cost per ride, a disadvantage of water busses over ground busses is that it will take longer to reach your final stop in central Venice. Additionally, the departure times are not as numerous from the airport which means you may need to wait longer. You will also need to walk from the airport to the water bus pier (roughly 10 minutes). This website offers a comprehensive guide on walking to the water bus pier from the airport.
While it may seem like there are a lot of “cons,” to using a water bus, they do have their advantages. The most notable? You can stay on the water bus the entire way from the airport to your final stop; you do not need to disembark at Piazzale Roma to then get on a vaporetto. Tickets are available online or at the airport. Be sure to validate the ticket before boarding the water bus!
Tip: There are more vaporetto stops than there are water bus stops on the Grand Canal. Consequently, you may have to walk farther from a water bus stop than you would from a vaporetto stop. Contact your hotel and ask which option they would recommend.
Private Water Taxi
Do you want to feel like a celebrity upon your arrival to Venice? Are you willing to pay extra for that luxurious experience? If so, a private water taxi may be the best option for you to get to Venice from the Marco Polo airport.
Private water taxis can run between 100-150 Euros from the airport to central Venice. Be sure you get your quote before you get into the boat and clarify whether the quoted amount is per person or total and if that price includes luggage costs.
You can attempt to negotiate the price with your driver but if the thought of haggling over taxi fare makes you break out in a sweat (guilty!) you can purchase tickets via the VeniceLink website for a set price (roughly 115 Euros and higher).
Private water taxis will afford you the best view of Venice, the most privacy, and allow you to stop at places that the vaporetto and water busses cannot. Consequently, this may be the best way to get you the closest to your hotel. However, you will have to walk about 10 minutes from the airport to reach the boarding pier.
Shared Water Taxi
I just learned about the shared water taxi option, two years after visiting Venice and I’m super bummed about it! I think we would have chosen this option if I had known about it. Shared water taxis seem like a great compromise between the private water taxi and the water bus service. You get the scenic views from the taxi but can split the cost with others who share your boat. If you do not mind sharing this experience with strangers, this is a great way to get to Venice from the Marco Polo airport.
Prices will still be higher than the ground or water busses but could be significantly cheaper than the private water taxi. One negative is that you must wait for other passengers to arrive before departing. However, the quoted maximum wait time is 40 minutes. Shared taxis will take 50-100 minutes to arrive in central Venice. You will likely have to walk about 10 minutes from the airport to get to the taxi’s pier. Be sure to specify where you want to be dropped off and get a quoted price before getting on the boat.
Other Transportation Options
There are a few other less popular ways to get to Venice from the Marco Polo airport. While these options exist, I would consider them only for a back-up plan.
Train
If you really love train travel, you can travel by ground bus/taxi from the airport to Mestre station (the last train station on the mainland of Venice). You can then take the train from Mestre to the Santa Lucia station located on the island of Venice. From Santa Lucia, you will take a water taxi or the vaporetto to get to your final location.
Car Rental
You could rent a car from the airport and drive to Piazzale Roma. However, you’ll then have to abandon the car, leaving it in the parking lot before boarding the vaporetto. Why pay for a rental car you’re not even using? If you want to have a car to explore other areas around Italy, rent it as you’re leaving Venice. Or better yet, travel by train throughout Italy!
Ground Taxis
Ground taxis are available at the airport and will take you to Piazzale Roma (where you’ll then have to hop on a vaporetto to get to your final destination on the island). They are more expensive than some of the other options discussed here. This website can help you navigate the ground taxis at Marco Polo airport.
Which Will You Choose?
How you choose to get to Venice from the Marco Polo airport is dependent on many things: the size of your group, the money you’re willing to pay, your flight’s arrival time, how much walking you can manage, and just how luxurious you want the transfer to be. Whichever method you choose, you will arrive at one of the most charming and romantic cities in the world. No matter how you get there, you’re just a short distance away from having the trip of a lifetime.
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Happy planning and safe travels!!
