Getting around Venice
Share
Airport
Venice has one official international airport which is just a few miles from the city: Venice Marco Polo Airport. Around 19 miles away there is another airport, Venice Treviso Airport, used by budget airline Ryanair.
Some people may fly in to Verona to visit Verona and then Venice. There are also regular services from Paris and London on board the Venice Simplon Orient Express (24 hours, one way around £1,200 per person).
Travelling from the Airport
From Treviso Airoport there is a connecting coach service which links each Ryanair flight with Piazzale Roma, the bus terminal in Venice. From Piazzale Roma one can take the ferry "Linea 1/Linea 82" through the Grand Canal (the scenic route).
At Marco Polo Airport there is a desk where you can book a water taxi to the hotel. The arrival by sea is very glamorous and a private run costs €85 - 100.
Getting Around
The most common mode of transport around Venice is the public ferry (“vaporetto”). Also, faster water-buses (“motoscafi”) run across the lagoon to a number of the major stops in Venice, including San Marco, Zattere, Arsenale, Lido and Murano.
The routes are distinguished by colour, and it’s better to make sure with the hotel which is the best one to catch. See www.actv.it & www.alilaguna.it for timetables and routes. Ticket prices for single journeys vary depending on the destination, and cost €6 - 12.
If you plan to use the vaporetto a lot, 24-hour and 72-hour tickets are convenient to use and cheaper than buying single tickets.
To cross the Grand Canal, (there are only four bridges - one brand new), find a traghetto at one of seven signposted jetties - old gondolas stripped of all their money-making glitter with two oarsmen - to take you from one side to the other. To accommodate the maximum number of passengers, the locals stand on these precarious vessels, thus forcing tourists to stand too. 50c worth of wobbly fun.
The other important mode of transport, and a symbol of Venice, is the gondola. A 40-minute ride costs around €80 during the day and €100 at night for a maximum of 6 people (additional 20 minutes increments cost €40). It is possible to negotiate prices with the gondolier before the ride.
Venice Card
The Venice Card can be purchased online at (www.venicecard.com) and gives free access to public transport and toilet-nurseries, to some museums and churches, plus reductions in many other museums, churches, exhibitions and cultural events.
The card is quite expensive and only worth it if one is planning to visit a great number of places. Tourists aged 14-29 can buy Rolling Venice card, which costs €4 and entitles the holder to discounts on the travel card and other savings.
Average customer rating
awaiting 5 vote(s)...
Email
Why Register?
