Getting around

By air, the long leg

Few long-haul flights land at Venice itself, so you’ll usually fly the intercontinental leg into a major European hub (Rome, Milan, Frankfurt, Paris), then take a short hop on to Venice Marco Polo (VCE). A few direct intercontinental routes reach VCE in season.

From Marco Polo into the city

The Alilaguna water bus (about €15, slow), a private water taxi (fast, ~€120+), or a land bus to Piazzale Roma. Treviso (TSF), about 40 minutes out, serves budget European carriers.

By train

Once you’re in Italy or Europe, fast trains run right into Venezia Santa Lucia, on the Grand Canal. Coming from elsewhere in Italy, it’s the best way to arrive. You step out onto the water.

By car

Cars stop at the edge. You drive to Piazzale Roma or the Tronchetto car park and leave the car there. No roads in the historic city, full stop.

Intercity bus

FlixBus and Itabus coaches reach Venice at Tronchetto and Mestre, cheaper than the train but slower and less central; here the train usually wins.

On foot, over the bridges

Walking is the primary way to get around Venice proper, and you will do a lot of it, over canals, up and down the steps of hundreds of bridges. There is no avoiding it. Wonderful for a while, tiring with heavy shopping, luggage, or mobility issues.

The vaporetto (water bus)

The public transport of Venice, operated by ACTV, a network of water buses running the Grand Canal and out to the islands. Essential and scenic, but expensive for visitors and slower than you expect. Residents buy a discounted travel pass, which makes it far more affordable than the single fares tourists pay.

No cars in the historic city

There are no cars anywhere in Venice proper. Vehicles stop at Piazzale Roma at the city's edge, where there is parking and the people-mover. Everything you own arrives on foot or by boat. This is the defining fact of daily life here.

The exception: the Lido and the mainland

If you want a car, the Lido allows them, and Mestre on the mainland is a normal city with normal roads and parking. This is a major reason many residents choose the Lido or the mainland over the historic islands.