Reaching and getting around Venice
- ARRIVAL You can reach Venice in several ways: 1) train 2) car 3) bus 4) air-plane 5) boat
1) the train is the simplest and cheapest solution: you get right in the city, facing the Grand Canal, and not have to worry about parking your car (and its relative cost...) 2) arriving by car there are several parking options: - Piazzale Roma -> directly into the city - Tronchetto Island -> from there you can reach the city by boat – line 2 – or with the new People Mover train - Mestre -> there is a car park opposite the railway station, from there you can take a train to Saint Lucia (every half hour) or a bus to P.le Roma(every 10 minutes) 3) many bus lines pass through Mestre and terminate at Piazzale Roma, just check the final destination (indicated on poles at bus stops, or displayed on top of the bus itself) to make sure you will arrive in Venice 4) from Marco Polo airport you can reach Venice by bus (line n°5) or hydrofoil (Alilaguna line) or taxi 5) by boat: it is necessary to inquire the Port Authority to know where you can lead
- GETTING AROUND You can get around Venice in three ways (in order of cost) 1) walking 2) public shipping line 3) taxi 1) by walking there are some rules to follow. In any case: get a good map or ask for a tour guide service: http://www.tourisminvenice.com/ 2) The ACTV (Venice transport company consortium) provides the service of public transport with boats (also known as “vaporetti”) that pass through the main canals of the city. Basically there are two types of lines: - those that cross the Canal Grande (line 1 and line 2) - those known as “girocittà”, which turn around Venice There are also some “seasonal” lines, and those that connect Venice to the islands and the mainland. Line 1 starts from Piazzale Roma, crosses the Grand Canal and ending his run at the Lido, and vice versa. It stops at every stop, so it is the right solution for those who want to enjoy a panoramic tour of the Grand Canal, but not for those in a hurry. Line 2 starts from San Zaccaria (Riva degli Schiavoni, a few steps from Piazza San Marco), crosses the Giudecca Canal, touches the Tronchetto Island, crosses the Grand Canal, and ends at the Lido, and vice versa. Along the Grand Canal it makes fewer stops than the line 1, so it is easy to quickly reach the most important places of the city. You have to pay attention to the final destination specified, because sometimes the line 2 stops at Rialto or Vallaresso, and don’t continue beyond. Assuming, for example, to arrive at Santa Lucia Station and wanted to go to Piazza San Marco (which is what the vast majority of tourists do), there are two possibilities: line 1 for those not in a hurry who want to enjoy every inch of the buildings facing the Grand Canal, or line 2 for those who want to get to their destination in few time. If you get on a boat that ends its run at Rialto, don’t despair: from Rialto to Piazza San Marco there are five minutes walk (very well indicated by yellow signs, or alternatively just follow the flow of people …) Assuming, instead, you need to reach a destination (hotel, guest house, restaurant or tourist attraction), which is located distant from the Grand Canal, it could be very useful to use one of the “Giracittà”: lines 4, 5, 6. Actually, these are divided into 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2. Pay attention because the even-numbered lines are moving clockwise around the city, the odd ones moving counterclockwise! It seems difficult but it is sufficient to read the signs located on each boarding stop to see which goes in one direction and which in the other. Line 4.1 starts from Murano, reach Venice at “Fondamenta Nuove”, turns around the city, take the Cannaregio Canal, passes in front of the railway station, takes the Santa Chiara Canal, the Giudecca Canal, and then passes in the Basin of San Marco, turn around St. Helena, along the north edge of Venice and back to Murano. The 4.2 makes the turn in reverse. Line 5.1 starts from the Lido, along the entire rim north of Venice, takes the Cannaregio Canal, passes in front of the railway station, crosses the Giudecca Canal and back the Lido . The 5.2 makes the turn in reverse. Line 6 starts from Piazzale Roma, crosses the Canal of Santa Chiara, and then the Giudecca Canal, passes the St. Mark’s Basin and ends at the Lido.
For those who want to reach the islands of the North Lagoon (usually: Murano, Burano, Torcello), there are several possibilities: - line 3 (Direct Murano), which starts from Piazzale Roma and get to Murano very quickly - line 4 (4.1 or 4.2, depending on where you are) getting to Murano very slowly . line 10, 12, 14 which connected all the main islands, not just those sought after by tourists - line 13, which links Venice (from “Fondamenta Nuove”) to Treporti (on mainland), passing near Murano - line 9, which connects Burano to Torcello The line N is the night line that connects the main points of the city throughout the night. Some indications for the public boat use: - the ticket must be validated before boarding. If you are not able to buy the ticket before, inform the crew immediately, they will provide you one - backpacks must be carried by hand Be careful when you enter the boarding, there is always a path to get on and one to get off! Sometimes the stops are composed of two separate piers: if you have to go to the right (looking at the canal) you have to enter the boarding on your left, and vice versa. BOAT RATES: € 7.00 – Ticket Navigation 60 minutes € 4.00 – Tourist Ferries (only line 1 and one stop) € 15.00 – Alilaguna (Venice – Airport – Port) Tourist Tickets: · € 18.00 – 12 hours · € 20.00 – 24 hours · € 25.00 – 36 hours · € 30.00 – 48 hours · € 35.00 – 72 hours · € 50.00 – 7 days 3) The taxi allows to reach almost any destination in few time. It is very expensive: always ask the cost first! Of course if you arrive with your own boat, you can getting around and visit the lagoon by boat, but you must inform in advance about landing place and navigation rules, like speed limits, one way canals, the practicability of the canals, etc. Warning: you may not use bicycles in city! Other useful information here: www.innvenice.com Here the Vaporetto Map