How to get to Venice

How to get to Venice

Venice is one of the most popular destinations in Italy, so there are many ways of getting to the City of Canals, including by car, train, coach & plane.

Although Venice is a small island, it is very well connected to the mainland and the rest of the world thanks to its important tourism industry. These are the easiest ways of getting to Venice:

By plane

Venice’s main international airport Marco Polo is one of the busiest in Italy. It is also possible to get to the “Queen of the Adriatic” from Treviso Airport, which is situated to the north of Venice, approximately an hour away.

Traveling from the U.S.

There are several airlines that fly directly to Venice’s Marco Polo Airport from the United States, but most of these just fly during the high season (spring, summer and autumn) like Delta Airlines and US Airways:

  • Delta Airlines: non-stop flights from JFK Airport in New York.
  • US Airways: non-stop flights from Philadelphia.
  • Alitalia: offers connecting flights from New York, Boston and Miami.

Traveling from Canada

Air Canada offers non-stop flights between Toronto and Venice (Marco Polo Airport) and other airlines like Lufthansa connect several cities in Canada with Venice. The most popular flights are from Montreal (usually 2 stops – 14 hours), Toronto and Vancouver (usually 2 stops – 17 hours).

Traveling from Australia

No airlines fly directly from Australia to Venice or Italy. Nevertheless, there are several companies that offer flights with just one stop:

Traveling from Europe

If you live in the United Kingdom, there are several airlines that fly directly to Venice from several cities in the country. The flight takes approximately two hours from the southern England.  

The main low-cost airlines flying to Venice are:

  • Ryanair: offers direct flights from Bristol, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford and London Stansted.
  • EasyJet: offers direct flights from Bristol, Edinburgh, London Gatwick, London Luton, and Manchester.  
  • British Airways:connects London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London City with Venice Marco Polo Airport.

Once you have booked your flight and know which airport you land in, find out how to get to the city center from Marco Polo Airport or Treviso Airport:

By train

Another way of getting to the “Serenissima” is by train. Venice’s central train station, Venezia Santa Lucia railway station, connects the city with numerous countries and other Italian towns. It is an interesting option since you can take a low-cost flight to Milan and from there, take the train to Venice. 

The train is also the easiest and most comfortable way of getting to Rome or Florence, and thus a great option for travelers exploring the country.

By car

Venice isn’t the best place to drive to, since only a small part of the island is accessible to motor vehicles. Thus, you will have to leave your car in one of the following parking lots:

There are cheaper car lots before crossing the Ponte della Libertà (in the industrial park, to the right) which cost less than 10 (US$ 10.90) per day. This option is particularly popular among locals and Italians. You can purchase a bus ticket to the city center directly from these parking lots. All the buses stop at Piazzale Roma, from where you will have to take a vaporetto to your hotel.