The best transportation options from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) to Venezia include the cheap airport express bus, affordable waterbuses, shared shuttle boats, or a private water taxi.
Travelers to and from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) have the following basic ground transportation options for transfers between the airport and Venice City:
- By land: the ATVO or ACTV airport express shuttle bus to Piazzale Roma or Maestre train station is the cheapest way to travel between Venice airport and downtown using public transportation. Regular taxis and private transfer services do the same route but cannot go further into Venice than the land transportation hub near Santa Lucia railway station.
- Water Transport: Arriving or departing from Venice on water is the most romantic way to travel, especially when visiting Venice for the first time. The waterbus is surprisingly affordable while good deals are possible on shared water taxi services. Private luxury water taxis are the most convenient but also the most expensive transportation option.
By Cheap Public Transportation ATVO and ACTV Buses to Venice Airport
The cheapest way to travel between Marco Polo Airport (VCE) and Venice Piazzale Roma (bus station near Sant Lucia railway station) is on the public transportation airport express buses run by ATVO and ACTV. The one-way ticket price for either Venice Airport bus service is the same (€10 for a single ticket, €18 for a round trip). The bus stop at the airport is just outside the airport terminal and well marked.
The ATVO airport bus is generally the most comfortable ground transportation option. These air-conditioned express buses have space for luggage and are the best option for most travelers. Traveling time is only 20 minutes with buses running two to three times per hour to Venice Marco Polo Airport VCE. (Don’t board the bus to Venice Treviso Airport by mistake!).
Buy tickets for the ATVO express bus online, from ticket machines, or ticket desks before boarding the bus. Yuu cannot buy tickets on the bus.
The ACTV bus line route number 5 (AeroBus) travels to the airport in 25 minutes. These commuter buses have no special space for bags and suitcases and stop frequently. Regular ACTV passes are not valid on the airport route.
Both ATVO and ACTV also offer airport bus services from Mestre train station to the airport. Mestre is a good choice when traveling by rail and not directly from central Venice.
→ See Cheap Public Bus Transportation to Venice Marco Polo Airport for more details on these airport bus services.
By Land Taxi to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
Taxis and private minibus shuttle services are further land transportation options from Venice Airport. As with the bus services, cars cannot proceed further into the city of Venice than Piazzale Roma.
Pre-booked private transfers are around €60 from Venice Marco Polo Airport to Piazzale Roma or to Venice cruise terminal. (Double-check the exact location of the cruise terminal before booking.)
Traveling by Boat to/from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
Traveling by boat from Marco Polo Airport is the most romantic way to arrive in Venice, whether heading for the Grand Canal, San Marco (St Marks), the Islands of Murano, or anywhere in this romantic city.
The airport boat dock is less than a minute’s walk from the baggage claim area using a moving sidewalk — follow the blue signs “water transport” to the water taxi dock and water bus service stops. Luggage trolleys are available.
The main boat options from Venice Airport terminal, in order of increasing price and comfort, are:
Waterbus (Vaporetto or Alilaguna boat): a bus service on water and a fun way to travel at a reasonable price! The Alilaguna tickets from the airport can be even cheaper than the normal bus service plus a boat ticket if the Vaporetto stop is close to the final destination. Alilaguna waterbus ticket prices on all Alilaguna airport lines are around €15 to the Lido or San Marco. Extra luggage (other than hand luggage) may incur additional fees — around €3 per suitcase. Buy waterbus tickets online but exchange vouchers for a ticket at the ticket window before boarding.
→ See Cheap Alilaguna Vaporetto Water Bus to Venice Marco Polo Airport for more details, timetables, and how to buy time-saving tickets online.
Shared Water Taxi Transfers: a good compromise between the water bus lines and private taxis. A shared water taxi service costs around €37 one-way. However, services differ in the number of passengers needed before boats depart, as well as where the boats stop in Venice. From the airport, some share services only depart once the boat is full.
Private Water Taxis: a very convenient way to travel as these boats will stop directly at the hotel landing if possible but the price is high. The starting fee for private taxi services is from around €120 upwards but get all included price quotations before booking. Expect to pay around €220 for a pre-booked service for a transfer of small groups of six. Only a premium service will add help with luggage at the airport and on arrival in the city.
→ See Waterbus and Taxi Boat Shuttles to Venice Marco Polo Airport for more details.
Cheap Public Bus Transportation to Venice Treviso Airport (TSF)
Budget and low-cost airlines like Ryanair and Wizz usually fly to Venice Treviso Airport (TSF), which is quite a distance from Venice (or Marco Polo Airport). The best way to travel to Venice Antonio Canova Treviso Airport (TSF) is fast on a cheap Barzi or ATVO public transportation bus. Book tickets online — travel time is just over an hour.
→ See Cheap Public Bus Transportation to Venice Treviso Airport (TSF) for more details.
Ground and Water Transportation to Venice Airport in Italy
Buses are the cheapest way to travel to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) (€10 online) but waterbuses (only €15!) or other boats are more romantic. Small groups may consider boat transfer services or even a private water taxi service for the convenience of going directly to a Venetian hotel’s private dock.
- Best Transportation Options to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
- Cheap Public Bus Transportation to Venice Marco Polo Airport
- Waterbus and Taxi Boat Shuttles to Venice Marco Polo Airport
- Cheap Alilaguna Vaporetto Water Bus to Venice Marco Polo Airport
- Cheap Public Bus Transportation to Venice Treviso Airport (TSF) — the airport used mostly by low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz
Online skip-the-line tickets for top sights in Venice such as the Doge’s Palace, the Basilica di San Marco, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection are great time savers while museum passes also allow for fast-track admissions and may give small savings.
