Getting to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is fast and cheap by ATVO and ACTV airport shuttle express buses going to Venezia Piazzale Roma and Mestre train station.
Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) in Italy is easiest reached by bus from Venice and Mestre. ATVO and ACTV buses offer cheap and fast transportation to Venice Airport from Venezia Piazzale Roma (near Santa Lucia station) and Mestre Stazione Ferroviaria (train station). Taxis and private airport transfer shuttles may be of use to small groups but are generally much more expensive than buses when traveling to Venice Marco Polo Airport. Further bus services and car hire are available for travelers to other destinations in the Veneto region as well as the Dolomite Mountains. Arriving in Venice by boat is more romantic but also more expensive. Buy bus tickets online and go directly to the bus.
Suntransfers and Klook quote around €45 for a private car transfer from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) to Venice Cruise Port, which is probably worth the hassle cut out if traveling with luggage or in a small group.
Getting to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) by Cheap ATVO Bus
The cheapest and simplest way to travel from either Venice or Mestre to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is by bus. For most tourists, the ATVO airport shuttle bus services are the most convenient while the ACTV public buses are also useful. The fare is the same but different tickets are used.
ATVO operates two direct express shuttle bus services to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE):
- From Venezia Piazzale Roma in the transportation heart of Venice, the Venezia Air Terminal (Marco Polo Airport) express bus service generally runs two or three times per hour to the airport in 20 minutes. (Be careful not to use the ATVO bus to Venice Treviso Airport (TSF) by mistake.) – Buy tickets online from GetYourGuide.
- From Mestre Stazione Ferroviaria (train station), the express Fly Bus runs to the airport up to four times per hour in 20 minutes. This service is the best option for passengers using the railways, as there is no train station at Venice Airport itself. – Buy tickets online from GetYourGuide.
The fare for either bus service is €8 one-way (or €15 for returns within a week). Tickets should be bought from ticket windows or ticket machines and not on the bus. (Online tickets from Get Your Guide (to Venice or to Mestre) are convenient and valid for travel on any bus on the day. Not having to queue to buy tickets on arrival is a huge advantage on busy days.) Validate tickets before boarding, or immediately after getting on the bus, or simply show the online ticket on a phone / pdf printout to the driver.
Seat reservations are not possible.
Getting to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) by Cheap ACTV Bus
Public buses operated by ACTV are also available to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) but these are regular commuter buses without special space for luggage and stopping more times en route. Bus line 5 (AeroBus) goes from Venezia Piazzale Roma in around 25 minutes while lines 4, 5, 15, and 45 operate from Mestre but are sometimes significantly slower than the ATVO bus.
ACTV buses to Venice Marco Polo Airport are also €8 but are commuter buses without space for luggage. ACTV travel passes are usually not valid. For most passengers, the ATVO buses are the better option. Tickets for the ACTV buses are available online from Klook but a printout is required to retrieve a ticket from a ticket office or vending machine in Venice.
The Aerobus and Boat ticket (€15) gives a small saving — it covers the aerobus 5 and the boats in Venice for a total of 90 minutes travel.
Further Shuttle Buses to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is used by travelers heading to the whole Veneto region, which includes some popular seaside resorts, as well as tourists visiting the Dolomite Mountains. Shared shuttle bus services are available to many towns in the region and often require advance reservations. Some services are seasonal only. Private airport transfer services should also be booked in advance and may offer better value for small groups. However, always compare offers as prices and conditions vary widely.
In addition to the main services run by ATVO from Venice and Mestre, special ATVO airport shuttle buses are also available to smaller towns and resorts in the Veneto region (some bus service are seasonal). Further regular airport bus services include:
- Venice & Venice Marco Polo Airport to Cortina
- Venice Marco Polo Airport to Portogruaro, Pordenone & Aviano
- Venice Marco Polo Airport to Lido di Jesolo
- Venice Marco Polo Airport to Caorle, P.S.Margherita, Lido Altanea & Duna Verde
- Venice Marco Polo Airport to Bibione
- Venice Marco Polo Airport to Lignano
- Venice Marco Polo Airport to Eraclea Mare
- Venice Marco Polo Airport to San Donà di Piave
By Taxi to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
Land taxis from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) to Venice or Mestre cost around €50. Suntransfers and Klook quote around €45 for a pre-booked private car transfer from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) to Venice Cruise Port. However, bear in mind that taxis will not be able to deliver passengers any closer to most hotels in Venice than the bus station.
It is also possible to travel from Venice Marco Polo Airport to Venice by boat. Vaporetto (waterbuses) are relatively cheap while airport shuttle boats and especially water taxis are fairly expensive, especially when compared to the cheap airport transfer bus services.
Note that Venice Canova Treviso Airport (TSF), a major destination for cheap flights to Venice on low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz, is a completely different airport from Marco Polo. Buses to Venice Treviso are the cheapest way to travel to this small airport from Venice and Mestre but no direct buses connect the two airports. Suntransfers quotes just less than €100 to travel between these two Venetian airports.
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. Airbnb is famous for accommodation but also offers a range of experiences in Venice far more interesting than just basic guided tours.
