ATVO and ACTV airport express buses provide cheap and fast transportation between Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), Venice Piazzale Roma, and Mestre train station.
ATVO and ACTV buses provide cheap and fast transportation to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) from Venezia Piazzale Roma (near Santa Lucia railway station) and Mestre Stazione Ferrovia (train station). The ATVO bus is the best choice for most travelers from Venice and Mestre. Further buses serve other destinations in the Veneto and the Dolomite Mountains.
- Buy ATVO bus tickets online and go directly to the bus stop at Venice Marco Polo Airport, Piazzale Roma, or Mestre train station. Or arrive in Venice more romantically — the waterbus (Alilaguna Vaporetto) ticket price is not much more than the airport bus fare.
A pre-booked private car transfer from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) to Piazzale Roma is around €60. It is worth considering for families or small groups, especially when traveling at odd hours.
Venice Airport Transfers Quick Guide
- Cheapest boat option: Alilaguna waterbus (vaporetto) from around €18.
- Best overall experience: Shared water taxi shuttle across the lagoon to Venice.
- Most convenient: Private water taxi directly to hotels with private docks.
- Best for budget travelers: Regular airport buses from around €12 are cheaper than boats.
- Travel time: Around 20 to 70 minutes, depending on the destination in Venice.
- Good to know: Most Venice airport transfers still require some walking with luggage on arrival.
| Transfer Option from VCE | Typical Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| ATVO Bus | €12 | Cheapest transfer option |
| Alilaguna Waterbus | €18 | Cheapest boat option |
| Shared Shuttle Boat | €39+ | Best balance of price and comfort |
| Private Water Taxi | €220+ | Direct hotel transfers |
Getting to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) by Cheap ATVO Express 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 and a better choice than the similarly priced ACTV airport bus.
ATVO operates two direct airport express shuttle bus services to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE):
- From Venezia Piazzale Roma (the bus station at the road transportation heart of Venice near Santa Lucia railway station), the Airport Bus Express generally runs twice per hour to the airport with traveling time as quickly as 20 minutes. Buy tickets online. (This service was previously referred to as the Venezia Air Terminal (Marco Polo Airport) express bus.)
- From Mestre Stazione Ferrovia (train station), the ATVO Airport Bus Express (previously “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.
Buying Cheap Tickets for the Venice Airport Express Bus
The one-way ticket fare for either airport bus service is €12 (or €20 for a return ticket within a week). Buy tickets before boarding the bus — online, from ticket windows, or from vending machines, and not on the bus from the driver.
Online tickets for travel between Marco Polo Airport and Venice or Mestre are valid for travel on any bus on the booked day. Not having to queue to buy tickets on arrival at the airport terminal ticket desks or machines is a huge advantage on busy days.
Validate tickets before boarding, or immediately after getting on the coach, or simply show the online ticket on a phone or the PDF printout to the driver.
Seat reservations are not possible. There are usually no additional charges for luggage.
(Be careful not to use the ATVO bus to Venice Treviso Airport (TSF) by mistake.)
Travel to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) by Cheap ACTV Bus
Public buses operated by ACTV are an alternative to the ATVO express buses when traveling to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE). The ticket price is the same, €12, but ATVO is the better choice for most travelers.
The ACTV commuter buses have no luggage space and stop more times en route. Bus line route number 5 (AeroBus) goes from Venezia Piazzale Roma in the city of Venice to the airport in around 25 minutes. It is sometimes significantly slower than the ATVO bus due to numerous intermediate stops.
Tickets are not sold on the bus — buy from an ACTV ticket office or vending machine in Venice before boarding. ACTV travel passes are usually not valid on airport buses.
The Aerobus and Boat ticket (€18) gives a small saving (and cuts out the need to queue to buy a second ticket). The ticket covers the Aerobus 5 and the ACTV boats in Venice for 90 minutes of travel. (This ticket does not include the Alilaguna airport waterbus service. At €18, it is an excellent, romantic airport transportation option too!).
Which Bus Is Better: ATVO or ACTV?
The price is the same, but for most travelers and tourists, the ATVO bus is the better choice. The ATVO service is a typical airport express bus with space for luggage, comfortable seats, and hardly any intermediate stops.
The ACTV bus is a typical municipal bus. It has no luggage space, stops frequently, and has limited seating. The Aerobus and Boat ticket is the only point in its favor, but many travelers will walk from the bus stop, or find the waterbus from the Venice airport a more agreeable choice.
Is the Waterbus Worth the Slight Surcharge?
Even for budget travelers, the Alilaguna waterbus is absolutely worth considering in place of the airport express bus. Especially when traveling from Marco Polo Airport (VCE), arriving by boat in Venice is magical.
The waterbus is only slightly more expensive than the regular bus, and a boat landing may be closer to your hotel or final destination. It may cut out the need for another boat ticket and require less walking with luggage in Venice.
Further Shuttle Buses to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is used by travelers heading to the whole Veneto region, including some popular seaside resorts, the Dolomite Mountains, Verona, and Padua (Padova). Shared shuttle bus services are available to many towns in the region and often require advance reservations. Some services are seasonal only. Book private airport transfer services in advance. 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 services are seasonal). Further regular airport bus services include:
- Venice & Venice Marco Polo Airport to Cortina
- Venice Marco Polo Airport to Padua (Padova)
- 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, Mestre, or Venice Cruise Port and pre-booked transfers are around €60.
Note that many passenger boats no longer depart from the Venice Cruise terminal. However, in some cases, the check-in is still in the old terminal before passengers are transferred by bus to Marghera port. Double-check, as private taxi rides may be much more expensive when rushing between ports.
Water Transportation from Venice Marco Polo Airport
It is also possible to travel from Marco Polo Airport to Venice by boat. Waterbuses (vaporetto) are relatively cheap (€18) and a great choice when traveling to destinations in central Venice with stops on the water bus lines such as the Grand Canal and St Mark’s, or to the islands of Murano and the Lido.
Other water transport is more expensive — shared airport shuttle boats are a good option for small groups, while a private water taxi service is the most convenient but also by far the most expensive way to travel from the airport dock to a private dock at a top hotel.
Cheap flights to Venice on low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz mostly use Venice Canova Treviso Airport (TSF). Treviso is a completely different airport, far from Marco Polo (VCE). Buses to Venice Treviso are the cheapest way to travel to this small airport from Venice and Mestre. No direct buses connect the two airports. Expect to pay around €100 for a pre-booked transfer car to travel between these two Venetian airports.
Venice Airport Transportation Guides in 2026
Buses are the cheapest way to travel to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) (€12 online), but waterbuses (only €18!) 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.
FAQ: Venice Marco Polo Airport Buses
Which bus is better to Venice Marco Polo Airport: ATVO or ACTV?
For most travelers, the ATVO airport express bus is the better choice. ATVO buses are faster, have luggage space, make fewer stops, and are designed specifically for airport travelers.
How much is the bus to Venice Marco Polo Airport?
A one-way ticket on either the ATVO or ACTV airport bus between Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) and Venice or Mestre is generally €12, while return tickets are around €20.
How long does the ATVO bus take from Venice to Marco Polo Airport?
The ATVO airport express bus usually takes around 20 minutes between Venice Piazzale Roma or Mestre train station and Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE).
Can tickets be bought on the Venice airport bus?
No. Tickets should normally be bought online, from ticket counters, or from vending machines before boarding the bus.
Does the Venice airport bus include luggage?
ATVO airport express buses normally include luggage transport without additional charges and have dedicated luggage space on the coach.
Is the Alilaguna waterbus worth paying more than the airport bus?
For many travelers, especially first-time visitors to Venice, the Alilaguna waterbus is worth the slight surcharge because arriving in Venice by boat is a memorable experience and may reduce walking with luggage.