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Getting There By Air:

Venice Marco Polo (VCE)
Tel: (041) 260 6111.
Website: www.veniceairport.it

Located just 12km (7 miles) from Venice, Marco Polo airport is the main hub of European and national flights to the Veneto region. It is easily accessible by land or water and when occasionally blighted by fog, planes land at nearby airports in Treviso or Verona. Marco Polo is one of the busiest airports in Italy and can cater for over 6 million passengers per year.

Approximate flight times to Venice: From London is 2 hours; from New York is 9 hours 20 minutes; from Los Angeles is 13 hours 20 minutes; from Toronto is 10 hours 30 minutes and from Sydney is 20 hours 45 minutes.

Airport facilities: Facilities include branches of Italian banks, with ATMs (bancomat), as well as a selection of bars and eateries. A range of shops selling local handicrafts and specialist food stuffs, a post office, a 24-hour first aid service and a hotel reservation service are also available. Car hire operators include Avis, Europcar and Hertz.

Business facilities: Business-class travelers without luggage can check in at the Sala VIP Save Marco Polo Club lounge (tel: (041) 260 6577), where there are televisions and telephones at their disposal. The Travelex Italia Business Center (tel: (041) 269 8191; website: www.travelex.com) is open daily and has meeting rooms, conference halls and work stations with secretarial services and other support facilities, such as translation services and mobile phone hire.

Transport to the city: The most romantic way to arrive in Venice (weather permitting) is by motorboat (motoscafo). Travelers pay for the privilege and the ride takes a little longer than the bus, but the approach to St Mark’s Square from the water is one that few will forget. The Alilaguna service (tel: (041) 240 1701; website: www.alilaguna.it) departs hourly and takes one hour. Water taxis, run by Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia (tel: (041) 522 2303; website: www.motoscafivenezia.it) are an altogether more upmarket option. A cheaper alternative is by land, on the ATVO airbus (tel: 0421 5944; website: www.atvo.it) to Piazzale Roma, which departs every 20 to 40 minutes (journey time - 20 minutes). Cheaper still is the ACTV (tel: 0421 5944; website: www.actv.it) public bus 5, which departs every 15 to 30 minutes (journey time - 30 minutes to Piazzale Roma). Car taxis to Piazzale Roma wait outside the arrivals hall (tel: (041) 936 222).

Getting There By Water:

Port of Venice (tel: (041) 533 4111; website: www.port.venice.it) caters for freight traffic, and passenger ferries operate out of the modern Venice Passenger Terminal, located to the west of the city center (tel: (041) 240 3000; website: www.vtp.it). Facilities, including shops, banks and cafes, are available in the terminal.

Ferry services: During the summer, Minoan Lines (tel: +30 2810 399 800, in Greece; website: www.minoan.gr) operates daily services to and from Patras, on the Greek mainland, stopping (according to schedule) at the islands of Igoumenitsa and Corfu en route. There are also regular ferries to the Italian port of Ancona. The journey to Greece takes approximately 36 hours, including two nights on board. Passengers must arrive two hours before sailing. From May through to September, Venezia Lines (tel: (041) 242 4000; website: www.venezialines.com) runs high-speed catamarans between Venice and the Croatian ports of Poreč, Rovinj, Rabac, Pula and Mali Lošinj, and Piran in Slovenia.

Transport to the city: The port is within walking distance of Piazzale Roma (the city’s main transport hub) and is connected to the city center by vaporetti (water buses) 41, 42, 51, 52, 61 and 62. There is a free shuttle bus to the Piazzale Roma on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Getting There By Road:

Italy has an excellent network of motorways (autostrada), designated by the letter ‘A’. The main north-south link is the Autostrada del Sole, or A1, which links Milan with Reggio Calabria in the toe of Italy. Speed limits on motorways are 130kph (81mph) for cars of 1100cc or more and 110kph (68mph) for smaller cars and all cars when conditions are wet. All motorways are tolled. Those on a budget may prefer the strade statali, designated by ‘SS’, which are toll free and are often fast, multi-lane carriageways. The speed limit on these roads is 110kph (68mph), which is simply too slow for the speed-obsessed Italians and therefore a more leisurely drive for the rest of the world. Strade bianchi, small country roads, abound in the countryside around Venice, where visitors often stumble upon Palladian piles and medieval market towns.

By law, both driver and passenger must wear their seat belts, if fitted, or face an on-the-spot fine. Random breath tests can be imposed and the penalties for drink-driving are severe - the maximum legal blood alcohol ratio is 0.05%. Car lights must be switched on at any time on autostrade and strade statali. Speeding fines follow EU rules and driving through a red light is also a fee-inducing offence.

The minimum age for driving is 18. All those without an EU license must carry an International Driving Permit. EU nationals taking their own car will need an International Insurance Certificate, also known as a Green Card (Carta Verde). Automobile Club d’Italia - ACI (tel: (06) 491 115; website: www.aci.it) provides further information.

Emergency breakdown service: Automobile Club d’Italia (tel: 803 116).

Routes to the city: The main thoroughfare is the A4, which slices across the top of Italy from Turin, via Milan and Padua, to Venice. This intersects with the A13 from Bologna, which in turn connects with the A1 - the central road artery of Italy, passing through Florence, Rome and Naples. However, travelers who prefer scenery to speed may enjoy the SS11, which runs from Padua to Venice, along the Brenta Canal. After Mestre, drivers should take the exit marked Venezia and follow signs for the city center (centro). Once across the bridge (Ponte della Liberta), cars must be left at one of the huge car parks in Piazzale Roma or on the island of Tronchetto. Parking in Venice is expensive. A cheaper alternative is for drivers to leave the car at the San Giuliano car park in Mestre (only open in the high season) and catch the train.

Approximate driving times to Venice: From Milan - 2 hours; Bologna - 3 hours; Rome - 5 hours.

Coach services: International coaches operated by Eurolines (tel: (041) 538 2118; website: www.eurolines.it) travel to destinations across Europe, including London, Amsterdam and Paris from Mestre. ATVO (tel: 0421 5944; website: www.atvo.it) operates services to the nearby towns of Treviso, Verona, Padua and Milan. The ATVO coaches depart from Piazzale Roma, where there is an information office for walk-up enquiries.

Getting There By Rail:

All trains to and from Venice are run by the efficient and good value Italian state railway, Trenitalia (tel: 892 021, in Italy only; website: www.trenitaliaplus.com). Supplements are added to fares according to the type of train boarded (Diretto, Inter-Regionale, InterCity, Eurocity or Eurostar) and fares are calculated according to the distance traveled.

Santa Lucia Station (tel: (041) 785 570) is the first port of call for the thousands of travelers that pour into Venice each summer. Situated at the west end of the Grand Canal, the station was built by the Austrians in the late 19th century, finally uniting the island community with the mainland. The terminal building is a more recent crime against aesthetics. Facilities include left luggage, a bureau de change, an accommodation booking service and a small tourist office. By law, all train tickets must be validated by stamping them in the yellow machines situated on the platform before boarding - failure to do so can result in a hefty fine.

Rail services: Venice is directly linked by train to Bologna (journey time - 1 hour 35 minutes) and passengers can change here for Florence (journey time - 2 hours 40 minutes) and Rome (journey time - 4 hours 20 minutes). It is also within easy reach of Milan (journey time - 2 hours 45 minutes) and the smaller towns of Padua (journey time - 20 minutes) and Verona (journey time - 1 hour 45 minutes). There are international departures to neighboring Germany, Austria and to the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, aboard the ‘Casanova’ express train (journey time - 4 hours), as well as the Croatian capital, Zagreb (journey time - 8 hours 10 minutes). There are also regular services to Paris and London on board the legendary Orient Express (website: www.orient-express.com), with a spectacular trip via the Alps and five-star service on board. New Orient Express options now include traveling between Venice and London via Krakow or Budapest.

Getting Around:




Public Transport
For a real sense of the city, a wander through the tiny side streets, over hump-backed bridges and into pocket-sized piazzas is a must for visitors to Venice. But if time is of the essence, visitors should consider using the extensive network of water buses (vaporetti), operated by Azienda Consorziale Transporti Venezia - ACTV (tel: 0421 5944; website: www.actv.it).

Single tickets are valid for 60 minutes and include one piece of luggage. There is also a 24-hour, a 36-hour and a 72-hour pass, which also include one piece of luggage. Tickets and passes are available for purchase at most landing stations and selected newsagents and should be punched in the machine before boarding. Failure to provide a valid ticket when requested results in a fine, plus the full value of the ticket. Tickets are also valid for ACTV road buses, which operate to Piazzale Roma from Mestre and the airport. ACTV operates a 24-hour service but not on all routes.

Traghetti (public ferries) are traditionally used by locals to cross the Grand Canal (as there are so few bridges) but sadly they are an increasingly rare breed. A poor relation to the gondola, these wooden dinghies nonetheless conjure up some of the romance of old-fashioned Venice. A swift plunge of the oars and the journey is complete but it is cheap and worth it for the chance to see Venice just as Marco Polo might have done. For travelers who cannot afford the expense or do not want to succumb to the cliché of taking a tourist gondola ride, a traghetti is a better option, although standing is de rigueur and the ride an unsteady one, not to be attempted after one too many Bellinis. The traghetti are run by the gondoliers’ co-operative in conjunction with the city council - there are no published times of operation.

Taxis
Water taxis must be the most expensive taxi service in Europe (there is a minimum set charge) and the trip will only be a maximum of seven minutes. A brief trip along the Grand Canal will cost upwards of €60 and on top of this there are surcharges for luggage, extra passengers (over the standard four) and traveling by night.

Water taxis, run by Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia, (tel: (041) 522 2303; website: www.motoscafivenezia.it) can be ordered by telephone but will have a minimum on the clock when they arrive. Stands are located at the station, Piazzale Roma, Rialto, San Marco and the Lido. Official water taxis have a black registration number on a yellow background. Visitors are advised to stay away from illegal operators who charge what they want.

Taxis of the four-wheeled variety only operate between Piazzale Roma and the mainland. Since hailing a taxi can prove difficult, visitors find it easier to call for a pickup from a reputable company, such as Radio Taxi (tel: (041) 936 222). Visitors should beware of unlicensed taxis without the usual sign or meter.

Tipping is expected for both land and water taxis, with approximately 10% the accepted norm.

Gondolas
The gondola is the Venetian equivalent of a limousine. For the ultimate traveling experience, there is nothing like gliding under the Bridge of Sighs, leaning back in plush red velvet seats and listening to the gentle slap of water against the crumbling palazzi walls.

First mentioned in the city’s annals in 1094, there are now just 400 of these sleek, flat-bottomed vessels negotiating the Venetian waters. The traditional cabins that once shielded lascivious English lords and their courtesans from prying eyes were done away with long ago. The gondoliers of today must rely on fine weather and long summer days for their business, which may account for the high cost of the ride. For visitors who baulk at paying the exorbitant prices, the cost can be kept down by doubling up with other sightseers.

All gondolas can carry up to six people and fees for additional services (such as musical accompaniment) should be negotiated before setting off. Gondolas depart from St Mark’s Square, the Rialto, Piazzale Roma and the railway station. Fares are set by a central body called The Ente Gondola (tel: (041) 528 5075; website: www.gondolavenezia.it) and any complaints should be directed there. Bargaining down the price by 10 to 15% is sometimes possible, particularly in shoulder seasons, although this should never be attempted when there is a group of gondoliers gathered together, as this is deemed insulting.

Driving in the City
No cars are allowed in the center of Venice at all. Even the emergency services operate by boat.

Car Hire
For forays into the surrounding countryside, cars can be hired at the airport or in Piazzale Roma. Major providers include Avis (tel: (041) 541 5030 (airport) or 523 7377 (Piazzale Roma); website: www.avis.com), Hertz (tel: (041) 541 6075 (airport) or 528 4091 (Piazzale Roma); website: www.hertz.com) and Europcar (tel: (041) 541 5654 (airport) or 523 8616 (Piazzale Roma); website: www.europcar.com). Drivers must be 23 years or over (depending on the company policy) and carry an EU license or full International Driving Permit. Basic insurance is usually included, although drivers are recommended to purchase excess insurance to avoid any excess charges in case of an accident.

Bicycle Hire
No bicycles or scooters are allowed in Venice.

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