Getting There By Air:Venice Marco Polo (VCE)
Tel: (041) 260 9240. Fax: (041) 260 6260.
Website:
www.veniceairport.itLocated 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. The three-floor terminal can cater for up to six
million passengers per year.
Major airlines: Italy’s national airline,
Alitalia (tel: (06) 2222; website:
www.alitalia.it), connects Venice to Rome, Naples and Catania in Sicily.
British Airways and budget airline
Easyjet operate daily flights to London Gatwick, and
British Midland to London Heathrow, while
Lufthansa and
Air France fly to other major European capitals and business centers.
Alitalia/
Delta run a regular code share service to New York. An increasing number of budget airline routes also connect the airport with regional airports in the UK.
Approximate flight times to Venice: From London is 2 hours 10 minutes; 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 reservations 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 lounge (tel: (041) 260 6577; fax: (041) 260 6282; e-mail:
marketing@veniceairport.it), where there are televisions and telephones at their disposal. The
Travelex Italia Business Center (tel: (041) 269 8191; website:
www.travelex.com) has meeting rooms, conference halls and work stations with secretarial services and other support facilities, such as translation services and mobile phone hire, available daily 0600-2200.
Arrival/
departure tax: None.
Transport to the city: The most romantic way to arrive in Venice (weather permitting) is by motorboat (
motoscafo). Travelers pay for the privilege (€10) 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) 523 5775; fax: (041) 522 1939; e-mail:
info@alilaguna.it; website:
www.alilaguna.it) departs hourly 0615-0010 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, with a price tag upwards of €80. A cheaper alternative is by land, on the
ATVO airbus (tel: (041) 541 5180; website:
www.atvo.it) to Piazzale Roma, which departs every 20-40 minutes 0820-0010 and costs €3 (journey time – 20 minutes). Cheaper still is the
ACTV (tel: (041) 272 2111; website:
www.actv.it) public bus 5, which costs just €1 and departs every 15-30 minutes 0510-2310 (journey time – 30 minutes to Piazzale Roma). Car taxis to Piazzale Roma wait outside the arrivals hall and cost approximately €15-18 (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 (e-mail:
info@minoan.gr; 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. High season prices start at €72 one way, for a seat on deck. The price is double that for a cabin. Passengers must arrive two hours before sailing. For tickets, travelers should book online with
Minoan Lines (see above) or through a travel agent within Venice. From May through to September,
Venezia Lines run high speed catamarans between the Italian ports of Trieste and Lussino, the Croatian ports of Umag, Rovinj, Porec and Pula, and Piran in Slovenia (tel: (041) 242 4000; e-mail:
sales@venezialines.com; website:
www.venezialines.com).
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 and driving from Venice to Bologna will cost about €11. 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 seatbelts, if fitted, or face an on-the-spot fine of €30. 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 standards and are levied between €30 and €300, depending on the speed. Driving through a red light is fined at €60.50.
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 Italiana –
ACI (tel: (06) 491 115; website:
www.aci.it) provides further information.
Emergency breakdown service: Automobile Club Italiana: 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 at around €20-30 per day. A cheaper alternative is for drivers to leave the car at the San Giulano 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: (055) 357 110; website:
www.eurolines.it) travel to destinations across Europe, including London, Amsterdam and Paris.
ATVO (tel: (042) 138 3671 (Piazzale Roma ticket agency); website:
www.atvo.it) operates services to the nearby towns of Treviso, Verona, Padua and Milan. All coaches depart from Piazzale Roma, where there are few facilities, including an information office for walk-up enquiries. Bus passengers should use the nearby train station for other facilities.
Getting There By Rail:All trains to and from Venice are run by the efficient and good value Italian state railway,
Trenitalia (tel: (147) 888 088; 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, with 2002 finally seeing the introduction of a semi-organized queuing system. 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 eyesore terminal building is a more recent aesthetic crime. 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, to the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, aboard the new ‘Casanova’ express train (journey time – 4 hours), and 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.
Transport to the city: It takes roughly 30 minutes for one to walk to St Mark’s Square. It is a well trodden and interesting introduction to Venice but, for that picture postcard view, visitors should hop on a vaporetto (water bus) and make the first of many watery forays down the Grand Canal – vaporetto 1, 52 and 82 are among the routes serving both the station and St Mark’s Square, with vaporetto 1 the all-stopping service, perfect for a first trip along the canal, but a torturous experience for people actually wanting to get somewhere.
Getting Around:Public TransportFor 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: (041) 272 2111; website:
www.actv.it).
Tickets are valid for 90 minutes and ones that include traveling on the Grand Canal cost €5, while single trip tickets that do not allow the holder to travel on this waterway cost €3.50. A two journey ticket for any non Grand Canal route can also be purchased for €6. There is also a 24-hour pass available for €10.50 and a good value three-day ticket at €22 – both allow the holder to travel on the Grand Canal. If you are traveling with animals or large bags you should also purchase a ticket for these, which cost €3.50 each. 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 €30 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 – there are only three bridges with another currently planned – 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 at €0.40 per trip (many locals round up to €0.50) it is 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 rigeur 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.
TaxisWater taxis have to offer the most expensive taxi service in Europe – there is a minimum set charge of around €15 – and the trip will only be a maximum of seven minutes. A brief trip along the Grand Canal will cost in the region of €70-80 and on top of this there are surcharges for luggage, extra passengers (over the standard four) and traveling by night.
Water Taxis (tel: (041) 541 5084) can be ordered by telephone but will have a minimum of €5 on the clock when they arrive.
Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia (tel: (041) 240 6711; website:
www.motoscafivenezia.it) also operates a water taxi service. 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), which charges from €10 for short trips. 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 Venetian equivalent of a limousine is the gondola. 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 balk at paying €62 for 50 minutes (more after 2000), 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, costing an extra €100-130 – 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; fax: (041) 521 1534; website:
www.gondolavenezia.it) and any complaints should be directed there. Bargaining down the price by 10-15% 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 CityNo cars are allowed in the center of Venice at all. Even the emergency services operate by boat.
Car HireCars are not allowed in the center of Venice, although 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). Rates are approximately €80 per day. 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 HireNo bicycles or scooters are allowed in Venice at all.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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