Arriving by Train
If you are traveling from a nearby nation state and plan to take the train, you should book your travel to the Venezia Santa Lucia station. Please note that there may be border patrol checks at the Italian border and that you should have your passport and train ticket easily accessible during your journey.
When you arrive, Venezia Santa Lucia station is located directly on the Grand Canal in the historic city center. From the train, walk down to Ferrovia dock directly outside the station. From there you will need to purchase a Vaporetto (water bus) Pass heading toward Rialto/San Marco. Line 1 or 2 will get you to San Tomà dock in the heart of San Polo.
Please note that if you are staying in another area of San Polo Island, or if you are staying on San Marco Island, you will need to disembark at a different dock.
Arriving by Plane
If you are traveling to Venice by plane, we encourage you to book your flights as soon as possible as prices are likely to increase in the coming months. When booking your flight, please note that there are multiple airports in Venice. You will need to book your flight to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE).
The airport is located on the mainland, so once you arrive you will need to make your way from the Airport to San Polo Island. There are two primary ways that you can do this.
Alilaguna Water Boat: Take the Orange line from the airport dock to San Polo and get off at the San Tomà dock in the heart of San Polo. This trip takes roughly 1 hour and will cost €15-€18.
ATVO Express Bus + Vaporetto: Take the ATVO bus from VCE to Piazzale Roma (approx. 20-30 min, €10). From Piazzale Roma, take the Vaporetto (water bus) along the Grand Canal to a San Polo (~€7-€10). Line 1 will take you to the San Tomà dock in the heart of San Polo. Please note that if you are staying in another area of San Polo Island, or if you are staying on San Marco Island, you may need to disembark at a different dock.
Getting Around Venice | Vapparetto
The primary form of transit around Venice is via Vapparetto (water bus). You can download a detailed map of Vapparetto routes here (pdf link).
Once you arrive in Venice, you will need a Vapparetto pass to get around. While there are many online sites that sell Vapparetto passes which you can purchase in advance of travel, we recommend purchasing a pass once you arrive in Venice. They are available at Ferrovia Dock if you arrive by train, and at the Airport Dock at VCE. Please note that the Vapparetto Pass does not include direct transit to/from the Airport. You will need to book an Alilaguna Water Boat pass for direct boat travel to/from the airport.
There are a number of different passes available for purchase, depending on how much you plan to use the Vapparetto:
- Standard, single use pass for 75 minutes (9.50 €)
- Day ticket, which is valid for the water buses in Venice and the islands of Lido, Murano, and Burano (25 €)
- Travel Card for 2 days, which is valid for the water buses in Venice and the islands of Lido, Murano and Burano (35 €)
- Travel Card for 3 days, which is valid for the water buses in Venice and the islands of Lido, Murano and Burano (45 €)
- Travel Card for 7 days, which is valid for the water buses in Venice and the islands of Lido, Murano and Burano (65 €)
If you are not staying on San Polo, or if you plan to visit any of the other islands you will need a Vapparetto Pass.
