Venice Marco Polo Airport
Venice's main airport, Marco Polo (VCE), offers a unique arrival experience right on the edge of the lagoon. Whether by water taxi, vaporetto or bus, getting from the airport to the heart of Venice is part of the adventure.
Venice's main airport, Marco Polo (VCE), offers a unique arrival experience right on the edge of the lagoon. Whether by water taxi, vaporetto or bus, getting from the airport to the heart of Venice is part of the adventure.
The famed canal city of Venice has an international airport, though it's not on the islands themselves. Venice Marco Polo Airport is on the mainland a little more than four nautical miles from Venice proper. And a nautical mile is the appropriate measuring stick here, because the airport is right next to the lagoon - you can walk out of the terminal and hop right into a water taxi if you like.
Venice's airport is served by more than 50 airlines that connect the city to 87 airports in 36 countries around the world, including long-haul direct flights from several US airports.
Venice's airport has only one terminal with three floors. Check-in desks are on both the ground and first floors, and there are 65 gates in total. The airport is relatively small, despite being a busy international airport, so it's easy to get around the terminal on foot. And, as mentioned, the airport is right next to the water, making the usually mundane process of getting from an airport to a city far more interesting.
You have a few choices for getting to Venice from VCE or vice versa. There is but one road that connects the Venetian islands to the mainland, which limits your land transit options. But your water transit options pick up the slack.
There are two types of taxis serving Venice's airport: cars and boats.
Taxi vehicles have a fixed fare of €40 for the sole parking lot on the Venetian islands and €45 for Venice's cruise port. You'll find taxis outside the land side of the terminal.
Water taxis line up on the opposite side of the terminal (look for signs directing you toward "Water Transport"). The convenience of getting a ride from the airport right to your lodging on the islands, or vice versa, isn't cheap. Expect to pay at least €110-150 for a trip between VCE and the city center in a private taxi. There are also shared water taxis, akin to a shared Uber ride, which can get you to the islands quite a bit faster than a water bus but without the high cost of a private water taxi.
You can get an airport shuttle bus to the Venezia Mestre train station and, from there, take the roughly 10-minute train ride to Venezia Santa Lucia station on the islands. Train tickets start at around €2. It may be a cheap trip, but it's not really convenient with all the transfers.
As mentioned, there is only one road connecting Venice's mainland and the islands - one road leading to one parking lot, Piazzale Roma, located not far from the Santa Lucia train station and the cruise port. Bus route 5 connects the airport with Piazzale Roma, and the trip usually takes a little under 30 minutes. A one-way ticket costs €10.
There's another bus option for getting around in Venice, though: the vaporetto. The city's water buses are an excellent way to explore the Venetian islands during your visit. You can also take a vaporetto from Marco Polo Airport to the islands, but the trip isn't exactly quick. The Blue, Orange and Red lines all connect the airport with various points around the islands. The Orange line is perhaps the quickest at about 40-45 minutes from the airport to the vaporetto stop nearest the train station, with tickets starting at €15 one-way. It's not exactly expensive, but it's also the slowest transit method of the bunch.
If you're landing at the Venice airport to spend time in Venice, then you shouldn't be renting a car. If you plan to explore the countryside by car after your stay in Venice, then it's best to rent a car on the mainland after you leave.
Sign up for our Vacation Perfect newsletter and real estate updates.