VENICE ITALY AREAUpdated September 2010

CAVEATYou are free to use this information in planning your vacation. Do not sell or use this for any commercial purpose because I have used multiple maps and photos from Google and Bing. I've tried to be accurate, but recognize things change. Please verify information for your travel plans. Opinions expressed are my own.Tom Sheridan

Planes, ships, buses, trains, and taxis are common means to arrive at the Venice area. Once you arrive, you'll have your choice of walking, private water taxis, or the public boats to navigate the area.

The map below shows the relationship of several key locations:Marco Polo is the airport serving VeniceUse this link for information on various travel options to/from the Venice Marco Polo Airport.

http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/getting-from-venice-marco-polo-airport-to-venice-and-vice-versa.htmlBurano is a picturesque fisherman's village with many restaurants and beautiful, handmade lace.Murano has glass factories and many shops selling artistic glass products and jewelry.Santa Lucia is the train station on Venice.Buses from the mainland stop at Piazzale Roma on Venice.The cruise ships docks and passenger terminal are near Tronchetto.Mestre is a small town with 40 hotels and excellent transportation to Venice by train, bus, and cab.

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Hotel Choices – Island or Mainland? Hotels in Venice are expensive. Logistics of traveling with luggage to/from the hotel is an issue. Will you be walking narrow streets of Venice and schlepping your bags up and down the bridges over the canals? Is your hotel close to public boat transportation (called Vaporetto) or will you use the Hotel's boat shuttle or costly private water taxis? Based on my comparisons, price of a 4-star hotel on the island of Venice is about twice that on the mainland. Also, a boat trip from the airport to a hotel in Venice is more expensive and takes 75 minutes vs. 20 minutes for a 20 Euro cab ride to a hotel in Mestre. It's a small town west of Venice with about 40 hotels. It has a train stop, public buses, and cabs which can reach Venice in 10-15 minutes. In addition, Mestre provides the convenience of wine shops and stores for last minute items.

For lower cost and travel convenience with luggage, we always stay in Mestre. Above map shows the train station with some of the hotels directly across the street. There are many good hotels, check the web for reviews. If your hotel is not near the train station, you'll probably find convenient bus travel travel to Venice.

We like the Tritone Hotel. It's comfortable, clean, and offers an excellent breakfast. When arriving by plane, we take a bus or taxi to Mestre for 20 Euros. The airport bus stops at the train station. When planning to board a ship in Venice, we check out of the hotel early in the morning and leave our luggage. It's a ten minute train ride into Venice. We spend the full day in Venice returning to Mestre by train in mid-afternoon to pick up luggage and take a taxi for 20 Euros to the cruise ship terminal.

Warning – you can only get to the cruise ship terminal by taxi from the mainland! You cannot walk or take a water bus to the cruise ship terminal. There is NO advantage of getting to the cruise ship early. There is NO place to walk to and you are dependent on the cruise company to provide a shuttle boat to Venice.

Arriving in Mestre by train is simple. But, unless the train stops on track #1, you'll have to carry luggage down and back up a flight of stairs at the station. There are no elevators. Trains run between Mestre and Venice about every 10 minutes and the cost one-way is 1 Euro. The train ride is about 10-15 minutes.

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Trains arrive in Venice on the Grand Canal at the Santa Lucia station (also know as the Ferrovia water bus stop). There are many restaurants, shops, ATM's, etc. and a lot to see simply by walking from the station. Exit the train station and walk to your left. There's a wine shop a short walk on the right side of the street.

I recommend walking from the bus stop or train station to the Rialto Bridge (follow the signs “Per Rialto”; then walk to St. Mark's by following the signs “Per San Marco”. It's a treasure trove of shops carrying a wide range of high quality products such as jewelry, clothing, artwork, hand made paper, etc. Venice is a shopper's paradise! Explore the nooks and crannies to discover many picturesque sites and excellent restaurants.

You can buy Vaporetto (public water bus) tickets in front of the train station at the small booth near the canal in front of the trees. You'll need tickets to visit other islands or, if you're pressed for time, to see different locations in Venice. The water buses can be crowded, but it's fun. There's a 60 minute pass for 7 Euros. Be sure to validate your travel card by waving it in front of the machine at the dock where your board the water buses.

If you arrive in Venice by bus, you'll be at Piazzale Roma. It's on the other side of the Grand Canal, a short distance from the train station. I prefer the train because it's a bit more convenient to restaurants and shops. In either case, if you are walking, you want to walk east along the Grand Canal (to the right) in this photo.

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The photo below shows the Cruise Ship docking area and passenger terminal . You cannot walk anywhere from the cruise ship. The ship provides boat shuttles to San Marco for $ 15 per person. The shuttle route to San Marco is shown by the red arrows. The bus stop and train station are shown for reference.

The photo below shows the usual load/unload location for the cruise ship shuttle. Walk to the left, across two bridges, and you arrive at San Marco (St. Mark's square) - the most famous site in Venice.

A photo of the statue (red arrow in the photo above) is shown on the next page. It's an excellent landmark near the shuttle boat dock. It's hard to miss.

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This statue is the first site you'll see when the cruise ship's shuttle boat drops you off near San Marco (St. Marks). Walk left and cross 2 bridges to San Marco square.

Be sure to visit the cathedral. Lines are long in the morning because the tour bus groups have priority. But lines are much shorter in late afternoon. Tour groups are gone by 4 PM.

If you are using a a cane or walker, you might avoid all lines by going to the North, side entrance of the cathedral. It's usually used as an exit, but the guard let us enter because my wife had a cane.

If you don't have time to visit the island of Murano, there is a working glass factory only a few blocks from St. Mark's square. It's used by tour buses with limited time in Venice. The factory is located North and East of St. Marks directly across the canal from the Sanzogno Gallery. The showroom has work signed by master craftsmen.

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Whenever we're in Venice, we visit St. Mark's and the Rialto Bridge. Walk the winding streets following the signs “Per Rialto” or “Per San Marco”. The map below shows the general relationship of these locations.

As the pigeon flies, it's about 2000 feet from St. Mark's to Rialto Bridge and another 4000 feet to the train station or bus stop. Think of it as the largest shopping mall in the world. Follow the crowd and watch for the occasional sign on the buildings pointing the direction. It's hard to get lost.

The Rialto bridge is quite distinctive. It's a “must see” site in Venice.

Navigating the Venice Area by Vaporetto (public water bus):You can easily explore the island of Venice by walking. The only reason to purchase Vaporetto tickets is to explore other islands or if you're in a hurry and don't have time to walk Venice. For information on Vaporetto see this site http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/vaporetto_routes.htm

In 2009 the single Vaporetto fare is 6.50 euro (good for one hour from the time it's stamped) but if you plan to spend much time on the Vaporetto system, it's wise to buy a travelcard at any Vaporetto ticket office. Travelcards are good for both water and land transport in the Venice area (land services on the Lido and in Mestre).

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Here are prices as of 2008: • 16 € - 12-hour travelcard • 18 € - 24-hour travelcard • 23 € - 36-hour travelcard • 28 € - 48-hour travelcard • 33 € - 72-hour travelcard • 50 € - 7 days • 18 € - 3-day youth card, ages 14 - 29 • Venice Card - Includes free and reduced admissions and transportation for 3 or 7 days.

There are several Vaporetto lines serving the Venice area. They travel different routes and make different stops. Travel time can be significantly different depending on the route they take and the number of stops. We made the mistake once of taking a Vaporreto to Burano that took the outside sea route, instead of the much faster direct route from F. Te Nove. The trip was so long, we almost missed our ship from Venice to Florida!

Line #1 travels the Grand CanalThe bus stop is P. RomaThe train station is FerroviaThe Rialto Bridge is RialtoSt. Mark's square is S. Marco.

The departure point for the islands of Murano is F. Te Nove (also known as F Nove). Line #1 does not stop at F. Te Nove.

Line #2 is similar to Line #1 and it stops at Tronchetto where the bus tours of Italy stop for Venice. Also, Line #2 travels south of Venice. This could be a good line to use is you want to photograph the Grand Canal and the south area of Venice. There are many, many beautiful buildings along this route. If you're an avid photographer, remember the Vaporetto can be quite crowded depending on the time of day. Try to be at the front of the boarding line to get a seat on the outside, stern section. Change seats when passengers leave.

Lines # 41 and #42 travel in different directionsThey do not stop at San Marco. Walk from S Marco to S. Zaccaria to get this water bus.

From the bus stop (P. Roma) or the train station (Ferrovia), I would take line 42 to Murano. These lines stop at F. Te Nove which is the closest stop for Murano and Burano.

Lines #41 and #42 go to Murano

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Lines # 51 and #52 do not stop at San MarcoWalk from S Marco to S. Zaccaria to get this water bus.

From the bus stop (P. Roma) or the train station (Ferrovia), I would take line 52 to F. Te Nove and then change to another Vaporetto for Murano or Burano.

Tips on Using the Vaporetto (Public Water Bus) SystemThere are several docks for different lines of the Vaporetto in an area. As you approach the floating docks you will see a list of the lines departing from that location. You will often find you arrive at a dock and have to walk a hundred yards or across a bridge to a nearby dock to get the water bus to return to your original location. With a bit of searching, it's easy to figure out where to stand for the water bus you want.

Travel is simpler if you know the “official name” of your destination. For example, Murano has several water bus stops. To minimize walking, it's best to decide where you want to disembark on Murano such as the stop at Faro near the lighthouse. An important stop in Venice is Fondamente Nove. It is known as “F. Te Nove” or “F. Nove” because the word “fondamente” is too long to put on a dock, a schedule, etc.

Although you will find many diagrams and signs showing water bus routes, and departure times, you will NOT find a list of length of time for travel. This can be very important if you want to enjoy a full day in Venice area and be assured to return to the ship on time.

A very useful resource is the website www.Actv.ITLog onto this website and click on the word “English”

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The above screen appears. I used the drop down menus to select departure from F. Te Nove arriving Murano at the Museo water bus stop by 10:00 AM. Note they use military time with 24:00 meaning midnight. Once I've entered this information, I click on search.

Search results = a table showing all the lines from F. Te Nove to Murano Museo. I've truncated it to show only the first listing. Line #42 departs at 9:23 AM and arrives at 9:43 AM. It's a 20 minute boat ride.

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Next, I click on “View route”. The route (shown below) appears showing the stops the water bus makes between F. Te Nove and Murano Museo. With this information, I can count the stops to my destination, or I may decide to get off the water bus at another stop in Murano such as Murano Colonna.

This type of information is extremely helpful in determining travel options, stops, and travel time. With this in hand, you can comfortably preplan how you will navigate the Venice Area.

I entered similar data for a trip from F. Te Nove to Burano and got the result below:

The LN water bus makes three stops between F. Te Nove and Burano,; namely, Murano Faro, Mazzorbo, and Burano. The trip is 42 minutes. Using the Actv website, it is obvious there is only one dock for water buses in Burano.

Getting to Murano from Venice by Actv Public Water BusesFrom S. Zaccaria (just up the waterfront promenade from the Piazza San Marco and the Doge's Palace): Take the #42 waterbus, which will take you to Murano by way of the F. Te Nove and the cemetery island of San Michele in just over 40 minutes. (Or you can ride the #41 down the Grand Canal and on to Murano, but the voyage will take nearly an hour.) When you reach Murano, get off at any stop. (Colonna is handy for glass blowing demonstrations; Museo is close to the Glass Museum and the Basilica of Santi Maria e Donato.)

From the Fondamente Nove (on the north side of the historic center, facing the Lagoon):Catch the #41 or #42 waterbus. The #41 will get you to the Murano Colonna stop in only 10 minutes; the Faro, Navagero, and Museo stops take longer. Alternatively, you could catch an LN (Laguna Nord) boat, a widebody vaporetto that takes only 9 minutes to reach the Murano Faro stop on its way to the more distant islands of Burano and Torcello.

From the Piazzale Roma or Ferrovia (the bus and railroad stations): Ride the DM (Diretto Murano) boat, which takes 17 minutes to reach Murano Colonna from the railroad station. Stay on the boat if you'd rather get off at Faro, Navagero, Museo, or Venier. Note: This route is sometimes seasonal, so if it isn't running, take the #41 water bus, which is slower than DM with local stops along the way.

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This aerial photo shows all of the the Vaporetto stops on Murano Island. Faro (near the lighthouse) is the major stop. Colonna is convenient because it is at the south end of the canal. But all of the water bus stops on Murano are convenient for sightseeing. The island is not that large.

Murano is the “glass island”. Walk along the canal which divides the island to visit the shops selling glass, artwork, jewelry, etc. The artistic glass work, signed by master tradesmen, is gorgeous. But it's very expensive.

You'll find several factories demonstrating glass blowing. There are restaurants along the canal. Be sure to walk the full length of the canal to see the sights and to cross the bridges. There is a very attractive pedestrian bridge at the north end of the canal where it meets the east-west canal.

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Photos of Murano

Lighthouse near Faro Canal through center of Murano

Glasswork on display in Murano

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How to reach Burano:Board the LN (Lagoon North) boat at F. Te Nove in Venice or the Faro stop(near the lighthouse) on Murano. From Faro, it's a 33-minute trip to Burano.

BuranoThe island of Burano lies in the northern part of the Venetian Lagoon, about 40 minutes from Venice by motorboat. It has a much different atmosphere from Murano or Venice's historic center, thanks to the Buranese custom of painting houses in bright colors--a tradition that may have had its origins in the color schemes of local fishing boats. Everywhere you look, you'll see houses clad in blue, green, pink, rose, lavender, purple, yellow, and other colors. And because Burano's houses tend to be small, the island has a cheerful coziness.

Fishing is one traditional occupation of the Buranelli; the other is lace-making. If you haven't spent your souvenir budget in the glass shops of Murano, you may find it hard to leave Burano without a supply of doilies and table linens or a wedding dress. (One word of caution: True Venetian Point lace is in limited supply, and many items in the shops are imported or machine-made.)

A "must see" attraction on Burano is the Museo del Merletto, or Lace Museum in the old Scuola di Merletti or lace-making school. (Closed Tuesdays.)

Roman Catholics and lovers of solitude may enjoy a side trip to the monastery island of San Francesclo del Deserto, where the nine Franciscan monks welcome visitors from 9-10 a.m. and 3-5 p.m. daily. The island is 20 minutes by rowboat from the Burano waterfront. (A gondolier does the rowing.) For more information, or to book an overnight stay, call the monks at 041 528 6863 when you're in Venice.

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Photos of Burano

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