Quick Answer
The Airport Choice That Decides Your First Hour in Venice
Here’s the thing nobody tells you before you land at Marco Polo: there’s no train. Every other Italian airport in this guide series drops you at a station with a direct rail line into the centre — Venice doesn’t, because Venice doesn’t have roads either. You step off the plane and immediately have to pick between a boat and a bus, and that one choice decides whether you’re gliding past palazzos within the hour or standing at a bus stop working out where the water actually starts.
We picked the boat our first time, mostly because “water bus to Venice” sounded too good to skip. It was — right up until we realized our hotel was a ten-minute walk from the Alilaguna stop we’d landed at, when the land bus to Piazzale Roma plus a short vaporetto hop would have gotten us there for less and, if we’re honest, almost as fast. The lesson wasn’t “don’t take the boat.” It was “check where you’re actually staying before you buy the ticket.” This guide runs every real option from Marco Polo (and Treviso, if that’s your airport) into the centre, current prices and times, so you can make that call before you land instead of after.
- Fixed price — pay what you see
- Flight tracking — driver waits if delayed
- Free cancellation up to 24 h before
Every Option Compared
From Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
| Option | Time to centre | Cost | Runs | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alilaguna Orange Line (water bus) | ~60–75 min to San Marco/Rialto | Regular daily departures | Scenic, drops you among the canals with your bags | |
| ACTV bus 5 “Aerobus” | ~25–30 min to Piazzale Roma | ~€10 one-way | Every 15–20 min, ~04:00–01:00 | Cheapest, but you still need a vaporetto or walk onward |
| ATVO “Fly Bus” express | ~20–25 min to Piazzale Roma | ~€12 one-way | Every 30 min | Fastest land option, still needs an onward vaporetto or walk |
The Alilaguna also charges around €3 per extra bag beyond one hold case and one hand item — worth knowing if you’re travelling heavy. Both land buses end at Piazzale Roma, where Venice’s road network stops dead and the vaporetti take over; from there it’s either a short boat ride or a walk, depending how deep into the centre your hotel sits.
From Treviso Airport (TSF)
| Option | Time to centre | Cost | Runs | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATVO Treviso Airport Bus Express | A little over 1 hour to Piazzale Roma (via Mestre) | Scheduled to flight arrivals | The only direct option — budget extra time versus Marco Polo |
Treviso mainly serves budget carriers, so if that’s your airport, plan on the longer ride and book the ATVO bus in advance rather than assuming a train link exists — it doesn’t, same as Marco Polo.
Step-by-Step: Riding the Alilaguna to San Marco
- Follow signs for “Alilaguna” or “Water Taxi/Water Bus” out of the arrivals hall — the dock is a short, covered walk from the terminal, no shuttle bus needed.
- Buy your ticket at the Alilaguna counter or online first — the Orange Line (Linea Arancio) is the one to look for, since it’s the line that actually serves both Rialto and San Marco.
- Confirm your stop before boarding. Alilaguna makes several stops around the lagoon; if you’re not sure which one is closest to your hotel, ask the counter staff rather than guessing.
- Keep luggage light if you can — extra bags beyond one hold case and one hand item run around €3 each, and the dock-to-boat gangway isn’t built for oversized cases.
- Settle in for around 60–75 minutes. It’s slower than the land route, but you’ll watch Venice rise out of the lagoon rather than arrive at a bus terminal.
Taxis & Ride-Hailing
There’s no taxi rank that drives you into central Venice, for the obvious reason: cars can’t get there. What Marco Polo does have is a water taxi rank — private motorboats that run directly to your hotel’s own canal-side dock, which is genuinely the fastest and most comfortable door-to-door option if you’re willing to pay a premium for it and want to skip both the bus and the vaporetto entirely. Confirm the fare with the operator before you board, since these run on a private tariff rather than a metered or fixed municipal rate the way Rome’s Fiumicino taxis do.
If you land at Treviso instead, a standard taxi can take you as far as Mestre or Piazzale Roma on the mainland side, same as anywhere else in Italy — just remember it still ends at Piazzale Roma, not your hotel door, once you’re on Venice’s side of the causeway. And whatever goes wrong along the way, Italy’s single emergency number is 112, free and reachable even without a working SIM.
The 2026 Access Fee — Check This Before You Land
Venice now charges a Contributo di Accesso (access fee) on 60 specified dates between 3 April and 26 July 2026, mostly Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays plus a handful of extra spring dates, active 08:30–16:00. It applies to day-trippers entering the historic centre — not Murano, Burano, Torcello or the Lido — and costs around €5 if booked at least four days ahead, or around €10 booked later or on the day. Children under 14 are exempt outright.
Here’s the detail that catches overnight visitors off guard: if you’re staying at Venice-municipality accommodation, you don’t pay the fee — but you still have to register on the official portal (cda.ve.it) and carry the resulting exemption QR code. Skip that step and you’re technically in violation even though you owed nothing, with fines running up to €300. Register the moment your dates are booked, not the morning you fly.
Getting Around Venice Once You’re In
Once you’ve reached Piazzale Roma or a lagoon-side stop, Venice runs on ACTV vaporetti — the public water buses — and your own two feet, since there are no cars or bicycles on the historic islands at all. A single ticket costs around €9.50 and is valid for 75 minutes, which sounds steep until you realise most of the historic centre is walkable and you may only need the boat for the Grand Canal or a lagoon-island trip.
If you know you’ll be hopping on and off, the Venezia Unica tourist travel card is the better buy: around €25 for 24 hours, €35 for 48 hours, €45 for 72 hours, or €65 for a full week, all with unlimited vaporetto and bus travel. Travellers aged 6–29 can pair a €6 Rolling Venice card with a discounted 72-hour pass around €27 instead. Buy either at the ACTV counter at Piazzale Roma or the airport before you head in, so you’re not doing the maths stop by stop.
Onward Travel
Piazzale Roma connects to Venezia Santa Lucia, the city’s mainline station just a short vaporetto ride or walk away, which is Venice’s hub for long-distance trains. Frecciarossa and Italo run direct from Venezia Santa Lucia to Florence Santa Maria Novella in around 2h–2h20 (advance fares from around €19), continuing on to Rome Termini in a further 1h30–1h40. Compare and book routes on our trains hub .
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get from Marco Polo Airport to central Venice?
The Alilaguna Orange Line water bus runs directly to San Marco and Rialto for around €18 one-way, taking around 60–75 minutes. Cheaper and faster to Piazzale Roma (where the islands’ road ends), the ACTV bus 5 Aerobus costs around €10 in about 25–30 minutes, or the ATVO Fly Bus express costs around €12 in about 20–25 minutes; from Piazzale Roma you continue by vaporetto or on foot.
What is the cheapest way from Venice airport to the city?
The ACTV bus 5 Aerobus is the cheapest fixed-schedule option, around €10 one-way to Piazzale Roma in about 25–30 minutes, departing every 15–20 minutes. It costs roughly half the Alilaguna water bus fare, though you’ll still need a vaporetto or a walk from Piazzale Roma to reach a hotel deeper in the historic centre.
Does the Alilaguna water bus go to San Marco and Rialto?
Yes — the Alilaguna Orange Line (Linea Arancio) is the one line that serves both San Marco and Rialto directly from Marco Polo Airport, for around €18 one-way (around €32 return, plus around €3 per extra bag beyond one hold and one hand item). The crossing takes around 60–75 minutes, longer than the land bus, but it drops you and your luggage right among the canals.
What is Venice’s 2026 access fee and do arriving travelers pay it?
Venice’s Contributo di Accesso applies on 60 specified dates between 3 April and 26 July 2026, 08:30–16:00, to day-trippers entering the historic centre: around €5 if booked at least 4 days ahead, around €10 booked later. Overnight guests registered at Venice-municipality accommodation don’t pay the fee but must still register on the official portal and carry the exemption QR code — arriving without it risks a fine up to €300.
How much is a vaporetto ticket once I’m in Venice?
A single ACTV vaporetto ticket costs around €9.50 and is valid for 75 minutes. If you’ll ride more than a couple of times, a Venezia Unica tourist travel card is better value: around €25 for 24 hours, €35 for 48 hours, €45 for 72 hours, or €65 for 7 days, all with unlimited ACTV vaporetto and bus travel.
Can I fly into Treviso instead of Marco Polo for Venice?
Yes — Treviso Airport (TSF) is Venice’s secondary airport, mostly used by budget carriers. The ATVO Treviso Airport Bus Express runs to Mestre and on to Piazzale Roma for around €14 one-way (around €24 return), taking a little over an hour, roughly twice the transfer time from Marco Polo.
Before You Land
Pick the Alilaguna if you want the lagoon crossing and your hotel sits near a water stop, the ACTV Aerobus if you’re counting euros, or the ATVO Fly Bus if minutes matter more than price — and either way, register your access-fee exemption the moment your dates are locked in if you’re staying overnight. Lock in your flight and your bed before you go:
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