Venice Mestre Transport Questions

Hi

 

We've finally booked a long awaited cruise from Venice as its a place we've always wanted to visit. We are a group of four adults and booked on a cruise but are flying out two days early and hope to see and do as much as possible in this time.

 

Can anyone please help with the following questions:

 

What is the cheapest way to get from Marco Polo Airport to Venice Mestre with our luggage? We have booked Aaron Hotel.

 

Is it best to use a bus or train into central Venice for sightseeing, I believe we are close to the train station and a local bus stop?

 

When we need to leave to get to the cruise port, what is the best way to get there?

 

We would appreciate any help or suggestions as none of us have ever been to Venice before.

 

Many thanks

Angie

Your best way for getting from a Hotel at Mestre on the Italian mainland to the Cruise Terminal in Mestre is to take a road taxi across the Causeway right to the Cruise Terminal in Venezia on the lagoon .

Edited October 25, 2014 by kuldalai

Hi

 

We've finally booked a long awaited cruise from Venice as its a place we've always wanted to visit. We are a group of four adults and booked on a cruise but are flying out two days early and hope to see and do as much as possible in this time.

 

Can anyone please help with the following questions:

 

What is the cheapest way to get from Marco Polo Airport to Venice Mestre with our luggage? We have booked Aaron Hotel.

 

Is it best to use a bus or train into central Venice for sightseeing, I believe we are close to the train station and a local bus stop?

 

When we need to leave to get to the cruise port, what is the best way to get there?

 

We would appreciate any help or suggestions as none of us have ever been to Venice before.

 

Many thanks

Angie

 

Since you asked for the cheapest means, the ATVO bus would probably be your best choice from Marco Polo to Mestre. It has a place for luggage storage under the bus (the ACTV, which may be a tad cheaper, does not). Make sure that you take the ATVO to Mestre train station & NOT Piazzale Roma. From the Mestre train station, it is about a 10 minute walk to you hotel (you can google map the route).

 

The trains to VCE from the Mestre station are inexpensive, run frequently & it only takes about 7 minutes to arrive in Venice.

 

I agree, take a taxi to the cruise port.

I would ask how much luggage per person you have?

 

We travel light, only carry-on size bags. So for us, we walked across the street from our hotel and boarded the city bus. About a 10-15 minute ride to the Piazza on Venice.

 

If you have large bags your choices will be different.

Hi

 

 

What is the cheapest way to get from Marco Polo Airport to Venice Mestre with our luggage?

 

Is it best to use a bus or train into central Venice for sightseeing, I believe we are close to the train station and a local bus stop?

 

When we need to leave to get to the cruise port, what is the best way to get there?

 

 

 

1. Other than hitchhiking, our way was probably the cheapest. We purchased 48 hr (if I recall correctly) Venice transportation passes. This pass included the ACTV bus from VCE to Mestre, where our hotel was located. Although other posters continue to argue that the ACTV bus is too difficult to manage for people with luggage, we had no problem whatsoever. In fact, the local people helped us lift our luggage onto the bus and find a reasonable place to keep it during the ride to Mestre!

 

2. Because we purchased the 48 hr transportation passes, we rode the ACTV bus back and forth from Mestre. The train is not included in the transportation pass.

 

3. We again rode the ACTV bus from Mestre to Piazzale Roma and then switched to a different ACTV bus that stopped on the bridge just above the port entrance.

 

 

By the way, we also used the transportation passes for vaporettos throughout Venice during our time there.

 

I thought the biggest disadvantage of the above-described method was that the bus from VCE to Mestre was slow, because it stopped numerous times along the way. The advantages were (1) it was extremely cost-effective, (2) I actually enjoyed the cultural experience interacting with the local people, and (3) it was easy to just flash the transportation pass whenever we needed or wanted to take another vehicle.

Thank you all so much for your replies.

 

I think we'll use the AVTO from VCE to Mestre and the train to visit Venice as we will be so close to the station.

 

A taxi to the port then seems the best option to board our cruise.

 

Angie :)

3. We again rode the ACTV bus from Mestre to Piazzale Roma and then switched to a different ACTV bus that stopped on the bridge just above the port entrance.

 

Could you give more details about this bus that stopped on the bridge? What number is it? How far of a walk from the bridge to the ship? Is this the bridge just past the People Mover? How often does it run? How long did it take from P Roma to the ship?

 

Thanks!

Edited November 12, 2014 by syesmar

Your best way for getting from a Hotel at Mestre on the Italian mainland to the Cruise Terminal in Mestre is to take a road taxi across the Causeway right to the Cruise Terminal in Venezia on the lagoon .

 

 

There are some great hotels opposite the Mestre train station. Hotel Plaza, Best Western, etc. If you have a ACTV pass (Venice vaporetto) you can travel on the bus for free. The bus leaves from the train station opposite both hotels I mentioned.

Could you give more details about this bus that stopped on the bridge? What number is it? How far of a walk from the bridge to the ship? Is this the bridge just past the People Mover? How often does it run? How long did it take from P Roma to the ship?

 

Thanks!

 

I am not really certain, but I think this is the one:

 

http://www.actv.it/pdf/urbano/mappe/6L-UM.pdf

 

Here's all the bus lines:

http://www.actv.it/muoversiinterraferma/lineeurbane

 

The walk from the bridge to the ship was under 10 minutes. You can see the approximate location of the bus stop on the map above. I don't remember how often it runs. It took about 3 minutes from P. Roma to the bridge, if I remember correctly.

 

Could you give more details about this bus that stopped on the bridge? What number is it? How far of a walk from the bridge to the ship? Is this the bridge just past the People Mover? How often does it run? How long did it take from P Roma to the ship?

It appears the People Mover stop is closer to the terminals than the bridge. The walk from the People Mover stop could be more than one kilometer.

 

 

There are some great hotels opposite the Mestre train station. Hotel Plaza, Best Western, etc. If you have a ACTV pass (Venice vaporetto) you can travel on the bus for free. The bus leaves from the train station opposite both hotels I mentioned.

This past October was the third time we have stayed at the Best Western Hotel Bologna and the first time we have use the buses rather than the train. We found the buses much more convenient and, of course, their cost is included in the ACTV pass.

 

Lew

It appears the People Mover stop is closer to the terminals than the bridge. The walk from the People Mover stop could be more than one kilometer.

 

 

 

This past October was the third time we have stayed at the Best Western Hotel Bologna and the first time we have use the buses rather than the train. We found the buses much more convenient and, of course, their cost is included in the ACTV pass.

 

 

 

Lew

 

 

If you are staying in Mestre pretty or post cruise, bus no 2 is very convenient (without luggage as buses van be crowded). On embarkation or disembarkation I would take a taxi (about eur 25 to or from the ship.

epixx,

Thanks for the info. After being there this summer, I wondered about that bridge...I saw a number of people waking it instead of using the People Mover.

 

Given that you have to carry your luggage and do the stairs (if the elevator or escalator isn't working, which was the case when I was there) getting to and from the People Mover, I can see where this bus would be a good option! (This bridge for the bus stop is just past the People Mover, for those who haven't been there.)

Edited November 13, 2014 by syesmar