Venice Airport Transfers

If you arrive in Venice by plane, you have several options for getting to the city centre (by sea or road): here are the options and how much they cost

Alex Grande

Alex Grande

5 min read

Venice Airport Transfers

Plane landing at Venice airport | ©Colin Brown Photography

If you're travelling to beautiful Venice you'll most likely arrive at its main airport, Marco Polo. Located just 8 kilometres from the city, you can take a bus, a water taxi to your hotel or get a transport card for a single ticket to move freely around the city.

How to get from Venice airport to your hotel

Runways emerging from the lagoon at Marco Polo Airport| ©Hindol Bhattacharya
Runways emerging from the lagoon at Marco Polo Airport| ©Hindol Bhattacharya

Transfers from the airport to the city centre are often a concern for many travellers. With the many ways to get from Venice airport to the city centre you won't have any problems, and you can book in advance. Here are the best transfers:

Water taxi between Venice airport and Venice city centre

Water taxi along the canals of Venice| ©marysalome
Water taxi along the canals of Venice| ©marysalome

As you're travelling to 'the city of canals' par excellence, you may want or even want to travel from the airport to Venice and back by water and aboard one of their water taxis to get from Venice airport to the city centre, the fastest way to get around. You will arrive at your destination between 20 and 45 minutes later, depending on the number of stops the taxi has to make, as it will drop off all passengers at the jetties closest to their accommodation.

For all means of transport, but especially for this one, I recommend that you book your ticket in advance. Water taxis are a very popular means of transport in Venice and very popular with tourists and have a capacity of 10 people per boat, with a medium-sized travel bag per passenger and a minimum of two people per boat. You can take your water taxi there or back:

How this service works

To get from the airport to the city by water taxi you will need to arrive at the airport jetty, located 500 metres from the arrivals area. However, once you land and with a maximum of one hour from disembarkation, you must go to the Albatravel 69 company counter. There, the staff will give you all the instructions on how to get to the boarding pier and will suggest the nearest stop to get off the boat and get to your accommodation.

Return water taxi service from your hotel to the airport

You can also use this water taxi service to go from the centre of Venice to the airport to catch your flight. In this case, you will have to indicate the address and name of your accommodation so that the driver will meet you at a stop near your hotel. To find out how to get to the stop, the company will fax a map to the hotel where you are staying along with the exact time of departure, which you should confirm with the company 24 to 48 hours before departure to the airport.

Book your transfer from the airport to Venice city centre

Shuttle bus between Venice airport and Venice city centre

Access Venice from the bus stop across the Calatrava Bridge| ©Gord Webster
Access Venice from the bus stop across the Calatrava Bridge| ©Gord Webster

With this shuttle bus service you will reach the city of Venice from the airport in just over 1 hour. It's the least fast service of all, but if you don't have special needs or are not in a hurry, I recommend it as it's the cheapest of all. This transfer takes place in an air-conditioned shared bus, which transports your luggage (the sum of its length, width and height must not exceed 150 cm).

Available bus lines

  • Aerobus line 5 to/from Venezia Piazzale Roma
  • Bus line 15 to/from Mestre train station
  • Bus line 45 to/from Favaro Veneto

How this service works

Tickets for this service are also valid for travel on all Actv water services (except routes 16, 19, 21 and the Alilaguna or Casinò lines) for 75 minutes after the first activation, which is carried out on board the buses themselves.

Please note that, once purchased, this ticket is non-refundable and that children under 6 years of age travel free of charge. These vehicles are adapted for travel with assistance animals, pushchairs and wheelchair users, although the latter must pay an extra 1.50 euros.

Book a shuttle bus transfer from Venice to the airport

The best way to get around Venice: the Transport Card

Vaporetto in Venice| ©ulli_essen
Vaporetto in Venice| ©ulli_essen

A great way to explore Venice is with the Venice Transport Card. With this single ticket you can use both the vaporetto and public buses. But when you make your booking you can also include the airport bus. It couldn't be more convenient.

It is a card valid for the duration of your trip in Venice, and you can book a 24, 48 or 72 hour ticket, or you can also get one that expires 7 days after it is activated.

With the unlimited use of the Venice vaporetto you will be able to travel comfortably along the canals and, while you move from one corner of the city to another, you will be able to see the most emblematic monuments.

Book the Venice Transport Card

Private transfer between the airport and the port of Venice

Venice Ferry Port| ©Jean-Pierre Dalbéra
Venice Ferry Port| ©Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

It is very likely that you will be travelling to Venice to board one of the many, many Mediterranean and Adriatic cruises departing from its port, one of the most important ports in the world. The most convenient and fastest way to get directly to the port terminal on arrival in Venice is via this private minivan transfer between the airport and the port. You will reach Venice's maritime terminal, located between the island of Tronchetto and the San Basilio area, in about half an hour.

How this service works

Upon arrival, a private driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals area with a sign with your name on it. Please note that the driver will wait for you for a maximum of 1 hour after your plane has landed, taking into account any possible incidents or delays with your flight. The vehicle will drop you off at the port terminal from where your ship departs and allows a maximum of 20 kilograms of luggage per passenger (no extra luggage accepted).

Private transfer between the airport and the port

For the return trip, once you disembark from your cruise and want to go to the airport to catch your flight, this private transfer service from the port of Venice to the Venice airport works in the same way, as the driver will be waiting for you at the terminal outside your ship's terminal with a sign with your identification.

Some interesting activities in Venice

Typical Murano houses| ©kevin charit
Typical Murano houses| ©kevin charit

So, do you know what you're going to do when you're there? Venice is an amazing city where you won't get tired of walking around, but you can't miss some of the main attractions, such as the Doge's Palace. Here's a practical guide on how to visit one of the city's most emblematic spots: Doge's Palace Tickets in Venice: how to buy, prices and schedules.

And if you feel like going out of the city centre a bit to visit the mythical islands of Burano and Murano, don't worry because there are different organised excursions that take you there and back in the same day, so you can continue your trip without much worry. Here is my article on the subject: Murano and Burano Day Trips from Venice.

Frequently asked questions

  • How far from Venice is Marco Polo Airport?

    Located just 14 km (8.6 miles) north of Venice, Marco Polo Airport is a short 25-minute drive from Venice.

  • Are there really boats to Venice from Marco Polo airport?

    There are some luxury transfers available, where you can ride a boat (water taxi) to Venice. Although not specified in the title of the experience, private transfers to Venice are usually by water taxi and are quite a spectacular way to enter the city.

  • How early should I arrive at Marco Polo airport before my flight?

    Compared to more modern airports, Marco Polo airport is quite modest, and queues and waiting times tend to reflect this fact. For this reason, you should arrive at least 2.5 hours before your flight, and 3 hours if it is a weekend, high season or transatlantic flight.