Getting to the Port of Venice

One thing I noticed when preparing for my cruise was that there was very little information on exactly how to get to the cruise ships in the Port of Venice. I heard everything. Some people said, "oh, it's easy, just take the water taxi to the port." Others said, "What? There's no port in Venice. You have to go to Marghera." And others said, "Just go to Piazzale Roma and take a cab."

The Answer: Hop on Line 1 or 82 of the water bus/vaporetto system in Venice to the Piazzale Roma (it's at the top of the Grand Canal). At Piazzale Roma, exit the platform and walk straight ahead into the bus area/parking lot. There is a free shuttle bus that takes the cruise ship passengers from the plaza to the port of Venice. The free shuttle bus is located in the back of the parking lot (opposite the water bus platform) on the far left-hand side. The shuttle bus will have a "Port of Venice" sign and/or a sign with the logos of the cruise ship companies leaving port that day in its front window. The shuttle bus will arrive every 10-15 minutes, so if there is not a bus there, just start the cue near the sidewalk in the back of the parking lot.

If arriving directly from Marco Polo Airport, take the Alilaguna private water bus, the public water bus/vaporetto, or a water taxi to the Piazzale Roma, or you may take the public land bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma or a land taxi directly to the port.

It is very difficult to walk from the Piazzale Roma to the port of Venice because the sidewalk is very narrow and does not accommodate luggage and pedestrians at the same time (i.e., people cannot pass each other). Also, most cruise ship passengers will not be able to carry or roll their luggage the long distance between the plaza and the port.

When the cruise ship returns to the port of Venice, departure is very easy because the land taxis will be lined up to take passengers directly to the airport. If you're staying in Venice, take the shuttle to the Piazzale Roma and a vaporetto from the plaza to your hotel.