Venice is an island in the northern Adriatic Sea. And the only way to get to an island is by Ship or, as in Venice, over a Bridge. The third option for getting there would be by Pilot. But 1,500 years ago, the first settlers hadn't even thought of an airfield. Besides, Venice would be far too small for a modern runway or airport.
Piazzale Roma on the site plan.
The plan is from https://www.OpenStreetMap.org – © OpenStreetMap contributors.
As you can see from the map, Piazzale Roma is located in the northern part of the city at the end of the 4-kilometer-long, 1-meter-high bridge called the Ponte della Libertà (Bridge of Freedom). A 4-lane highway and several railroad tracks run across this bridge, leading to the Santa Lucia Station lead.
If you're traveling to Venice by car, you'll need to decide which parking garage to use by the time you reach this bridge at the latest. You have three parking options: the Parkinsel Tronchetto or the two parking garages right on Piazzale Roma: The parking garage Car Garage or the San Marco Garage. Be sure to check out our free Guide: Parking in Venice.
ACTV and ATVO Bus Terminal
Only passenger cars and public transit buses are allowed to enter Piazzale Roma. Private bus companies are directed well in advance to Tronchetto Park Island diverted via appropriate traffic signs. Public transportation in Venice is abbreviated as: ACTV. For the Airport Transfer From Marco Polo or Treviso, the buses depart from the ATVO.
Piazzale Roma is NOT the destination of your stay in Venice. It is simply the transportation hub for your transit through the city. You’ll want to go either to your hotel or to the cruise ship terminal.
There are now three ways to get to your hotel:
- You'll take a private water taxi that will take you directly to your hotel. This is the fastest and most comfortable way to get there. Expect to pay 60–80 euros per taxi per trip.
- You'll walk. This takes the longest and, because of the many bridges and your luggage, is the most tedious route.
- They take public transportation, such as the vaporetto on Line 1 or 2.
To the Harbor Take the People Mover. It runs continuously every few minutes as a funicular between the harbor and Piazzale Roma. There is no fixed schedule. The fare is included in the ACTV ticket.
Airport Transfer
If you're flying to Venice, your flight will land either at Marco Polo Airport or at the airport in Treviso. In either case, take the bus on the ACTV or the ATVO to Venice, all the way to Piazzale Roma. From there, you can either continue on foot or take the water bus: Vaporetto ... is called. Pictured here is a bus on the ATVO.
The Autorimessa parking garage at Piazzale Roma
Pictured here is the Autorimessa parking garage on the northern edge of P.le Roma. And believe it or not, the bar or restaurant in the lower right corner of the picture is always very busy.
Entrance to the Autorimessa parking garage
At the end of the 4-kilometer-long bridge that takes you to Venice, the road first goes slightly uphill, then downhill again, After that, it's right on the right side of the street The entrance to the Autorimessa parking garage. The photo shows the entrance with a short line of cars. Depending on your arrival time, expect a short traffic jam of 5 to 10 cars.
The parking fee is 35.00 euros per 24 hours for cars up to 1.85 meters wide and 39.00 euros for cars wider than 1.85 meters. Note: 24 hours and one second of parking time cost 70.00 euros.
Note: It is to your advantage if you already Before Your Arrival Decide which parking garage you want to use. Once you've driven through the parking garage barrier and taken a 24-hour parking ticket, it's very inconvenient and expensive to switch garages.
The San Marco Parking Garage at Piazzale Roma
And here on the left in the picture is the San Marco garage. The People Mover stop is now virtually irrelevant. It used to connect the cruise ship terminal with Piazzale Roma.
When you drive past the Autorimessa parking garage, you'll automatically arrive at the Garage San Marco parking garage shown here in the picture.
The price is 45.00 euros per 24 hours. The maximum height is 2.10 m.
Attention: Space is a very, very precious commodity in Venice. That includes parking spaces. That’s why your car may end up parked bumper-to-bumper with other cars in a line. Your car will remain unlocked for the duration of your parking. The keys must be left in the ignition. The staff will maneuver the cars back and forth so that guests leaving can access their respective vehicles. Other cars will then be moved or rearranged accordingly. This applies only to the San Marco garage.
Take the People Mover to the cruise ship terminal
The People Mover is the new funicular that runs continuously back and forth between the Tronchetto parking garage, the cruise ship terminal, and Piazzale Roma. The station at Piazzale Roma is located between the two parking garages, Autorimessa (on the right in the picture) and Garage San Marco (on the left in the picture).
The People Mover costs 1.50 euros per person per ride. The Presi is included in the Vaopretto ticket. The train itself is driverless. There is no schedule with exact departure times. The entrance with the ticket machines is located in the Autorimessa parking garage building.
The Bus Routes
Venice's public transportation system (ACTV) includes not only the water buses (vaporetti) on the city's canals, but also the street buses that run from Piazzale Roma across the bridge to Mestre or to the airport.
For most tourists, only Line 5 (the so-called Aero Bus line) is of interest; it takes you from the airport to Piazzale Roma or back to the airport.
For visitors to Venice who are particularly budget-conscious, there are inexpensive and affordable parking lots on the mainland in Mestre. Buses also run back and forth from these parking lots on the mainland to Piazzale Roma.
Airport Line 5 (Aero Bus)
Of the many buses that stop at Piazzale Roma, Line 5 is the most convenient for visitors arriving by plane at Marco Polo Airport. This line takes you to Piazzale Roma in Venice and back to the airport.
It's the very first stop, located right next to the ACTV ticket counter and the bridge over the Grand Canal. There's plenty of room on the bus for you and your luggage.
The New Tram
Every cosmopolitan metropolis has its own subway and commuter rail network. Every other city worth its salt has at least one tram line. Venice has also recently gotten a tram line. The terminal stop in Venice is at Piazzale Roma. It connects Venice to the mainland (Mestre) and is of NO significant importance to tourists. It is primarily used by people who work in Venice during the day and return to the mainland (Mestre) in the evening. As you can see in the picture here, it’s a single-track tram that also runs on rubber tires.
The ACTV Ticket Station
No matter how you get to Piazzale Roma—by car from the mainland, by People Mover from the port, or by bus from the airport or Mestre—you’ll likely need to transfer to a vaporetto (water bus) to reach your hotel. Right in front of the Autorimessa parking garage is a small building—shown here with the red-tiled roof—that houses the ACTV ticket counters. Here you can purchase a single-ride ticket or a multi-day pass for your entire stay in Venice.
On the left side of the picture, you can see the Aerobus (Line 5), which runs back and forth between Piazzale Roma and Marco Polo Airport. So you won’t have to carry your luggage very far to get from the Aerobus to the vaporetti. As you can also see in the picture, There's always a lot going on at Piazzale Roma. This is especially true when several buses arrive from the airport or from Mestre and all the passengers transfer to another bus.
Venice on Foot
All cars, buses, and trucks end their journey at Piazzale Roma. From there, you can continue on foot or by water bus: Vaporetto ... A new bridge—the fourth to span the Grand Canal—connects Piazzale Roma with the train station and the city of Venice. In the lower left corner of the picture, you can also see a water bus terminal.
For decades, walking from Piazzale Roma to Venice was very tedious and involved a long detour. This has recently improved significantly. Since 2008, the Constitution Bridge, shown in the picture, has been in place. (Ponte della Costituzione). Every day, tens of thousands of people use this bridge to quickly and easily reach the train station or the city center. Now it’s just a 2-minute walk from Piazzale Roma to the train station. (top left in the picture)
Of course, the new bridge isn't used only by tourists visiting Venice. Thousands of people who live on the mainland in Mestre and take the bus to Venice for work every day also use this bridge, of course. So don't be alarmed by the heavy traffic on the bridge.
The steps on the bridge are very shallow, making them well-suited for the thousands of suitcases that also have to cross the bridge every day.
Walking times: You'll be at the train station in 2 minutes. If you walk briskly, you'll reach St. Mark's Square in just over 35 minutes. And in 25 minutes, you'll be at the Rialto Bridge, which is located right in the heart of the city.
The Vaporetti
In this photo, you can see the many public transit terminals in Venice. On the left is Piazzale Roma, and in the upper left is the Autorimessa parking garage. Note for your return trip: if you board a Vaporetto When transferring to go to Piazzale Roma, you'll often find the shortcut: Piazza Roma.
We recommend that you purchase your ticket for the Vaporetti reserve online in advance. Click here. That way, you won't have to wait in line at the ticket counters when you get there. The online prices are the same as in person, because there are NO processing fees.
Vaporetto Lines 1 and 2
The two of them Vaporetto Lines 1 and 2 (pictured here) both stop at Piazzale Roma.
The Line 1 It's the little sightseeing train that crosses the entire Grand Canal, stops at every station, and ends here at Piazzale Roma.
The Line 2 It also travels the entire length of the Grand Canal; it moves at the same (slow) speed, but stops only at the main, larger stops, making it a better option for departures.
The Water Taxis
Upon your arrival in Venice at Piazzale Roma, you can also choose a quick and convenient water taxi transfer to your hotel in Venice or to any other destination in the city.
Price: Expect to pay 60, 70, or 80 euros per taxi ride.
Making a reservation in advance is difficult: If you arrive a little late due to traffic, the taxi driver will have to wait. If you arrive too early—if your trip goes smoothly—you’ll have to wait. The best thing to do is to head over to the water taxis spontaneously after you arrive and park your car, and take the next available taxi.
This also applies if you take Bus Line 5 from Marco Polo Airport to Piazzale Roma. Just hop in the next available taxi at the taxi stand when you get there.
The water taxis are located on the southern edge of Piazzale Roma, behind the street taxis. They're easy to find.
Street Taxis
As you’ve already read several times, it is NOT possible to drive any further into Venice than the northern outskirts at Ple. Rama. This also applies to the „regular street taxis“ that you’re familiar with from your hometown. Even street taxis must stop here and turn back. Once inside Venice, you’ll have to get around either on foot or by water bus.
As a tourist, you'll generally only use street taxis to get from the airport to Venice. The fare from Marco Polo Airport to Piazzale Roma is 40 euros per trip per taxi. The fare from Piazzale Roma to the cruise ship terminal is 20 euros per trip per taxi.
Link: http://www.acitopcar.it or http://www.radiotaxivenezia.com/en/fares.php
Phone number: 0039 – 041 – 935 200 or 0039 – 041 – 59 64
Public Transportation in Venice: ACTV – Vaporetto
Take your time to choose which ACTV Ticket what's best for you. From the comfort of your own home.
The price here is the same as at the venue (NO booking fees). In Venice, skip the line and print your ticket right away. Click here: Venice ACTV Vaporetto Ticket
Your Vaporetto online ticket.
Especially at Piazzale Roma, with its extremely high volume of visitors, you’ll often find yourself waiting in line at the ticket counter. And it would be a real bummer if the vaporetto left right in front of you. If you’re arriving in Venice via Piazzale Roma, it’s especially advisable to book your ticket online in advance.