Travel by: [ Road ] [ Rail ] [ Water ] [ Air ]
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Italy has an excellent network of motorways (autostrada), designated by the letter ‘A’. The main north-south link is the Autostrada del Sole, or A1, which links Milan with Reggio Calabria in the toe of Italy. Speed limits on motorways are 130kph (81mph) for cars of 1100cc or more and 110kph (68mph) for smaller cars and all cars when conditions are wet. All motorways are tolled. Those on a budget may prefer the strade statali, designated by ‘SS’, which are toll free and are often fast, multi-lane carriageways. The speed limit on these roads is 110kph (68mph), which is simply too slow for the speed-obsessed Italians and therefore a more leisurely drive for the rest of the world. Strade bianchi, small country roads, abound in the countryside around Venice, where visitors often stumble upon Palladian piles and medieval market towns.
By law, both driver and passenger must wear their seat belts, if fitted, or face an on-the-spot fine. Random breath tests can be imposed and the penalties for drink-driving are severe - the maximum legal blood alcohol ratio is 0.05%. Car lights must be switched on at any time on autostrade and strade statali. Speeding fines follow EU rules and driving through a red light is also a fee-inducing offence.
The minimum age for driving is 18. All those without an EU licence must carry an International Driving Permit. EU nationals taking their own car will need an International Insurance Certificate, also known as a Green Card (Carta Verde). Automobile Club d’Italia - ACI (tel: (06) 491 115; website: www.aci.it) provides further information.
Emergency breakdown service: Automobile Club d’Italia (tel: 803 116).
Routes to the city: The main thoroughfare is the A4, which slices across the top of Italy from Turin, via Milan and Padua, to Venice. This intersects with the A13 from Bologna, which in turn connects with the A1 - the central road artery of Italy, passing through Florence, Rome and Naples. However, travellers who prefer scenery to speed may enjoy the SS11, which runs from Padua to Venice, along the Brenta Canal. After Mestre, drivers should take the exit marked Venezia and follow signs for the city centre (centro). Once across the bridge (Ponte della Liberta), cars must be left at one of the huge car parks in Piazzale Roma or on the island of Tronchetto. Parking in Venice is expensive. A cheaper alternative is for drivers to leave the car at the San Giuliano car park in Mestre (only open in the high season) and catch the train.
Approximate driving times to Venice: From Milan - 2 hours; Bologna - 3 hours; Rome - 5 hours.
Coach services: International coaches operated by Eurolines (tel: (041) 538 2118; website: www.eurolines.it) travel to destinations across Europe, including London, Amsterdam and Paris from Mestre. ATVO (tel: 0421 5944; website: www.atvo.it) operates services to the nearby towns of Treviso, Verona, Padua and Milan. The ATVO coaches depart from Piazzale Roma, where there is an information office for walk-up enquiries. |
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All trains to and from Venice are run by the efficient and good value Italian state railway, Trenitalia (tel: 892 021, in Italy only; website: www.trenitaliaplus.com). Supplements are added to fares according to the type of train boarded (Diretto, Inter-Regionale, InterCity, Eurocity or Eurostar) and fares are calculated according to the distance travelled.
Santa Lucia Station (tel: (041) 785 570) is the first port of call for the thousands of travellers that pour into Venice each summer. Situated at the west end of the Grand Canal, the station was built by the Austrians in the late 19th century, finally uniting the island community with the mainland. The terminal building is a more recent crime against aesthetics. Facilities include left luggage, a bureau de change, an accommodation booking service and a small tourist office. By law, all train tickets must be validated by stamping them in the yellow machines situated on the platform before boarding - failure to do so can result in a hefty fine.
Rail services: Venice is directly linked by train to Bologna (journey time - 1 hour 35 minutes) and passengers can change here for Florence (journey time - 2 hours 40 minutes) and Rome (journey time - 4 hours 20 minutes). It is also within easy reach of Milan (journey time - 2 hours 45 minutes) and the smaller towns of Padua (journey time - 20 minutes) and Verona (journey time - 1 hour 45 minutes). There are international departures to neighbouring Germany, Austria and to the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, aboard the ‘Casanova’ express train (journey time - 4 hours), as well as the Croatian capital, Zagreb (journey time - 8 hours 10 minutes). There are also regular services to Paris and London on board the legendary Orient Express (website: www.orient-express.com), with a spectacular trip via the Alps and five-star service on board. New Orient Express options now include travelling between Venice and London via Krakow or Budapest. |
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Port of Venice (tel: (041) 533 4111; website: www.port.venice.it) caters for freight traffic, and passenger ferries operate out of the modern Venice Passenger Terminal, located to the west of the city centre (tel: (041) 240 3000; website: www.vtp.it). Facilities, including shops, banks and cafes, are available in the terminal.
Ferry services: During the summer, Minoan Lines (tel: +30 2810 399 800, in Greece; website: www.minoan.gr) operates daily services to and from Patras, on the Greek mainland, stopping (according to schedule) at the islands of Igoumenitsa and Corfu en route. There are also regular ferries to the Italian port of Ancona. The journey to Greece takes approximately 36 hours, including two nights on board. Passengers must arrive two hours before sailing. From May through to September, Venezia Lines (tel: (041) 242 4000; website: www.venezialines.com) runs high-speed catamarans between Venice and the Croatian ports of Poreč, Rovinj, Rabac, Pula and Mali Lošinj, and Piran in Slovenia.
Transport to the city: The port is within walking distance of Piazzale Roma (the city’s main transport hub) and is connected to the city centre by vaporetti (water buses) 41, 42, 51, 52, 61 and 62. There is a free shuttle bus to the Piazzale Roma on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. |
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Venice Marco Polo (VCE)
Tel: (041) 260 6111.
Website: www.veniceairport.it
Located just 12km (7 miles) from Venice, Marco Polo airport is the main hub of European and national flights to the Veneto region. It is easily accessible by land or water and when occasionally blighted by fog, planes land at nearby airports in Treviso or Verona. Marco Polo is one of the busiest airports in Italy and can cater for over 6 million passengers per year.
Approximate flight times to Venice: From London is 2 hours; from New York is 9 hours 20 minutes; from Los Angeles is 13 hours 20 minutes; from Toronto is 10 hours 30 minutes and from Sydney is 20 hours 45 minutes.
Airport facilities: Facilities include branches of Italian banks, with ATMs (bancomat), as well as a selection of bars and eateries. A range of shops selling local handicrafts and specialist food stuffs, a post office, a 24-hour first aid service and a hotel reservation service are also available. Car hire operators include Avis, Europcar and Hertz.
Business facilities: Business-class travellers without luggage can check in at the Sala VIP Save Marco Polo Club lounge (tel: (041) 260 6577), where there are televisions and telephones at their disposal. The Travelex Italia Business Centre (tel: (041) 269 8191; website: www.travelex.com) is open daily and has meeting rooms, conference halls and work stations with secretarial services and other support facilities, such as translation services and mobile phone hire.
Transport to the city: The most romantic way to arrive in Venice (weather permitting) is by motorboat (motoscafo). Travellers pay for the privilege and the ride takes a little longer than the bus, but the approach to St Mark’s Square from the water is one that few will forget. The Alilaguna service (tel: (041) 240 1701; website: www.alilaguna.it) departs hourly and takes one hour. Water taxis, run by Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia (tel: (041) 522 2303; website: www.motoscafivenezia.it) are an altogether more upmarket option. A cheaper alternative is by land, on the ATVO airbus (tel: 0421 5944; website: www.atvo.it) to Piazzale Roma, which departs every 20 to 40 minutes (journey time - 20 minutes). Cheaper still is the ACTV (tel: 0421 5944; website: www.actv.it) public bus 5, which departs every 15 to 30 minutes (journey time - 30 minutes to Piazzale Roma). Car taxis to Piazzale Roma wait outside the arrivals hall (tel: (041) 936 222). |
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