Is there a difference between the two bus companies for transport between Marco Polo and Santa Lucia Train station (I know you get off at the Piazza and then walk to the station)?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16167 posts
ACTV is the transit company of the City of Venice, they operate the city buses, which are typically low floor city buses, and of course the water buses (vaporetti).
ATVO is a regional (not city) company which serves the eastern Veneto region, their buses are coach buses (high floor with luggage hold below).
The ACTV city bus to the airport (no. 5) I believe makes stops along the way. If your hotel is along the way in Mestre, it might be the better choice.
The ATVO coach bus is a nice luxury express coach bus that makes no stops from Piazzale Roma to the airport (or viceversa).
Read “arriving by bus” chapter in article below:
https://www.prattinvenice.com/arriving-in-venice
I don’t know if there is a substantial difference in price, if any at all.
Posted by
OP
Halifax, NS
336 posts
Thank you for that, Roberto!
According to the link you provided, the ATVO is faster.. I’m headed to Florence after I land in Venice, so just need to get to the Santa Lucia station.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8952 posts
I think the advantage of the ACTV bus would be if you were then planning to continue on into Venice on a Vaporetto and bought a combination ticket. Since you don't have any plans to visit Venice, ATVO does seem like the best choice.
Posted by
OP
Halifax, NS
336 posts
Carol Now Retired, I’m flying home out of Venice so on my return I will spend two nights in Venice. (I was just in Venice in 2019, so it’s not the focus of my trip). I will look at getting a vaparetto pass and some sort of transport back the airport for that bit. Last time I took the Alilaguna to the airport.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16167 posts
If you are going straight from the VCE airport to Florence, then you don’t need to go to Piazzale Roma to catch the train at Venezia Santa Lucia. That would be extra backtracking. You need to go to the Venezia Mestre station which is closer to the airport. The train coming from Venezia Santa Lucia will stop at Venezia Mestre.
The ATVO runs also an express bus to the Venezia Mestre station. The timetable is below (2nd in the list):
https://www.atvo.it/it-venice-airport.html
You could also take the ACTV city bus no. 15 from the airport to the Mestre FS railway station. When you see FS it stands for Ferrovie dello Stato, or State Railway. It indicates the train station. The FS abbreviation is used in all bus timetables to indicate the train station stop. For example Poggibonsi FS means Poggibonsi train station.
Here is the timetable for the line 15 of the ACTV bus.
https://actv.avmspa.it/en/node/741
Posted by
OP
Halifax, NS
336 posts
Thank you Roberto!