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Change of plans

Our early July award travel flight was scheduled Seattle to Helsinki then Helsinki to Bologna, Italy. Our airline canceled the second leg yesterday so now we're flying into Venice (best available option). Problem is our grandparents and granddaughter (also award travel) are still arriving in Bologna at 6:45 pm for their first trip out of the US
Needless to say we'll need to get over there asap after our 6:45 Venice arrival. Can anyone with experience on that route recommend best options?

Posted by
351 posts

Good heavens! I would get the Bologna folks a taxi van/shuttle from the airport to your accommodations (cheaper than one might think). And the Venice folks can figure out the best option to get there too. At least that should keep the drama to a minimum. Unless the Venice folks can arrive a day early and just be at the Bologna airport to greet them. The taxi van shuttle is what I did for the same situation. Hopefully every body has a smart phone and a translation app, and printouts of the name, phone, and address of the accommodations.

Posted by
32519 posts

Has anybody in the second group ever flown at home? Anybody familiar with what airports are like, who could lead that group?

Do you intend to all stay in Bologna that night? If you are landing at the same time they are, and you are going to Bologna to meet them, they will be cooling their heels for quite some time.

Either of you may be delayed at border controls or collecting luggage but probably not, and there's no way to know how long. Probably close to a wash.

So they need to wait. You need to go from Marco Polo airport (bus or taxi to Venezia Mestre train station, and you need a fast train at about 8pm to Bologna. The last Italo train will have left 90 minutes before you even land.

Trenitalia is only a little better. There are 3 possible trains left (what date please??) that you may be able to catch in the evening.

At 19:38 (7:38pm) there is the last fast train of the day, a Frecciarossa 1000, the fastest in the fleet which takes 1:21 to arrive at 20:59.

There is the last Regionale Veloce (regional train) of the day at 19:53, which takes 1:53 because it stops 6 times along the way vs. 2 stops on the Freccia, and arrives at Bologna Centrale 21:46.

The last chance saloon is an ICN, InterCities Night, leaves Venezia Mestre at 23:17 and doesn't arrive in Bologna until 1:09 the next morning.

Hope that you plane isn't delayed. This was the best option?

Can one of the other group shepherd them to the hotel you will (hopefully) be in? I wouldn't you'd want to go out to the Bologna airport - it isn't far but it is a hassle. The ongoing repairs should be finished by now. When I was last there the ceiling was hanging down because they were adding and remodelling. it is a small airport.

I guess to help you best we need some more detail from you please.

Posted by
32519 posts

I meant to say, but the previous poster said what I forgot, you'll need good ways to stay in touch.

Is the granddaughter an adult or a child?

Posted by
44 posts

Appreciate the info. Both groups arrive about 6:45 pm on July 9th. Our granddaughter is 18 and self sufficient. We'll pre-arrange getting them to the airbnb where we'd all planned to stay the night. Looking forward most cost effective and fastest method for the 4 of us to get from Venice Airport to downtown Bologna.

Posted by
1321 posts

And I assume you called and the airline cannot no way get you to Bologna OR your fellow travelers to VCE? I'd say hire a private driver.

Posted by
44 posts

We did talk with the airlines- Alaska and Finnair. Booked our trips months ago using miles. Essentially nothing available now. We're leaning towards car and driver too.

Posted by
26840 posts

There are trains between Venezia-Mestre and Bologna Centrale taking only 81 minutes. The last such super-fast train of the day departs at 7:38 PM; the fare for tonight is 32 euros. There are other trains making the trip in under 2 hours (113 minutes) at 6:53 PM and 7:53 PM; those are regional trains costing only 13 euros. If you arrive on time, I think you'd have a chance of making the 7:38 or 7:53 trains. The airport is not far from the Venezia-Mestre train station; Rome2Rio estimates 12 minutes by taxi.

By road the distance between Venice and Bologna is about 95 miles; ViaMichelin estimates the driving time at 2 hr. 11 minutes.