driving siena to venice

I have driven from Tuscany (Florence) to Venice or around there many times in my life. Not sure about your question. What kind of experience are you expecting from a 200 mile drive on a freeway? It's pretty much the same experience you would have driving on a freeway in North America. The only difference is that you need to pick up the toll ticket at the freeway on ramp and then pay toll at the freeway exit ramp toll booths. Pretty much like you do when you enter a parking lot at the airport: pick up the ticket when you enter, pay when you exit at the booth. 3.5 hours to get there from Siena sounds about right.

Coming from Siena take the freeway to Firenze (Florence). It's no toll to Florence. As that freeway ends in Florence (at a huge roundabout) follow the green signs to the A1 freeway entrance (Firenze-Impruneta entrance) at the same roundabout. You'll see the booths from the roundabout. Pick up the ticket at the booth (automatic machine, like a parking lot). Follow directions to BOLOGNA. then near Bologna follow directions to PADOVA (Padua), then near Padova follow directions to VENEZIA (Venice). Pay toll and proceed toward Venezia.

As you approach the freeway exit at Mestre, follow the directions to Venezia. Basically you'll be going across a bridge (Ponte della Liberta') which puts you in the middle of the lagoon where the historical center of Venice is (don't speed on the bridge, there are speed cameras all over the place). As you cross the bridge, follow directions to PIAZZALE ROMA. There is a couple of big parking structures there. Otherwise next to it, in the Tronchetto island, there are even bigger parking structures and lots. The cost of parking is about 25-30 euro a day. If you stay longer than 6 hours, make sure you don't park in the hourly parking or it will be more that way.

thanks, roberto. yes, i 'm sure the drive is just like anywhere else. after you arrive at the parking area, are the
water taxies right there?

Will you need the car after visiting Venice?

If you won't need the car after Venice, you'd be better off driving to Florence, returning car, then taking high- speed (freccia) train to Venice (2 hrs)

If you drive to Venice, you will pay anywhere from €21 - €30/24 hours for parking.

Consider the expense of gasoline & tolls plus your time driving there.

Check this website for info on parking in Venice: http://www.veniceparking.it/en/find-parking/Venezia%20Tronchetto%20Parking/

I would not go to Venice on a day trip from Siena as it's a long drive both ways.

Here is a very helpful website with info regarding the parking garages in Venice: http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/parking-in-venice.htm

I made the trip 2 years ago. Yes, the vaparetto will come right up to the dock at the parking garages.

The drive from Florence to Bologna is about an hour, and it's pretty congested. The rest of the way is through flat farmlands, and it's pretty uneventful.

You just have to be very careful driving on the causeway over to Venice. Radar operated cameras caught me running 1.8 mph over the speed limit. I found out about the ticket 8 months after we were there when Hertz charged $44 administrative fee to tell the City of Venice who had the rental car that week. And just short of a year after we were there, we received a demand letter to wire transfer the equivalent of $144 into the City's checking account--a difficult feat in itself.

Just be aware of the cameras.

If you've never been to Venice, you might want to make it a destination and stay in the city 2 nights. I've been there 5-6 times since 1970, and am familiar enough to where a day trip suits me fine.