We are trying to squeeze in one last activity in Venice the morning we are scheduled to depart - not by plane, but to get to a rental car on the mainland and all that entails, before we begin the next leg of our journey. We would finish our activity near St. Mark's Square around 9:45am. We'd have to catch a vaporetto at San Marco, stop to retrieve our luggage left at our hotel (between the Accademia and Ca Rezzonico) , catch another vaporetto to the train station, then catch the train to the mainland, and somehow get to a rental car agency, which appears to be near the mainland train station, but may involve a walk. We think we'd be taking the speedier #2 line from any of those vaporetto stops. Does anyone know how long it would probably take at that time of day on a Sunday, and does anyone have better suggestions about faster and easier ways to get to and pick up a rental car? Thanks for any suggestions you might have. We had explored catching the train to Padua- our next stop - and getting a car there, but the rental agency we tried did not have access in Padua.
Posted by
Bendigo, Australia
1297 posts
Give it two hours minimum.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
You can't rent a car at Piazza Roma? I see on a map that at least two agencies (Hertz and Europcar) have offices there. But, you could just take the vaporetto #2 directly there (I think #2 stops there, if not the slower #1 does). Other agencies may have offices there as well. You can try EconomyCarRentals. They advertise a "Venice - Downtown" location - not sure what else that could mean besides Piazza Roma area, but you'd have to make a reservation to find out the specific agency and their address. I have used them before; you can cancel reservations for free up to 48 hours before car pick-up.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34225 posts
On a Sunday?
The vaporettos are the same frequency on Sunday as other days, and are limited in speed so they have no wake on the buildings. .Why aren't you getting your car at Piazzale Roma? All the major agencies are there as are in Mestre...
Your problem is likely to be as much Sunday as anything else. Most agencies don't open on Sundays, and are restricted if they do.
What is your deadline for pickup?
Can't you get a car in Padua on Monday and do fun things in Padua on Sunday which don't require a car?
Posted by
227 posts
A lot may depend on time of year you are going.
Posted by
West Coast
438 posts
It takes more time than you'd think in the middle of the day. I had to catch one at Sant'Angelo (after your stop) going to the train station on a weekday. I don't remember exactly how long it took, but I ended up having to run for the train. I hate running even without carrying a suitcase! Allow an hour minimum from your hotel stop. There are a lot of tourists getting on and off during the day and none of the ones in front of you are in a hurry.
Posted by
OP
St. Louis, MO, USA
17 posts
Thanks so much to all for the ideas about timing and for the suggestions to get a rental car at Pizzale Roma; I only checked one company recommended by friends and that company didn't offer pickup there. I checked on rentals when I was figuring out the basic itinerary and since I searched for rental pickup on Sunday, and it seemed possible, it didn't even occur to me that it might be a problem with the agencies being open to pickup on Sunday! Perhaps we could do the actual pickup of the car at Pizzale Roma on Saturday and pay to leave it parked in the garage (isn't there a garage on Tronchetto) until the next day? (or would that be prohibitively expensive?)
The guidebook does mention that crowds are worse in morning and evening 'rush hours', but I guess I am asking ( and by the way, this is for third week in June) if the crowds are worse going from St. Mark's Square in the direction of the station in the morning, or if we'd be going against the crowd, and therefore less likely to experience great delay. Can you usually expect to get the next boat that comes at.a stop, or do you often have to wait longer than that?
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34225 posts
On a Sunday morning it should be fine. The big pushes are workers arriving to work from P Roma and Ferrovia in the morning rush hour, those same workers going home at evening rush hour, cruise passengers all arriving with other daytrippers mid morning, and cruise passengers leaving in the afternoon, often at the rush hour.
The rest of the time it will just be more or less crowded.
There is parking at P Roma and at Tronchetto.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15798 posts
A Saturday rental may be a better option; again, check hours carefully - some companies are only open in the morning, others may be closed all day.
Posted by
OP
St. Louis, MO, USA
17 posts
Thanks Chani and Nigel, that really helps!
Posted by
OP
St. Louis, MO, USA
17 posts
Turns out there is a hertz at Pizzale Roma, and they are open til 12:30 on Sunday mornings. Your advice has really helped us! Thanks!
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3303 posts
Another suggestion is to check car rentals with Autoeurope.com. They are often cheaper than going directly to Hertz. I would also check to see if cars are available in Padua and get the car just before leaving there since parking is difficult and compounded by the ZTL’s. The rental agencies there are near the RR station. I have a Hertz rental through AE there later this year. I