train travel from milan to venice

Sounds like you are in a hurry to get to Venice. The bus from Malpensa takes about an hour. A taxi won't get you there much faster (if at all) because both are subjected to the same traffic coming into Milan central.

Be cautious with your train reservation. If your plane is delayed and your train departs before you can get to it, you will be in lines to make the adjustment to a later train. Don't speak Italian? You'll have fun at the ticket window. If you are more than 3 hours late, you will lose your ticket.

There are several trains a day going from Milan to Venezia S.L. The trip takes 2hrs-35min on the high-speeds. What time does your flight get in? I can show you the train schedules. The trains run at about once an hour. You don't have to stand in long lines at the Milan train station. You can use the electronic ticket machines in the train station. They will prompt you in English, make your seat reservations and accept your U.S. credit card. The whole thing takes about 5-7 minutes.

I second Larry's suggestion of using the automated ticket machines at the station rather than reserving in advance (unless you are travelling in a large group and you all wish to sit near each other).

Take a look at Ron in Rome's guide to using the automated ticket machines so you will know what to do when you get to the station.

If you are making this mad dash from MXP to Santa lucia to get on a cruise ship before boarding closes, you might want to reconsider. Genrally speaking most things in Italy have a more laid back demeanor rather than rush rush rush. which is a good thing most of the time. But not when you have a 2-3 hour window to be somewhere.

As Larry has mentioned there are several trains daily from Milano Centrale to Venice one about every hour. So if you miss one because of a delay in your flight, a problem with bagagge or a wreck on the highway, there will another shortly.

But if you neeed to be in Venice at a specific time, it is possible you could get delayed beyond that time.

Yes, my post sounds like I am trying to make a mad dash to train.(I am meeting a tour in Venice) My plane lands at MXP at approx. 9am. According to the rail europe train schedule, the train to Venezia S Lucia leaves at 12:35pm. All of the other trains go to Mestre station. I would like to make the 12:35pm because if I go to Mestre it means I would have to take another train to St Lucia where I will be taking the water taxi to my hotel. My hotel is near St Marks Sq. If I do take the train to Mestre are there other ways to get to my hotel.. Do I need to go to St Lucia to take the public water taxi? I have traveled many times to Italy but this is my first time to Venice so that is why I am asking the novice questions.

then you should be fine. Trenitalia says they all take 2:35 and there is one at 11:35; 12:05; 12:35; 13:35 and 14:35. so even taking the 14:35, you'll get in at 17:10 and get to your hotel before dinner time.

There's a difference between the water taxi (VERY expensive) and the vaporetto (like a bus, but on the water). Unless you have lots of luggage there's no real reason to take the taxi. When you walk out of the train station (St. Lucia) there are lots of little booths on the water for the various vaporetti. The RS book (or a search on this site) will tell you which lines are the express lines to St. Mark's.

Cynthia, I have better news. When you just put in "Venice" in Trenitalia, you will get train runs that look like they are ending in Mestre. Actually, they are not. Only a few trains terminate at Mestre. The remainder go all the way to Santa Lucia.

CLICK HERE to see a typical schedule where I have put in "Venezia Santa Lucia" and not just "Venice". Now you can see that these trains go all the way. You have lots of choices. Click on "next" for later trains. Note that all of these trains will stop at Mestre on the way in.

All other posts have the timing right. Be prepared to have no place to sit in the Milan train station, it will be very hot in the summer and you will need EXACT Euro change to use the bathroom, (stores, stalls will not give you change). We took first class train, advantage: (clean bathroom on board, overhead storage very adequate for luggage.

Thanks for all the help...my flight gets in at 9AM. I figure I will need at least 2-2 1/2 to: get luggage, clear immigration, and take the bus to the central station. I think it would be tight to make a reservation for the 12:35 train to Venezia Sl and take the 1:35. I still have the automatic ticket option. I am going to buy a 1st class ticket. I have taken many trains in Italy and am well aquainted with the various train class comfort options. Once again thank you. I think tourist helplines are a great source for travel information.

If you are going thru another EU airport prior to Milan, we came thru Frankfurt first, you won't even need to go through customs. Took us 5 min from luggage pick up to the bus for the train station.

If you are going thru another EU airport prior to Milan, we came thru Frankfurt first, you won't even need to go through customs. Took us 5 min from luggage pick up to the bus for the train station. Buy your bus ticket from the driver, do not buy it from any stand inside the terminal it will cost 10% more.