We will be getting dropped off at Marco Polo Airport around 11:00 in the morning, and need to make our way to Verona. What would one recommend to accomplish this...catch a bus to Porto Marghora train station; or Mestre Station? I see there is an 13:50 train from Santa Lucia to Verona (only one train a day?). Italy is new to us and we aren't familiar with the bus and train situation there.
Thx!
Go to Mestre. No that is a real busy line there are many trains a day going that way every day.
I see there is an 13:50 train from Santa Lucia to Verona (only one train a day?)
There are at least 4 trains every hour from Mestre to Verona, and that is without looking at the schedule. Every train leaving Santa Lucia station stops at Mestre. Where are you looking at train times? If it is for a date after June 8, the other trains have not been officially scheduled yet. June 8 is the date of the twice yearly schedule change, but rest assured that there will be frequent trains on your date of travel.
You can get the Aerobus from the front of the airport to Mestre station. There is a bus every 30 minutes Monday thru Saturday and every hour on Sundays and holidays. Cost is 8 EUR. If you take a regional train, it is only 9.25 EUR to Verona Porta Nuova station. Shoot for the Regionale Veloce that goes at 24 past the hour. It is much cheaper than the Freccia trains and almost as fast.
Sorry if this question seems unrelated, but it is relevant.
Being dropped off at Marco Polo Airport from where?
Everybody taking a water taxi from a place in Venice? Much easier to make your way to Venezia Santa Lucia station where trains originate towards Milano with a stop in Verona.
Arriving at the airport as part of a larger group from somewhere land based nearby? Have them drop you at Venezia Mestre or Quarto d'Altino station - whichever is more convenient - and go from there, probably changing trains in Mestre if coming from Quarto d'Altino. Great advantages of Quarto d'Altino - very easy and free parking at the station and on the other side of the tracks is a nice convenient Crowne Plaza hotel which has a large lobby (watch the step into the building, my wife tripped on it) for a group gathering prior to breaking up and good toilets.
I can't envision any other reason to be dropped off there - please enlighten us.
Thanks everyone for your replies. In terms of the train times, I was looking out at Trainline. I see there are plenty of trains for us to catch, so no worries! In terms of us getting dropped off at the airport; we are staying up in the Dolomite's at Collett's, and their shuttle service picks up and drops off at the airport only. I asked if they would drop us off at the train station, but they indicted their schedule doesn't allow it. However, it will be no problem to hop on the bus at the airport to get to the Mestre Station
I love it when a plan comes together!
Although... thinks he... maybe you will be better forgoing that shuttle and just getting a bus/train from your town in the Dolomites straight to Verona. The van will drive right by Verona is they come main roads (or by back roads they will come into Vicenza if they don't, which also has a station) before turning east at Verona and driving all the way to Venice.
Food for thought.
The shuttle will have you backtracking half way back.
or - I normally don't advocate tipping much, but maybe a quiet word with the driver on the day with a small enticement to move things along, and they could put your luggage in last and have to stop at a traffic light in Verona? They have to stop every 2 hours by law to take a break anyway....
Oh, by the way, back to your original question, and for others - you asked about going to Porto Marghera. Nobody should be going to Porto Marghera unless they need to for a particular reason.
It isn't that it is particularly unsafe or anything, it is just in the middle of factories and oil refineries, loads of trucks, and the trains from there to either major Venice station, Mestre or Santa Lucia, are few and far between, and have really vertical steps to get up or down.
It wouldn't be where you would want to be. Unless it was at commuting hours you'd probably be the only person on the platform, or maybe even in the (small) station.
Since the Collett's lodging is in Corvara in Badia, the shuttle is likely to go the quick way over Passo Falzarego to Cortina, then down the valley to Venice. This might be your simplest option, but you could also take the 460 bus to St Lorenzen station, then the regional train to Franzensfeste, then change to train(s) to Verona. The best departure for price and time is to be on the 11:47 bus from Corvara bus station, then the train to Franzensfeste where it connects to a Regionale Veloce train to Verona. Cost would be 32.15 EUR per person vs 17.50 EUR per person for the bus and regional train from Venice airport, more if you take an expensive Freccia train from Mestre. The 11:47 departure from Corvara will get you to Verona Porta Nuova station by 4:14 pm.
