Vaporetto from Venice to train station

Hello tmmaloney,

Vaporetti are effectively buses and you should think of them that way. Get in line, validate your ticket/pass, get on and watch for your stop to get off. Not surprisingly the train station is a huge destination and many lines stop there.

The official ACTV web page is here: https://actv.avmspa.it/en/content/consult-map
Here's a simpler site: https://www.italyreview.com/venice-water-bus-vaporetto-map.html

"Downtown" is a bit of a nebulous term in regards to Venice. If you means San Marco it is a big station so just look for a number/letter that corresponds to the train station stop. If you're ever in doubt you can confirm by asking "Per stazione?" (per stat-Zee-own-a) at the entrance but it's really pretty straightforward.

Always validate passes or tickets every time you get on a vaporetto.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Get the Che Bateo app --- it's great, but we also found it useful to have this interactive map --- https://actv.avmspa.it/en/content/consult-map

Locate your hotel on Google maps and the closest vaporetto dock to it.

Probably you'll take the #1 or #2 vaporetto to Santa Lucia --- there will be signs at the docks telling you whether the vaporetto is going towards or away from the train station.

They are like city buses, not like taxis. so you can't book them. You'll be getting either a ticket or a pass. There are youtube videos showing exactly what to do.

Thank you. I read that from our airbnb, the closest place to get on the water "bus" is San Zaccharia? I just cannot figure out the departure times to get to Santa Lucia train station. Would it be better to take a taxi? Or, do you think it is easy enough?

The vaporetto stop for the train station is called ‘Ferrovia’ (meaning ‘railway’).

Here is a picture of the train station. That is a vaporetto dock on the right with the stop name "Ferrrovia", and water taxis on the left.
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4408507,12.322019,3a,75y,310.79h,91.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBxmgkzxCDDsJYyze8mCFSw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu

The San Zaccharia station is adjacent (over a small bridge) to San Marco. SZ tends to be at least a little less crazy than SM if you can use it. Both Lines 1 and 5.1 go to the station and leave from SZ "F" - the individual docks for the stops are lettered to make it clear which one is which.

It's easy enough and FYI a water taxi is probably at least 60e versus <20e for two vaporetto tickets. That's a valid choice if the ease is worth it to you. There are water taxi docks at various places in the SM dock area.

Hope that helps,
=Tod

I’m curious about your arrival in Venice. How are you getting to your hotel? Are you arriving by train? Plane?

Sometime during you stay you will probably take a vaporetto. Out to Burano? San Giorgio Maggiore? Tour the Grand Canal at night when the lights reflect on the water? Back to your hotel when you’re tired of sightseeing/walking all day? Be aware that a vaporetto dock may not be next to your hotel so you might have a walk.

A vaporetto pass will save money. Multiple single tickets can be expensive. As everyone has said, it’s the easiest way to get to the train station. Suggestion: use Google Maps to pinpoint your hotel and the station so you can visualize it. Also add any sightseeing you want to do.

Buon Viaggio!

Edit: sorry, I didn’t see the San Zaccaria posts before I posted.

Thank you everyone. We are arriving at the airport and taking a water taxi to Hotel Danieli. Our airbnb is walkable. We will explore on our own that day/evening. We have a tour planned for the following day. Then, we will take the train to Florence on the next day.

Our tour includes St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, Rialto Bridge, and hidden areas of Venice, as well as a gondola ride on the canal. We are squeezing a lot into our trip because our time is limited. I would love any advice on "must do" and "must see"!Thanks to all of you! Tina

I don't think you have time for any "must dos".
2 vaporetto tickets to Ferrovia is 19 EUR. Conrzio Motoscafi Venezia quotes 69 EUR for a water taxi.

Thanks again to everyone. If you have any recommendations for restaurants and/or wine tastings, that would be awesome!

See if this guy does an evening Bar Tour when you are there.
https://www.schezzini.it/

You mentioned “Italiarail”.

It is better, and recommended, to book tickets through Trenitalia or Italo.
They are the actual train providers.
They both have great websites and apps, and you will see every single one of their train services listed, to better choose times that suit you.

SJ is correct. ItaliaRail is a travel agency or third party re-seller of train tickets. It is not the railroad company. I personally prefer to book directly with the train company -- trenitalia.com. Italo is a private rail company operating trains on the regular Italian rail tracks. Sometimes cheaper with less frequent schedule but operating mostly high speed trains. Either one works.

IMO, there’s value in trying to travel like locals travel. So I’d rather use the vaporetti than a private taxi. It’s super simple, the stops are right in front of the station, the ticket machines “speak” English, and the act of figuring out public transit is liberating.

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to give me advice. We will plan to take the vaporetto from central Venice to the train station. I will book the speed train through trenitalia.com.

@HiredMan or other experts....

We will be doing something similar to tmmaloney as we are staying close to St. Marks.

My planning shows that the departure from SZ (like Tod/Hiredman suggests) is a slightly better option (less stops) going from that area to the train station.

My plan to get to the train station from that area is to take Vaporetto – line 5.2 from S. Zaccaria (C dock) to train station (Ferrovia stop – D dock)
Line 5.2 departs from S. Zaccaria each hour at xx:06, xx:26 and xx:46.

It takes 24 minutes to get to the train stop.

Interactive map I used is:
https://actv.avmspa.it/sites/default/files/avm/navigazione/MAP/interattiva.html

Schedule I used is:
https://avm.avmspa.it/en/content/orari-servizio-di-navigazione-0

Any additional thoughts on using line 5.2 from SZ?

Well, I like taking the No 1 vaporetto to get one last tour of the Grand Canal on my departure. Yes, it takes longer, but the departures are more frequent.

Wanted to double-check that you are thinking of the Venezia Santa Lucia train station, rather than Venezia Mestre, which is on the mainland. I think of the Venezia Santa Lucia station as being as much ‘downtown’ as anywhere else on the island.

Forgive me if I am wrong, but it sounds like this is your first visit to Venice. If that is correct, then you can get a lot of basic information from https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/

I'm going to agree with Chris about travelling like a local. Ditch the taxi. Use the Vaporetto.
The Vaporetto is at the heart (as is walking aimlessly) of a Venice visit. Learn how to get a ticket. Figure out how to maneuver to a prime spot. Ride around the canals and randomly get off in different places and see what's there.
You are really shorting your Venice experience with both the amount of time you have allocated and the way you have chosen to use it. (IMHO)

the number 1 plys up and down the Grand Canal with all its scenery (and also links Lido and Arsenale among others).

The 5.1 and 5.2 and alternate 2 do not use the Grand Canal, they loop around through the Giudecca Canal which allows a higher speed so they are a bit quicker, but the views are completely different. The Giudecca Canal is very wide and deep and there are fewer stops. You get to go past where the big cruise ships used to dock, a fair bit of industry and approach P.le Roma and Ferrovia along with road and train traffic, not the scenic Venetian palazzos. But it is different, if you want different, and a bit quicker.

Book with the actual train company. Both Italo and Trenitalia have apps, both have very fast trains, both are frequent, both have various classes of travel, Italo tends to be a bit cheaper. I prefer the leather upholstery of Ferrari connections of the Italo, and how many trains come with movie theatres? Others like Trenitalia - the state run company - more. Both will get you there.

The station in Florence you will want is Firenze SMN (Santa Maria Novella).

Thanks everyone. I appreciate all of the advice.

Thanks from me as well - we are going in Sept and this is exactly the info I needed

We are also going to Italy. I needed the name of the Italian train station in Florence, so sent an email and asked the hotel we are staying at. This was the reply. So even a local who lives there recommended trainline.com to book trains in Italy! Go figure!

Ciao:)
Hope you well ;)))
The station is called Santa Maria novella
The best rates and prices are in Trainline.com ;)) they have an app as well and they give you all the options :))
Andrea

The station is called Santa Maria novella

Usually abbreviated Firenze SMN or Firenze S.M.N.