The first time I flew into Marco Polo, I walked out of arrivals fully expecting to see water. Canals, vaporetti, maybe a gondolier holding a sign with my name on it. What I actually saw was a car park, a bus stop, and a lot of confused tourists staring at their phones. Venice proper is about 8 km across the lagoon, and getting there involves a choice that nobody prepares you for.
I've now made this trip — Marco Polo to hotel — well over thirty times. By bus, by boat, by water taxi, and once in a rainstorm that turned the Alilaguna dock into something resembling a small swimming pool. So here's everything I know, arranged by what I actually think of each option rather than in some artificial ranking order.
In This Article
First: Which Airport?
Venice has two airports and they're nothing alike.
Marco Polo (VCE) is the main one — about 8 km from Venice across the lagoon. Most international and domestic flights land here. Ryanair, easyJet, BA, Lufthansa, the lot. This is the airport the rest of this article is about.
Treviso (TSF) is the budget airline overflow, 40 km inland. If you're flying Ryanair or Wizz Air, check which airport your ticket says. Treviso to Venice is a separate journey entirely — there's a bus service by ATVO (about €14, 70 minutes) but no boats, obviously, because you're nowhere near the water.
ACTV Bus No. 5 — Cheap and Straightforward
The ACTV bus (route number 5) runs from the airport to Piazzale Roma — the bus/car terminal on the edge of Venice proper. It costs €10 one way (€18 return if you buy the round trip), takes about 20–25 minutes, and runs every 15 minutes during the day.
The catch? Piazzale Roma isn't Venice. Not really. It's the point where the road from the mainland meets the city, and it's essentially a concrete bus station with a tram stop. From there, you still need to get to your hotel, which means either walking (fine if you're staying in Santa Croce) or taking a vaporetto. And the vaporetto from Piazzale Roma isn't included in your bus ticket.
So the real cost is more like €10 + €9.50 for a single vaporetto ride = €19.50 in total. Still cheap. Still works. But it's two legs, two queues, and if you've got a big suitcase, dragging it onto a crowded vaporetto from Piazzale Roma is an experience.
Tickets are sold at the ACTV booth inside the arrivals hall or from the machines outside. You can also buy them on the Venezia Unica website in advance, which I'd recommend — the queue at the booth can get long after a cluster of arrivals.
Alilaguna Water Bus — The Scenic Way In
This is the one I tell first-timers to take, at least once. The Alilaguna boats run from a dock right outside the airport (5-minute walk from arrivals), across the lagoon, and into Venice itself — dropping passengers at various stops along the way.
There are three lines:
- Blue line (Blu) — the most useful. Stops at Fondamente Nove (for Cannaregio), then down to San Marco. Takes about 75 minutes to San Marco. Runs roughly every 30 minutes.
- Orange line (Arancio) — heads to the Grand Canal, stopping at Rialto and then San Marco. Similar timing. Less frequent in winter.
- Red line (Rossa) — goes to Murano, then Lido. Only useful if you're staying on either island.
Cost is €15 one way (€27 return). Not as cheap as the bus, and significantly slower. But here's the thing — the first time you approach Venice from the water, watching the skyline materialise out of the lagoon, the bell towers and domes slowly getting larger, the light catching the facades... it's a genuine moment. I'm not prone to sentimentality about journeys, but that first lagoon crossing changed the way I thought about arriving somewhere.
Practical note: the boats can get crowded in high season, and there's limited luggage space. If you've got more than one large bag, you'll be wrestling with it. The boats also don't run late at night — last departure is usually around 00:15.
Water Taxi — Fast, Beautiful, Expensive
A private water taxi from Marco Polo to your hotel. Sounds glamorous. Feels glamorous. Costs like glamour, too.
The fixed rate from the airport is around €110–130 for up to 4 passengers, and more if you're going to the further reaches of the city (Lido, Giudecca). After 10pm there's a night surcharge. Extra luggage costs extra. Basically, everything costs extra.
That said — you pull up to a private dock behind the airport, step into a mahogany-and-brass motorboat, and cruise straight to your hotel's water door. No queues, no transfers, no dragging bags. If your hotel is on the Grand Canal, you arrive like a minor aristocrat. It takes about 30 minutes to most destinations.
Is it worth it? Honestly, if you split it four ways, it's about €30 per person — not absurd for the experience plus convenience. For two people or solo, it's a lot. I've done it twice: once when a magazine was paying, once for a wedding anniversary. Both times were memorable.
You can book through the desk inside the arrivals hall, or prearrange through Consorzio Motoscafi. Booking ahead means the boat is waiting when you clear customs, which saves about 20 minutes of standing around.
Pre-Booked Private Transfer
This is the option I didn't know about my first few trips, and now it's what I book most often.
The idea is simple: you book a car from Marco Polo to Piazzale Roma (or sometimes directly to Tronchetto), and it's arranged before you land. Fixed price, driver waiting with a sign, no meter. From Piazzale Roma you can walk or take a vaporetto to your hotel — or some services arrange the boat leg too.
The first time I landed at Marco Polo, I spent twenty minutes in the wrong queue before figuring out the Alilaguna. These days I just book Venice airport transfers through a service beforehand — driver's there when I walk out, fixed price, and I'm at my hotel before I've even adjusted to the timezone.
Cost is typically €40–60 for a sedan to Piazzale Roma, depending on the service and group size. Minivans for larger groups run around €70–90. Compared to a regular taxi (see below), you're paying a few euros more for the certainty of someone being there and a fixed price with no surprises.
Where this really makes sense: late-night arrivals, families with kids and luggage, or when you just don't want to think about logistics after a long flight. I travel solo a lot and I still use this option roughly half the time, because sometimes the simplicity is worth the premium.
The difference between arriving in Venice slightly frazzled and arriving calm is usually about €15. For me, that's worth it every time.
Regular Taxi to Piazzale Roma
A standard taxi from Marco Polo to Piazzale Roma costs a flat €40. It's regulated, metered on the fixed rate, and takes 15–20 minutes depending on traffic on the Ponte della Libertà (the bridge connecting the mainland to Venice).
Taxis are available right outside arrivals — turn right when you exit the building. The queue is usually manageable, maybe 5–10 minutes. No need to pre-book.
The thing is, this gets you to Piazzale Roma, and then you're in the same position as if you'd taken the bus: you still need to get to your hotel. If your hotel is near the station or in Santa Croce, great. If it's in San Marco or Castello, you've got another leg to figure out.
The Comparison Table
Here's what you actually want — all options to reach central Venice (San Marco area), including the onward journey from Piazzale Roma where applicable:
| Option | Total Cost | Time | Runs Late? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACTV bus + vaporetto | €19.50 | 50–60 min | Until ~1am |
| Alilaguna Blu | €15 | 75 min | Until ~00:15 |
| Taxi + vaporetto | €49.50 | 35–45 min | Yes (24h taxi) |
| Private transfer + vaporetto | €50–70 | 35–45 min | Yes |
| Water taxi (direct) | €110–130 | 30 min | Yes (surcharge) |
Vaporetto single ride is €9.50. A 24-hour pass is €25 and often makes more financial sense if you'll use it again that day.
What I'd Actually Book
First visit, daytime, no rush: Alilaguna Blu line. The lagoon crossing is an experience you'll remember, and arriving by water sets the right tone for the city.
Return visits, daytime, light packer: ACTV bus to Piazzale Roma, then walk or vaporetto. It's fast, it's cheap, and I know the route in my sleep by now.
Late arrival, tired, bags: Pre-booked private transfer. Driver's waiting, fixed price, zero decision-making required. I land, I walk, I'm in a car. That's all I want at 11pm.
Special occasion, group of 3-4: Water taxi. Split the cost, arrive in style, take a photo pulling up to your hotel. You'll feel ridiculous and wonderful simultaneously.
What I'd skip: The shared shuttle vans that some agencies offer — they're cheap but you end up waiting for the van to fill, and you make stops at multiple hotels. What should be a 30-minute journey becomes 90 minutes of suburban Venice driving. Life's too short.
Whatever you choose, you'll get there. Venice has been receiving visitors for about a thousand years. The logistics are figured out. The only thing that isn't figured out is what you'll do once you arrive — and I've got a few suggestions for that too.