Cruises from Venice, Italy
General Information
The Port of Venice serves as a starting point for cruises in the western Mediterranean, but primarily as a departure port for cruises in the eastern Mediterranean. This port also serves as a popular destination port in many cruises throughout all months of the year.
Article describing a cruise from Venice: Cruise Among the Greek Islands and the Adriatic Sea with an Italian Flavor from Venice
Since 2014, El Al has been operating
direct scheduled flights from Israel to Venice's airport several times a week.
To get from Venice's airport
to the cruise terminal, a combination of land transportation
(train/taxi/bus) and a ferry ride is required.
It is also advisable to combine
a land trip by rental car in northern Italy before and/or after the cruise .
This way you can land at more distant airports (such as Milan
and Verona), tour leisurely in the lakes region, the Dolomites, and of course
Venice itself, return the rental car in Venice, and require
minimal transportation and transfers.
Venice itself is a touristic city
full of attractions that is definitely worthy and desirable to dedicate a full day of travel to
and even more so in order to see the most successful tourist sites
and enjoy its unique atmosphere and character.
Tours in Venice
Venice is an easy and pleasant city
to tour independently, mainly on foot combined with
a ride on the Vaporetto, the large boats used as a water bus, or
in private boats of various types, including a ride in the famous
romantic gondola.
Many of the sights and tourist sites in the city are free.
However, for those who do not like to "get lost" in the maze
of alleys and small bridges in the city and for those who like to receive explanations about the wonders
of the city and its sites, there are many companies specializing in guided tours
in Venice.
Booking guided tours in Venice from Viator:
Recommended Accommodations in Venice:
Hotel A La Commedia - A 4-star hotel located just 200 meters from the Rialto Bridge and the water bus station, and a 10-minute walk from St. Mark's Square. The hotel's terrace offers a romantic view of Venice. The hotel opened in 2006 and is located in a completely renovated historical building.
Pensione Accademia - Villa Maravege - A 3-star pension with 23 rooms located in a 17th-century villa, near the Grand Canal, offering a private garden, a quiet environment, and a central location in Venice near the Accademia water-bus station.
Residenza Grandi Vedute - An apartment hotel with 8 apartments designed to accommodate 2-5 people. The apartments overlook views of Venice. Located on Giudecca Island, within a short walking distance from the Palanca water bus station. Guests can use a complimentary boat shuttle service departing to St. Mark's Square.
It is possible to stay in Mestre, the neighboring city:
Particularly recommended:
Hotel Villa Costanza - A 3-star hotel located within
250 meters of the Mestre railway station. Located in a 19th-century building
restored using original materials. The hotel features 26 rooms
designed for 1-4 people.
Marco Polo Lodge - Three equipped vacation apartments designed for 4-5 people, located 2 km from the Mestre railway station. The apartments have private parking.
Port of Venice:
Cruise ships departing from Venice pass very close to the city upon exit, and the view from the ship is very special as you will see in the following video:
The view from a ship departing from Venice:
Terminal Venezia Passeggeri passenger ship terminal is located west of the railway station and Piazzale Roma, at: Porto Passeggeri, I - Marittima - Venezia Terminal Crociere - Terminal Traghetti.
The passenger terminal is large, modern, and very active. Every year it is visited by over a million passengers. It is considered one of the busiest and most active passenger ports in the Mediterranean. Technically, the port is not located in the Mediterranean or any other sea. It is located in the Venetian Lagoon, connected to the Adriatic Sea by a narrow canal called Porto di Lido.
The terminal has two main areas: the main terminal Stazione Marittima used by large passenger ships, and San Basilio terminal used by smaller passenger ships.
Although the passenger ship piers are within a short walking distance
from the historic center of the city, cruise companies provide ferries
from Stazione Marittima terminal to St. Mark's Square.
The terminal has luggage storage facilities, so you can store
your luggage and tour the historic city center on foot without unnecessary luggage.
Venice's "Marco Polo" Airport, Aeroporto Marco Polo, code: VCE, is located about 13 km north of Venice. The travel time to Piazzale Roma, from where ferries depart to the cruise pier, is about half an hour.
El Al operates direct scheduled flights
from Israel to Venice's airport several times a week. There are very few seasonal charter flights
to Venice, and it is advisable not to rely on them for a vacation that includes a cruise.
Another closest airport to Venice that is also served by
direct scheduled flights from Israel is Malpensa Airport
near Milan. Code: MXP, the airport is located about 310 km west of Venice (about 3:30 hours drive). It is recommended
to land there if you intend to rent a car and tour northern Italy before
the cruise.
A closer airport is Verona Airport
Aeroporto di Verona, code VRN, which receives many charter flights from Israel. It is located about 120 km west
of Venice (about a 70-minute drive).
Means of Transportation
♦Car rental from the reliable and convenient Booking website: Booking.com
Recommended transfers in Venice from the airport to the city and vice versa (from Viator):
Organized Transfer by Cruise Companies
The simplest (and usually most expensive) way to get from Venice's airport to the cruise pier is via the organized transfers provided by the major cruise companies. It is recommended to purchase them in advance even before the cruise begins. Some of the cruise company transfers also include a tour of Venice, which is especially suitable for those with limited time who do not have extra days to tour the city, and for those who have a late flight and wish to spend the hours until flight time engaged in an activity.
Taxi
You can take a taxi to the Port of Venice. The travel time
is about 20-30 days... minutes. Taxis arrive at Piazzale
Roma, which is the closest place to central Venice that can be reached
by land transportation.
From there, you continue on free shuttle boats to the cruise
terminal. The shuttles are organized by the Port of Venice. But of course,
with all your luggage, it will be much more convenient in the private transfer
mentioned earlier.
Water Taxi
A much more experiential and scenic way is to travel by Water Taxi (meaning: a private boat) from the airport directly to the cruise ship pier. These are spacious and luxurious boats where up to 10 passengers can cruise comfortably, so if two families are traveling or a family of 5-6 people, the price of traveling in the water taxi becomes quite attractive. You can travel from the airport to the cruise pier also on a shared public boat called Vaporetto, which sails once an hour. The scenic cruise takes about an hour and a half.
Bus
The cheapest way to get from the airport to central Venice is by bus. It is preferable to travel with ATVO (blue or greenish buses) because these buses have luggage space. Traveling with ACTV is cheaper, but their buses do not have luggage space and the buses are usually crowded (mainly with locals). The buses arrive at Piazzale Roma. The travel time is about 20-30 minutes. If you have a lot of luggage, I recommend a private transfer.
Train
You can also reach Venice by train. The closest train station to the cruise pier is Venezia Santa Lucia station. From this station, you must cross the modern glass and metal bridge named Ponte di Costituzione to reach Piazzale Roma. Alternatively, you can get off 6 km earlier at the Mestre train station (more trains arrive there) and take a taxi from there to Piazzale Roma.
Port of Trieste
Due to the overcrowding of tourists in Venice, it was decided in 2022 that only a few and small cruise ships would sail from the port of Venice and the rest of the larger cruise ships would sail from ports adjacent to Venice, mainly from the port of the city of Trieste, located about an hour and a half drive east of Venice.
Trieste is a beautiful and impressive city, with a large central square surrounded by magnificent buildings, adjacent to the picturesque Canal Grande. The city also features a 1st-century AD Roman theater and a lovely seaside promenade. Therefore, anyone arriving at this port is recommended to tour this beautiful city.
♦ Recommended guided tours in the city of Trieste:
Trieste is also located near the border with Slovenia and Croatia, and from it, guided tours depart to the beautiful cities of Slovenia and of course also to the famous Venice.