There is no railway station at Venice Marco Polo (VCE) and no road into Venice's historic centre, because Venice has no roads. Every route therefore ends the same way: a bus to the edge of the island and then your own feet, or a boat straight into the lagoon.
Here is what each option actually costs and when it's the right one.
| Route | Cost (single) | Time | Ends at |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACTV Aerobus (line 5) | €10 | ~25 min | Piazzale Roma |
| ATVO express coach | €12 | ~20 min | Piazzale Roma or Mestre station |
| Alilaguna water bus | €18 | 45–90 min | Several island stops |
| Water taxi | €120+ | ~30 min | Your door, if it's on water |
| Land taxi | ~€45 | ~20 min | Piazzale Roma only |
Returns are cheaper than two singles on every scheduled service: ACTV Aerobus €18, ATVO €20, Alilaguna €32.
This is the right answer for most people. Two operators run the same corridor — the ACTV Aerobus at €10 and the ATVO express coach at €12 — and both reach Piazzale Roma, the road head of Venice, in 20–25 minutes. Buses leave from directly outside arrivals, run every 15–30 minutes, and take luggage without a surcharge or a bag limit.
From Piazzale Roma you're in Venice. Santa Lucia railway station is a five-minute walk across the Ponte della Costituzione, and vaporetto lines run down the Grand Canal from there.
ACTV also sells a combined ticket at €18 that adds 90 minutes on the rest of the network — worth it only if you're taking a vaporetto immediately on arrival.
€18 single, €32 return. Alilaguna runs scheduled boats from the airport's water dock — about a seven-minute walk from the terminal along a covered walkway — to stops including Murano, Fondamente Nove, San Marco and the Lido, depending on the line.
It takes considerably longer than the bus: 45 minutes to 90, depending on where you're going and how many stops come first. It is not a cheap way to arrive, and it is not a fast one.
It is, however, the way to arrive by water, which matters to some people and is a perfectly good reason. If your hotel is near a stop, it can also save you dragging luggage over bridges — which is the real argument for it.
From about €120, and worth understanding before you dismiss it. A private launch takes you from the airport dock to any address reachable by canal, in around 30 minutes, with your bags. For a group of four or five arriving at a hotel on a canal, it is not as absurd as the headline number suggests.
For one or two people with a short walk at the other end, it is.
You don't have to end up on the island at all.
Most visitors to Venice sleep in Mestre, on the mainland. The ATVO coach runs there directly from the airport in about 20 minutes for €12 — no boat, no bridges, no dragging a suitcase over a stepped canal bridge at eleven at night.
From Mestre, trains reach Venezia Santa Lucia in about ten minutes and run until around midnight. You get an apartment with a kitchen instead of a small hotel room, restaurants at Italian prices, free parking if you've driven, and the same ten-minute commute into the centre each morning.
Full detail: Venice airport to Mestre · why stay in Mestre
How do I get from Marco Polo airport to Venice?
The ACTV Aerobus reaches Piazzale Roma, the edge of Venice, in about 25 minutes for €10, and the ATVO express coach does the same in about 20 minutes for €12. From Piazzale Roma you continue on foot or by vaporetto. There is no train from the airport.
How much is the bus from Venice airport to Venice?
€10 single on the ACTV Aerobus or €12 on the ATVO coach. Returns are €18 and €20 respectively. Luggage is included with no extra charge.
Is there a train from Marco Polo airport?
No. There is no rail connection at the terminal. The first leg is always a bus, a boat or a taxi.
How long does it take to get from Venice airport to St Mark's?
About 45 minutes by bus to Piazzale Roma and vaporetto down the Grand Canal, or 60–90 minutes on the Alilaguna water bus depending on the line. A water taxi does it in around 30 minutes for €120 or more.
Is the Alilaguna worth it?
Only if your accommodation is close to one of its stops, in which case it saves you carrying luggage over bridges. Otherwise it costs nearly twice the bus and takes two to three times as long.