Rail to Venice Airport

[zero]

The rail link to Venice Airport is currently under construction. Initially, an opening date of December 2025 was suggested.

Is this likely to actually happen?


I would like to travel from Venice Airport to either Trieste or Gorizia. I will have a EUrail pass. I do not want to buy a seat reservation.

If the train to the airport is not yet operational when I am there, what would be the cheapest way to get to a station? The nearest station appears to be Gaggio Porta Est but I am not sure if there is a convenient way to get there from the airport (and I have not looked up what the timetable is like from that station either). I would prefer to avoid Mestre if possible but have not yet decided, as this trip is a long way away and of course the next European timetables haven't even been released yet.

As a backup option I could take an ItaBus direct from the airport to Trieste for around €8-€12, but would only choose this if it's impossible to get a suitable train.

 

[eastwestdivide]

What’s the problem with Mestre?

 

[dutchflyer]

1.as a very broad general and perhaps a bit onesided view, such things in ITaly are always, always late (ritardo). But one does not know till date is there
2. IF the times of that direct bus to TRieste suit your flite-times, then its certainly the cheapest and also quickest way. Using a passday for just that trip is thrown the money out of the window- IF you do not plan to make further trips that day. Venezia-Trieste has an hourly normal local/regionale train taking nearly 2 hrs and REServation not even possible
3. there certainly is (or used to be -also a airport where I have not been a few years) a normal citybus for normal low ITalian price-and probably also a complicated and for the general Brit difficult to fathom out way of paying it- to a normal main Stazione of FS/TrenItalia- probably Mestre (=out of the overfamous and now even with tourist entry levied old town).
Where as I now sit in a train here with a bit wobbly WiFi hard for me to check exactly-there is-or again used to be- an excellent site like ´going to/from airport´ propagating using public transport-no doubt other posters will fill in with this
PS! Warning: do be aware that this famous city has-like many major towns also out of ITaly 2 airports-the other for the cheap budget type airlines is in a nearby town some 25/30 KMs north- double check that, name is Treviso
Also a general touristy forum like f.e. TripAdvisor often has also dozens of this type of questions answered already-always worth taking a look at.

 

[nwales58]

Cheapest way is to walk about 800m and catch the one of the airport bus routes at Tessera to avoid the airport ticket supplement (from memory, a couple of Euro rather than 10, check this).

If you don’t like Mestre (can’t remember whether that route goes near the railway stsation or terminates in the centre), one route goes to Santa Maria. Or use either, get off at the end of Via Orlando and walk around past Forte Maghera to Porte Maghera station.

All rather unpleasant in the heat.

 

[Cloud Strife]

You'll want bus 5 from Triestina Tessera towards Venice, total €1.50 for a 75 minute ticket. From the airport, it's €10, which is frankly ridiculous. The Venice Access Fee has been stopped, by the way, so it's just €1.50 to access Venice.

Even if you don't want to go to Venice, this is probably the most convenient route to take if you don't want to change in Mestre.

 

[etr221]

For Transport links to/from the airport the airport web site is often the best starting point - for Venice, see https://www.veneziaairport.it/en_gb/transport/transport-services/bus - there are two operators, ATVO (the 'regional' operator, who provide the main city-airport service https://www.atvo.it/en-venice-airport.html#) and AVM (formerly ACTV, the city bus operator https://avm.avmspa.it/en) - both have frequent services to Venice proper, and Mestre, the main junction on the mainland, where train train services from the city go their different ways to all over Italy, ATVO also have some to other regional towns. Or I have used GoOpti (https://www.goopti.com/en/) who provide airport-home transfers by taxi/minibus (private of shared), including MarcoPolo airport to Trieste. Otherwise I have used ATVO to Mestre, thence train to Trieste. Note - beware - some trains from Venice to Trieste run via Udine and Gorizia, rather than direct (at higher fare)

 

[zero]

Thanks all for the info so far. Nobody knows anything about the progress of the airport rail link?

I see that buses 4, 8, 8/52 and 25 supposedly go from Marco Polo airport to San Dona di Piave, where there is a station, although the ATVO network diagram is confusing.

The fare appears to be €3.50. Can this be paid on board or does it need to be purchased at a machine/shop beforehand? Does the €8.50 airport supplement apply to these buses?

If walking to Tessera for bus 5, can the €1.50 ticket be purchased on board or at the airport?

(I see that it may be possible to use an app to buy the bus tickets, but I will not be doing that even if it is cheaper - physical ticket or contactless on board only.)

 

[etr221]

From memory, there was an ATVO ticket office in the airport (arrivals hall), or somebody came out to sell tickets by the bus - it's a few years since i used it.

 

[stuu]

The rail link will absolutely not open this year - I was there before Christmas and there was activity but not very much. Very recent satellite imagery shows the route of the line more clearly but there don't appear to be any structures complete yet. I doubt it can be finished before December 2026

 

[nwales58]

Can this be paid on board or does it need to be purchased at a machine/shop beforehand?

Dig around on atvo.it. As usual in italy, a network of ticket offices and tobacconists:

Biglietterie e Rivendite ATVO

Consulta la mappa delle biglietterie e rivendite ATVO. Trova il punto vendita più vicino per acquistare i tuoi biglietti.

www.atvo.it

 

[Yunchy]

Thanks all for the info so far. Nobody knows anything about the progress of the airport rail link?

I see that buses 4, 8, 8/52 and 25 supposedly go from Marco Polo airport to San Dona di Piave, where there is a station, although the ATVO network diagram is confusing.

The fare appears to be €3.50. Can this be paid on board or does it need to be purchased at a machine/shop beforehand? Does the €8.50 airport supplement apply to these buses?

If walking to Tessera for bus 5, can the €1.50 ticket be purchased on board or at the airport?

(I see that it may be possible to use an app to buy the bus tickets, but I will not be doing that even if it is cheaper - physical ticket or contactless on board only.)

I live in Trieste and go regularly to Venice.

Some buses have contactless readers but not all. In theory, you are supposed to be able to tap on board and go - but to be sure, I'd download the app and buy the ticket through the app.

The best way to get to Trieste is by bus. The rail route is both relatively slow and requires going via Mestre (or San Dona). I do happen to always take the train as I get sick on buses, but if you can get a bus instead it's about an hour quicker. Flixbus have several daily buses. If you prefer the train, you can get a Trenitalia train from Mestre and add on the Venice Airport AirLink shuttle bus connection when you buy the ticket. Having said that, you probably are quicker to go to San Dona and get on there (but be aware not all trains stop at San Dona, though most do).