Transportation Venice

[Marianna49]

I am planning a visit to Venice in the Fall and my ship is Royal Caribbean Seranade.

Does anyone have information about the distance between the port and St Mark's square? Would it be convenient to take a vaporetta (spelling - water bus)? We will be there two days and were considering purchasing a 24 hour pass - is this a good idea?

Thanks for any help.

[-Lew-]

Your cruise line will likely arrange a water shuttle between the cruise port and Piazza San Marco. I haven't cruised on RC, but have with Princess. Princess as well as other cruise lines offer this service for a charge.

 

The other option would be to take the People Mover to the vaporetto stop at Piazzale Roma. It would not be as convenient as using the above mentioned shuttle, but you'd see a lot of beautiful Venice as you make your way up and down the Grand Canal.

 

Lew

[MeHeartCruising]

Royal Caribbean usually docks at the Martittima terminal. At that terminal there is not a vaparetto station. If the cruise line provides a shuttle boat (I don't know, since I was not on RC when I was there), it will be for a fee and it will take you only to San Marco Square. I believe the route it would take is not along the Grand Canal, but rather on Giudecco Channel -- still fun and exciting, but not the Grand Canal that everyone wants/needs to experience. Your other option is to walk to the People Mover train from your ship (very doable, but a few hundred yards or so) and then take it to Piazzale Roma. From here you can catch any number of vaporetto routes to go anywhere in Venice you might want to go, including to San Marco along the famous Grand Canal (Route 1 or 2). You can also walk to San Marco from Piazzale Roma if you desire, but it is a 20-30 minute walk if you never stop to soak in the city. If you're able, the walking route is something I urge you to do at least once as you'll get to explore the city enroute. You WILL get lost. But fear not, there are little, old signs that point you to "San Marco" or "P Roma" all over the place to get you back on track to your destination. Getting lost is fun and part of the adventure. To specifically address your question, if you are going to be in Venice for 2 days, then YES, I would invest in a vaporetto pass for at least 24 or 36 (if they have that) hours. While Venice is immensely walkable assuming you can manage to climb steps up and down over the many bridges, I think the time savings of the vaporetto warrants using it several times over the period you will be there. If I recall, you only have to use it 3 or 4 times to make it worth while. There are several other locations on nearby islands that you might want to visit that will require you to use the vaporetto system. I vote YES.

Edited April 17, 2014 by MeHeartCruising

[Marianna49]

Royal Caribbean usually docks at the Martittima terminal. At that terminal there is not a vaparetto station. If the cruise line provides a shuttle boat (I don't know, since I was not on RC when I was there), it will be for a fee and it will take you only to San Marco Square. I believe the route it would take is not along the Grand Canal, but rather on Giudecco Channel -- still fun and exciting, but not the Grand Canal that everyone wants/needs to experience. Your other option is to walk to the People Mover train from your ship (very doable, but a few hundred yards or so) and then take it to Piazzale Roma. From here you can catch any number of vaporetto routes to go anywhere in Venice you might want to go, including to San Marco along the famous Grand Canal (Route 1 or 2). You can also walk to San Marco from Piazzale Roma if you desire, but it is a 20-30 minute walk if you never stop to soak in the city. If you're able, the walking route is something I urge you to do at least once as you'll get to explore the city enroute. You WILL get lost. But fear not, there are little, old signs that point you to "San Marco" or "P Roma" all over the place to get you back on track to your destination. Getting lost is fun and part of the adventure. To specifically address your question, if you are going to be in Venice for 2 days, then YES, I would invest in a vaporetto pass for at least 24 or 36 (if they have that) hours. While Venice is immensely walkable assuming you can manage to climb steps up and down over the many bridges, I think the time savings of the vaporetto warrants using it several times over the period you will be there. If I recall, you only have to use it 3 or 4 times to make it worth while. There are several other locations on nearby islands that you might want to visit that will require you to use the vaporetto system. I vote YES.

What is a people mover?

[Etta]

I would definitely suggest the people mover, it will take you from the ship to land. Also, that vaparetto pass is the only way, it's 20euro for 24 hours, a bargain for anyone. Getting lost in Venice is great as long as you get to see the clock tower. :eek:

[-Lew-]

 

What is a people mover?

Click here...

 

Lew

[Etta]

Click here...

 

Lew

 

Lew, am thinking it might be better to just take a water board from the cruise terminal to St Marks square, what do you think is the best option ?

[Hlitner]

Let me jump in and explain your 3 options, in detail. From the port you can take the shuttle boats offered by your cruise line. But you do pay for that and their shuttles only go between the port and St Marks Square (which is only one place in the large city).

 

2. There is a private boat line called the Alialuguna which also operates some regularly scheduled boats to and from the port to various places. We are not big fans of the Alilaguna because they only go to a limited number of places...but some folks like to use them,

 

3. Use the People Mover. You would walk from your ship to the People Mover Station (a few hundred yard easy flat walk) and pay 1 Euro to take this small elevated train over to the Piazale Roma. Once there, you can cross the square to the vaporetto docks (is is called the ACTV) where you have access to all the various vaporettos (water buses) that can take you anywhere in Venice of to any of the nearby islands in the lagoon (i.e. Murano, Burano, Lido, Torcello, etc).

 

We personally recommend the People Mover/vaporetto option for several reasons. You can purchase a timed (12, 24, 36, 48, 72 hour) unlimited ticket which you then use to go anywhere you please. It can be very convenient to have a vaporetto pass and just hop on and off vaporettos as you explore Venice and its environs. A single vaporetto ride costs about 7 Euros...so the timed passes are very good deals if you use the vaporetto more then twice.

 

Hank

[Marianna49]

Let me jump in and explain your 3 options, in detail. From the port you can take the shuttle boats offered by your cruise line. But you do pay for that and their shuttles only go between the port and St Marks Square (which is only one place in the large city).

 

2. There is a private boat line called the Alialuguna which also operates some regularly scheduled boats to and from the port to various places. We are not big fans of the Alilaguna because they only go to a limited number of places...but some folks like to use them,

 

3. Use the People Mover. You would walk from your ship to the People Mover Station (a few hundred yard easy flat walk) and pay 1 Euro to take this small elevated train over to the Piazale Roma. Once there, you can cross the square to the vaporetto docks (is is called the ACTV) where you have access to all the various vaporettos (water buses) that can take you anywhere in Venice of to any of the nearby islands in the lagoon (i.e. Murano, Burano, Lido, Torcello, etc).

 

We personally recommend the People Mover/vaporetto option for several reasons. You can purchase a timed (12, 24, 36, 48, 72 hour) unlimited ticket which you then use to go anywhere you please. It can be very convenient to have a vaporetto pass and just hop on and off vaporettos as you explore Venice and its environs. A single vaporetto ride costs about 7 Euros...so the timed passes are very good deals if you use the vaporetto more then twice.

 

Hank

Thank you for this thorough explanation. Do these otions (the people mover and the vaporetto operate daily 24/7? We will be in Venice on a Sunday. We arrive on a Saturday and plan on staying in the city into the evening with a leisurely dinner and a gondola ride. Do they operate on Sundays? Do they stop running after a certain hour?

Thanks.

[Arubamoose]

We spent an evening in Murano and missed the people mover by 10 minutes. We had to walk from P.Roma. Inconvenient - yes. But it wasn't the worst.

 

The people mover is open 7 am to 11 pm M - Sat and 8 am to 10 pm on Sunday in the summer.

[Marianna49]

We spent an evening in Murano and missed the people mover by 10 minutes. We had to walk from P.Roma. Inconvenient - yes. But it wasn't the worst.

 

The people mover is open 7 am to 11 pm M - Sat and 8 am to 10 pm on Sunday in the summer.

How far is P. Roma from Cruise terminal? Is it a long walk? A Pretty walk?

Thanks.

[WisRiver]

How far is P. Roma from Cruise terminal? Is it a long walk? A Pretty walk?

 

It is about 800 meters from the Cruise terminal to P. Roma along heavily traveled streets. It could be longer if your ship is docked at the far end of the Terminal and is not a pretty walk. Look at the Venice section of Tom's Port Guides. His Venice section is three years old, but is still a useful resource.

[Marianna49]

How far is P. Roma from Cruise terminal? Is it a long walk? A Pretty walk?

 

It is about 800 meters from the Cruise terminal to P. Roma along heavily traveled streets. It could be longer if your ship is docked at the far end of the Terminal and is not a pretty walk. Look at the Venice section of Tom's Port Guides. His Venice section is three years old, but is still a useful resource.

That is great news. In terms of miles it is about 1/2 (USA still hasn't coverted to the metric system like the rest of the world) which is a doable walk (unless, of course, you have just finished a few bottles of wine:o). Thank you.

One other clarification, P. Roma is the first stop of the vaporetta?

Thanks.:)

[MeHeartCruising]

That is great news. In terms of miles it is about 1/2 (USA still hasn't coverted to the metric system like the rest of the world) which is a doable walk (unless, of course, you have just finished a few bottles of wine:o). Thank you.

One other clarification, P. Roma is the first stop of the vaporetta?

Thanks.:)

 

The vaporetto's generally run along circular routes in one or both directions. So technically, there really isn't usually a "first" stop. However, P. Roma is one of several "hubs" on the route network where you can catch a vaporetto on any route. When you approach the P. Roma stop, you need to know which route you want to travel on and in which direction on the canal you want to go. You should download a venice map with the basic routes on it and familiarize yourself with it. The #1 and #2 routes are probably the most common ones tourists takes since they go up and down the Grand Canal between P. Roma and San Marco Square. But if you're looking for a different route or destination, you would use a different route boat. With respect to the cruise port, the stop at P. Roma could be considered "the first" stop you are likely going to walk/peoplemove to in order to get on a vaporetto.

Edited April 18, 2014 by MeHeartCruising

[4774Papa]

Marianna,

 

You have been given some great advice already. Perhaps I can add a little more.

 

Here is the Venice cruise port website.

 

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-cruise-terminal.htm

 

The cruise port is on the opposite end of Venice from St. Mark's square.

I love walking the streets of Venice. It is an experience it itself, so I recommend that you do that at least once. Also, taking the Vaporetto is fun, since you can see the grand houses on the Grand Canal.

 

Here is info on the vaporetto

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-vaporetto-water-buses.htm

 

This website has detailed info about the vaporetto and its routes. You will need to familiarize yourself with the routes since if you don't and just hop on a boat, it may take you in the opposite direction.

 

To go to and from the cruise port from Piazzale Roma, definitely take the people mover.

[Cornishpastyman1]

That is great news. In terms of miles it is about 1/2 (USA still hasn't coverted to the metric system like the rest of the world) which is a doable walk (unless, of course, you have just finished a few bottles of wine:o). Thank you.

One other clarification, P. Roma is the first stop of the vaporetta?

Thanks.:)

Hi Marianna

Along with most of the others I think you should get a 24 hr vap ticket as you'll want to use it for much more than riding the Grand Canal. But doing that is one of the best things to do in Venice. This shows the complete run from Piazzale Rome - St Mark's Square, which takes around 35-40 minutes on route No 1 and about 10-15 minutes less on No 2. Of course if you're not laden with luggage you can jump on and off as you fancy, as they are very regular in the main part of the day. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]DQ8apgEhZBA[/YOUTUBE]

[Hlitner]

How far is P. Roma from Cruise terminal? Is it a long walk? A Pretty walk?

 

It is about 800 meters from the Cruise terminal to P. Roma along heavily traveled streets. It could be longer if your ship is docked at the far end of the Terminal and is not a pretty walk. Look at the Venice section of Tom's Port Guides. His Venice section is three years old, but is still a useful resource.

 

We have walked this walk a few times and does seem a bit longer then 800 meters. Once you are out of the port you can get on the sidewalk to stroll over the bridge into Venice. But we would not call it a particularly picturesque walk...although some might argue that walking anywhere around Venice is picturesque. Keep in mind that the route goes along the only road (which means it is always busy) that enters into Venice.

 

Hank

[Adventures ahead]

We usually walk from P. Roma to San Marco and ride back to P. Roma on the Grand Canal, either to get back to the ship or our hotel on P. Roma. By then, it's usually evening for us and the 'hoofers' are tired.

 

We always return the envelope (maybe it was a card), found in our cabin for the ship's shuttle boat ride that takes you only to San Marco, in plenty of time to have the pre-charge credited back to our shipboard account. If you're not a good walker or are short on time, the shuttle can be convenient. We just find it more interesting to walk to San Marco and prefer to walk in Venice, in general, if we have the time.

 

I would suggest getting the pass if you decide to spend a half day going to Murano or Burano. Depending on your situation and what you want to see, you need to decide if you will use the pass enough for it to be worth it to you.

[Marianna49]

We usually walk from P. Roma to San Marco and ride back to P. Roma on the Grand Canal, either to get back to the ship or our hotel on P. Roma. By then, it's usually evening for us and the 'hoofers' are tired.

 

We always return the envelope (maybe it was a card), found in our cabin for the ship's shuttle boat ride that takes you only to San Marco, in plenty of time to have the pre-charge credited back to our shipboard account. If you're not a good walker or are short on time, the shuttle can be convenient. We just find it more interesting to walk to San Marco and prefer to walk in Venice, in general, if we have the time.

 

I would suggest getting the pass if you decide to spend a half day going to Murano or Burano. Depending on your situation and what you want to see, you need to decide if you will use the pass enough for it to be worth it to you.

Which ship were you on? When? If they have a shuttle to St. Mark's Square that would be ideal. Thanks for the info.

[Adventures ahead]

Which ship were you on? When? If they have a shuttle to St. Mark's Square that would be ideal. Thanks for the info.

 

We sailed with Princess.

 

Last year the cruise began with an overnight on the ship and the ship offered the shuttle boat ride to St. Mark's Square. A couple of year's ago, our cruise ended with an overnight in Venice and the ship offered the shuttle that time also.

[Marianna49]

We sailed with Princess.

 

Last year the cruise began with an overnight on the ship and the ship offered the shuttle boat ride to St. Mark's Square. A couple of year's ago, our cruise ended with an overnight in Venice and the ship offered the shuttle that time also.

We are traveling on Royal Caribbean. Does anyone know if they provide a shuttle which would be the most convenient. Was there a charge for that service?

[wassup4565]

Don't know about RCI, but in any case, I would wonder how often a ship-sponsored shuttle would run. Would you have to wait long? The People Mover operates frequently - you never wait long. Once you get to the P. de Roma, the vaporetti come by frequently.

To me, every minute spent right in the middle of Venice is precious, so I wouldn't want to cool my heels waiting very long for a shuttle.

 

BTW, all this People Mover and vaporetto business sounds very complex, but it's not. You can easily do it. Make sure you have some Euro coins for the People Mover. The pass for the vaporetto was the best money I spent in Venice.

 

(Just a note because someone wondered. "Vaporetto" is the singular - that is, one vaporetto. "Vaporetti," not vaporettos, is the plural)

[Hlitner]

I want to clear up some possible mis-conceptions. If there is a ship shuttle, it will usually be a boat going between the port and St Marks Square. Most lines charge money for this shuttle (as much as $20 per day). Keep in mind that you pay this money to go to a single place (St Marks Square). Venice is a pretty nice size island (plus there are several other islands in the Lagoon) and you are paying for that shuttle to only go one place. So how do you get anywhere else? You can walk (as long as you stay on Venice) but most folks will use the Vaporettos which can take you around Venice (in either direction) or can also take you out to any of the other islands (Murano, Burano, Torcello, Lido, etc).

 

So what often happens is folks on the ship pay their money for a ship shuttle, often wait up to 45 min to even get on that shuttle, and then still need to buy a vaporetto ticket to go anywhere else. And if you happen to be on the other side of Venice (such as at Rialto) and want to catch the shuttle (which you have already paid for) back to the ship you must walk all the way across the island (or pay for a vaporetto) to get you back to St Marks Square.

 

So, many of us prefer to use the inexpensive People Mover (which runs every few minutes) to get over the P. Roma. We can then use our money to buy a timed Vaporetto ticket (sold for 12 hours, 24, 36, 48, 72 etc). Instead of spending money on that shuttle (which only takes us one place) we now have a vaporetto ticket that can take us anyplace as often as we please.

 

Hank

[Adventures ahead]

Hank,

Well said. Thanks for clearing that up for some folks.

[wassup4565]

Just to put a personal experience onto Hank's good advice, here's how it worked for me. Jet-lagged, I woke up at 6 a.m. and ready to get GOING in Venice. I had already bought and validated my vaporetto pass the previous evening while I could still walk around for a few hours after the disorienting trans-altlantic flight. But the next morning I was ready to roar into Venice.

 

From the cruise ship port area, I walked through the fog and the dark to the People Mover, paid my one Euro and got on board, and was dropped at the P de Roma. From there I took the #1 Vaporetto to St. Marks. At St Marks, I was the only human as the sun rose and threw its rays onto the gorgeous mosaicked arches outside St Marks. It was just me and a few grumbling pigeons.

 

My point is if you tie yourself to the cruise ship's shuttle, you could not do this.