Train from St Lucia Venice

[first time cruising]

Advice please. Our cruise arrives in Venice on 6th April 2015 and we overnight there on the ship. My question for experienced passengers is:- would it be possible to do our own walk off the ship and be able to catch a train leaving St Lucia station at 8.50am. Any help would be great, thanks.

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, I would think so.

 

The better place for research like this would be the Italy board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=595

[34XB]

We have done this several times. Try to walk it the day before to avoid any mistakes. There is an elevator and a bridge over the canal. The bridge has porters to help for a tip as there is no ramp only steps. Allow about 30 min for trip when pulling bags.

 

Side note: Venice and other European cities are rough on bag wheels. We had to replace some of ours. Venice is planning on banning pulling bags in city due to noise from wheels?

[Astro Flyer]

Venice is planning on banning pulling bags in city due to noise from wheels?

The ban on wheeled luggage was denied by a Venice official: "Now the city's special commissioner, Vittorio Zappalorto, has issued a statement insisting proposed new noise regulations will only be directed at trolleys used by traders and are not intended as an outright prohibition".

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/25/travel/venice-wheeled-suitcases/index.html

 

Dragging luggage over the bridge to the People Mover was difficult & I'd use porters the next time. We've dragged wheeled bags around Europe but to us Venice was the worst.

 

Advice please. Our cruise arrives in Venice on 6th April 2015 and we overnight there on the ship. My question for experienced passengers is:- would it be possible to do our own walk off the ship and be able to catch a train leaving St Lucia station at 8.50am. Any help would be great, thanks.

 

 

OP...I'd check on how early you can disembark because depending on which pier it takes about 15-20 minutes to walk to the People Mover & another 15-20 minutes to S. Lucia station. To avoid the station's stairs go to the right for a ground level entrance. Here's a link to that option which includes photos & just reverse it when walking to the station: http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-railroad-station-side-door.htm

 

Another option I've read about is to take a cab to the other Venice train station...Venetian Mestre (http://www.raileurope.com/europe-travel-guide/italy/venice/train-station/venice-mestre-train-station.html) which others have suggested as an easier way to the train.

Edited January 4, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[BMP57]

Advice please. Our cruise arrives in Venice on 6th April 2015 and we overnight there on the ship. My question for experienced passengers is:- would it be possible to do our own walk off the ship and be able to catch a train leaving St Lucia station at 8.50am. Any help would be great, thanks.

 

All advise given so far is right on! I will add that luggage storage on the train is limited, we purchased First Class tickets to Rome from Venice and we had to store some suitcases in the aisles which they didn't appreciate, there were 6 of us traveling.

 

Brian

[Astro Flyer]

We used Italo (https://biglietti.italotreno.it/Mobile_Home.aspx?Culture=en-US) from Florence to Venice & thought it was better than Trenitalia. Italo has fewer trains but not being a government owed train system less chance of being affected by strikes. ;)

Edited January 4, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[Colo Cruiser]

We have walked to/from the ship to the St Lucia train station a couple of times with our luggage, the latest time being Oct. ;)

 

We never saw porters at the bridge but we saw vagrants from india trying to get your money to carry your things. Be careful who you give your luggage to.

Edited January 5, 2015 by Colo Cruiser

[sbflcruiser]

While I have never gotten off in Venice, just boarded, as we stayed on the ship (B2B). I do have a few thoughts as we did travel into Venice that am with a lot of people getting off the ship. The people mover did not open until 8am and there was quite a line of people waiting to get on. You have to allow time to buy your tickets from the machine, which with everyone carrying luggage moving into and away from the machines was a little tricky. There can be a wait time if you do not make the first people mover. Once you do arrive at Piazza Roma you then must make it over the bridge. Like some have said there were a couple of ladies that thought there would be people to help with luggage over the bridge, but there was not. They really struggled as that bridge is long.

 

You will not be the only ones doing this, several other people will be attempting to make the same train. We have used the train stations quite a bit and they are fairly easy to use. It would be helpful if you pre-purchase your ticket.

 

I agree with possibly just taking a taxi to the Mestre station and boarding the train there. Almost every train that leaves S. Lucia stops in Mestre which is just across the water. It would be give you a few extra minutes and not have to worry about a lot things that can go wrong.

 

Hope you have a great cruise.

[Colo Cruiser]

While I have never gotten off in Venice, just boarded, as we stayed on the ship (B2B). I do have a few thoughts as we did travel into Venice that am with a lot of people getting off the ship. The people mover did not open until 8am and there was quite a line of people waiting to get on. You have to allow time to buy your tickets from the machine, which with everyone carrying luggage moving into and away from the machines was a little tricky. There can be a wait time if you do not make the first people mover. Once you do arrive at Piazza Roma you then must make it over the bridge. Like some have said there were a couple of ladies that thought there would be people to help with luggage over the bridge, but there was not. They really struggled as that bridge is long.

 

You will not be the only ones doing this, several other people will be attempting to make the same train. We have used the train stations quite a bit and they are fairly easy to use. It would be helpful if you pre-purchase your ticket.

 

I agree with possibly just taking a taxi to the Mestre station and boarding the train there. Almost every train that leaves S. Lucia stops in Mestre which is just across the water. It would be give you a few extra minutes and not have to worry about a lot things that can go wrong.

 

Hope you have a great cruise.

 

 

Thats why we don't use the people mover. We always walk the entire way.;)

[first time cruising]

Thanks for your prompt replies. My husband and I are fairly fit (after 32 days on board maybe a different story) so we have gone ahead and booked that train. Great advice about doing the walk the day before so we know exactly where to go and how long it will take. Looking forward to our cruise which departs LA through the Panama Canal to Venice.:)