Welcome to this practical travel guide that shows you both how to get to Venice from Mestre by public transport and gives you ideas on where to stay in Mestre.
Mestre is an ideal base for visiting Venice. It’s easily accessible from other cities and towns in Veneto and the rest of Italy thanks to the A57 motorway (also known as Tangenziale di Mestre). It’s connected to Venice by train, tram and bus.
If you decide to rent a car from the Marco Polo airport or Treviso airport, you can park the car in Mestre instead of Venice, where it’s more affordable.
Mestre is a great place to stay if you want to save money on hotels or if you’re travelling at the last minute and unable to find a hotel in Venice’s historic centre.
Not to mention, from Mestre, the train, bus and tram tickets are all relatively cheap to purchase. Plus you can get to Venice in less than 10 minutes on most days.
Mestre to Venice
If you’re currently in Mestre and want to know how to get to Venice by public transport keep reading this guide to get the full-picture when it comes to transport.
This guide will also assist you if you’re planning to book (or have already booked) accommodation in Mestre but want to visit Venice from there.
Getting from Mestre to Venice is simple and straightforward and doesn’t require much planning, but if you’re new to Mestre, it’s good to leave knowing the options.
How far is Mestre from Venice Centre?
Mestre is 10 kilometres (6,2 miles) away from Venice and it takes between 10 and 20 minutes to get from Mestre to Venice, based on the type of transportation you choose to use.
The two cities are well-connected by ground transportation. Whether you’re looking to hire a car and drive or use public transportation, you can reach the Lagoon city in many different ways.
Public transport services connecting Mestre to Venice are: train, bus and tram. Most tourists travel by train because they are reliable, cheap and fast.
It’s good to take into account bus and tram, especially if your accommodation in Mestre is quite a far distance from the railway station.
Best way to get to Venice from Mestre
The best way to get to Venice from Mestre is by bus and train. I suggest getting the bus, if your accommodation is in Mestre city centre or far from the Venice Mestre railway station. See my guide dedicated to staying in Mestre for more useful tips.
On the other hand, the train might be a better option for travellers staying only a few minutes walk from the train station. Both options are cheap and they connect Mestre to Venice in only 10 minutes (trains) and 15 minutes (buses).
One way train ticket costs 1,45 euros, whereas the ACTV ticket costs 1,50 euros and it’s also valid for the tram. If you’re going to use public transport on a daily basis during your stay in Mestre, it’s more convenient to purchase the ACTV 1/2/3/7 day transport pass, based on the length of your stay.
The pass will allow you to travel on all ACTV public transport services (water buses/buses/tram and People Mover), but bear in mind that doesn’t include the ACTV services from and to the Marco Polo airport, water bus number 16, Alilaguna and ATVO express buses.
If you want to know how to get from the airport to Mestre or Venice, check out my guide on how to get from Marco Polo airport to Venice for step-by-step instructions.
Where to stay in Venice?
I’ll always encourage people to spend their stay in Venice’s historic centre to enjoy the city by night, when most tourists have left, in particular if you’re travelling from far and it’s your first time in the city.
For some travellers it’s important to travel on a budget or they’re simply returning visitors to Venice. For these people, Mestre is a good base to start exploring the Lagoon city.
It’s also good to keep in mind that there are buses and trains from Venice to Mestre till around 11pm, so you can spend a bit more time in Venice, after dinner, for a romantic night stroll or do a private gondola ride with your other half.
Here’s a list of places that I suggest for your stay in Mestre:
- Staycity Aparthotels Venice Mestre: this 4 star hotel features affordable studios and apartments. Perfect for couples and families looking to spend a comfortable stay in Mestre, but visit Venice every single day. The railway station is only 300 metres away.
- UNAWAY Ecohotel Villa Costanza Venezia: this 3 star superior hotel is located in a 19th century building and is only 250 metres away from Mestre train station. The bus stop to Venice is just 50 metres away, so you can choose to travel with both.
- Anda Venice Hostel: one of the best hostels in Venice and probably one of the coolest ones in Europe! If you’re travelling solo or on a small budget, this hostel is the best place to stay in Mestre. There are female or mixed dormitories and double, twin or family rooms. There are plenty of social spaces and coworking areas, ideal for digital nomads.
If you will be traveling to Venice on a budget, or planning to meet other travelers, I suggest you look at one of the many hostels in Venice that offer budget stays.
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How to get from Mestre to Venice
Mestre and Venice are well-connected by ground transportation and for this reason Mestre is a great base to visit Venice and the rest of the Veneto region with ease.
At this point, let’s see how you can get from Mestre to Venice by public transport.
Mestre to Venice by Train
If you booked a hotel that’s close to the Mestre train station, then the train is definitely the best way to get to Venice historic centre.
Your departure station is called Venezia Mestre and the arrival station Venezia Santa Lucia. You can hop on a Trenitalia regional (Regionale) or fast regional (Regionale Veloce) train anytime during the day. There are constant trains connecting Mestre to Venice and it only takes 10 minutes to get to Venice.
The train ticket costs 1,45 euros one way (return 2,90 euros) and gives you access to regional and fast regional trains only. Make sure to not board a Frecciarossa, Intercity or Italo trains as your ticket won’t be valid and you’ll be asked to buy a new one or if you’re already on the train, you risk getting fined!
If you get a regional train, there’s a stop in between Mestre and Venice called Venezia Porto Marghera. You arrive in Venice Santa Lucia after leaving the mainland and crossing the Liberty Bridge.
You can purchase the tickets online, on the Trenitalia website, or via the app Trainline, otherwise you can buy the paper ticket from the ticket office or ticket machines at the stations.
If you get the paper ticket, remember to validate it before boarding the train from one of the several validating machines of the station. There’s a train travelling back to Mestre from Venice till around 11pm. If you can book a hotel near Mestre train station you’ll be able to save time and money by simply walking to your accommodation.
Mestre to Venice by Bus
Travelling from Mestre to Venice is a good alternative to the train, if your accommodation is far from the train station. The downside of the buses is that they are quite overcrowded by locals and tourists travelling to Venice every day.
It’s not unusual for the bus to get stuck in the traffic too. Sometimes the bus driver skips some stops because there’s no room for more people to board the bus, so bear that in mind.
There are many bus lines connecting Mestre to Venice-Piazzale Roma and you can check which one is closer to your hotel on Google Maps.
There two types of bus tickets you can purchase:
- the 1,50 euros ticket, valid for 75 minutes after validation. This ticket is valid on the road network on the mainland, in Lido and Pellestrina, on the tramway network and People Mover within the Municipality of Venice.
- the 9,50 euros Rete Unica ticket, valid for 75 minutes after validation. This ticket is valid on buses, tramway, People Mover and water buses (vaporetto) within the Municipality of Venice.
You can buy the tickets from most newsstands (edicola), tobacco shops (tabaccheria) and ACTV offices in Mestre and Venice.
If you’re planning to stay 2 or more days in Venice, I recommend buying the ACTV transport pass so you can use it on all ACTV buses, trams and water buses (vaporetto) in Venice.
Here’s a practical interactive map of the waterborne routes in Venice.
Basically by getting a pass you can not only travel from Mestre to Venice and vice versa, but also travel around Venice by water bus.
You can also purchase the ticket and passes on the Venezia Unica website. The pass doesn’t include the transfer by ACTV or ATVO bus and Alilaguna water buses connecting Marco Polo airport to Mestre or Venice.
Local tip: you can purchase the ACTV transport pass on the Venezia Unica website at discounted rates, if you do it 30 days before your trip!
Mestre to Venice by Tram
The tram is an alternative way to travel from Mestre to Venice, and a good option to take into account if your hotel is located in Mestre city centre.
The tram line Mestre-Venice is the T1. If you purchase the ACTV pass you can also use the line T2 to move around Mestre.
As for the bus, the tram ticket costs 1,50 euros and it is valid for 75 minutes after validation, but only for land means of transport (no water bus in Venice).
The Rete Unica ticket or ACTV 2/3/4/7 days pass is the best solution if you want not only to travel on buses and trams but also water buses in Venice.
The trams are better than the buses as they avoid annoying delays. It takes a bit longer to get to Venice-Piazzale Roma than the bus, more precisely 19 minutes.
You can check out the ACTV official website to see the tram stops and even purchase the ticket at discounted rates so you have everthing sorted in advance.
Mestre to Venice
Now you should have a better idea of what are the public land transportation options to get from Mestre to Venice.
The two cities are very well-connected throughout the day, so if it’s more affordable to stay in Mestre, you can go to Venice whenever you want and in no time!
Staying in Mestre is a good compromise if you’re a returning visitor, travelling solo or just trying to save some money. Mestre is also well-connected to the Marco Polo and Treviso airports by ACTV and ATVO express bus, but remember to purchase the tickets as the transfer is not included in the ACTV pass!
To save valuable time, buy the bus ticket from/to Marco Polo airport to Mestre now.
To learn more about Venice Mestre and Venice Santa Lucia stations and where else you can travel to from there, see my guide on train stations in Venice for more.
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