Venice Marco Polo private transfers and minibus hire

Arriving in Venice by road is unlike anywhere else, because the drive ends where the lagoon city begins. Here is how pickups work at Marco Polo and what happens at the other end.

Loading inside the airport car parks

Marco Polo has one main passenger terminal. NCC chauffeur cars and coaches are allowed into the airport's controlled traffic zone, and passengers board inside the car parks. The 10-minute limit in that zone does not apply to tourist buses, and at Sosta Breve, the short-stay car park, there are 20 minutes for loading.

Larger commercial coaches use the PBus area, which lies to the north of the terminal building. The operator will tell you whether to head there or to a car park pickup, depending on the vehicle.

Passenger van rear compartment loaded with luggage

Terminals

Main passenger terminal

Worth knowing at Venice Marco Polo Airport

The Sosta Breve short-stay car park gives 20 free minutes for loading.
Tourist buses are exempt from the 10-minute limit in the controlled traffic zone.

The ZTL BUS pass and the road to Piazzale Roma

To enter the ZTL BUS area in Venice, a tourist coach must display an AVM pass. Without one, it may only pass through, by way of the link road to the airport or the bypass around Mestre. Inside the zone, it may stop only at dedicated car parks and authorised boarding areas.

The airport is about 13 km from Piazzale Roma, usually 20-30 minutes by road. From there your group continues into the historic centre, so for a hotel in San Marco or Dorsoduro, ask the hotel how guests usually complete the journey and build that time into the day.

Tronchetto, the People Mover and late flights

Coaches can park at Tronchetto for one hour at most, and from there the People Mover links to Piazzale Roma. Between 06:00 and 20:15 there are staff at the ZTL check-in points; at other times the pass has to be bought online.

For a flight landing late in the evening, that is one more reason to have the operator arrange everything in advance rather than on arrival.

Staying in Mestre or heading to the ship

Plenty of groups choose a hotel in Mestre, on the mainland, which keeps the road transfer simple and the luggage handling easy. Cruise passengers heading to the terminals, such as Fusina with its authorised coach car park, face about 15-20 km from the airport, usually 20-35 minutes.