London Toolkit 
Paris Toolkit Venice cruise ships - independent transfers & sightseeing
Venice cruise ship airport, train and hotel transfers plus sightseeing for the independently minded
The main cruise port of Venice is called Stazione Marittima (Maritime Station) and is where most Mediterranean cruises will dock.
At peak periods when berths are full ships may dock at alternatives nearby.
Maritime Station is at the western tip of Venice, close to where the causeway supporting the road and rail link from the mainland makes landfall.
The road into Venice ends dead in its tracks here next to the train station, called Santa Lucia Railway Station. As a result in a small area you have Venice railway station, the bus station and all the car parks clustered around Piazzale Roma plus the cruise terminal.
Cruise ship terminal disembarkation/embarkation
As ever cruise line offerings for transfers and sightseeing come at a premium price encouraging the independently minded to do their own thing and obtain better value.
Unfortunately the cruise terminal is so near but so far from the key transport hub at Piazzale Roma and Santa Lucia Railway Station. From these you explore Venice by foot or catch one of the water bus (Vaporetto) services.
It is also from Piazzale Roma that airport buses depart frequently for Venice or Treviso airports - the cheapest mainstream airport transfer.
If you are lucky your cruise ship will advise you of a free bus service available between the cruise terminal and Piazzale Roma/ Santa Lucia Railway Station, some cruises may put on their own private water bus service to St Mark's Square.
Venice People Mover - connecting cruise terminal with Piazzale Roma/ Santa Lucia railway station
The main alternative for independent exploration is an automated shuttle train called the Venice People Mover that connects the cruise terminal to Piazzale Roma.
A single ticket costs just €1.50, and you can use the same ticket for buses and trams.
Buy a ticket from the automatic ticket machine for the 2-minute journey to Piazzale Roma. Unfortunately the People Mover is not included in the Venice water bus transport passes.
Local taxi or local bus are options too, but are more expensive and no faster than the People Mover.
Cruise ship shore excursions - alternative tours to the cruise line offerings
VENICE SHORE EXCURSIONS
Independent sightseeing from maritime station cruise ship terminal disembarkation/embarkation
To explore Venice independently from your cruise ship the first step is get from the cruise terminal to the Piazzale Roma / Santa Lucia Railway Station less than 1km away. If there is not a free bus shuttle provided get the People Mover to Piazzale Roma.
Once at Piazzale Roma your options are to walk or use the water bus service to get around. Full details of both options are at dedicated pages linked below.
Venice by foot - including walking notes to St Mark's Square via Rialto Bridge
Venice hotel transfers from cruise ships
Most of the hotels are away from the rail, bus and cruise ship arrival point gateway at the western tip of Venice. Most of the hotel options are a couple of kilometres away, many quite close to St Mark's Square.
Your accommodation may be some way from the nearest jetty and the lanes and alleys of Venice are not conducive to rolling luggage along the ground, so it is worth checking this aspect prior. Some hotels have their own private water entrance, some may involve a 5 to 10-minute walk with your luggage.
Venice public water buses
Transport within Venice (apart from walking) is water based of one kind or another.
The cheapest transfer option is to get the People Mover from the cruise terminal to Piazzale Roma, beside which are water bus stops for various water bus lines all over Venice.
Venice water bus services - more details
Alilaguna Water Bus is a separate service that runs water bus services to Venice Airport and also operates a seasonal service from Maritime Station Cruise Ship Terminal itself to several points in Venice itself.
VENICE SHARED ARRIVAL TRANSFER
• Shared transfer from Marittima Cruise Port to central Venice by boat • Stress-free, pre-paid transfer to one of several drop-off locations • Drop-off locations include San Marco, Rialto and Piazzale Roma • Get off at the most convenient stop to your hotel
Venice airport transfers from cruise ships
The cheapest airport transfers are the dedicated airport bus services between Venice Marco Polo and Treviso Airports and Piazzale Roma in Venice. Venice cruise terminal is connected to Piazzale Roma by a shuttle called People Mover or your ship may provide a free bus shuttle.
For Venice Marco Polo airport there is also regular water bus service to Venice.
