How much time do I need to get from Port to Venice train Station

with luggage and average walking speed? What is the best way to get there?

Will be taking the train to Milan

It all depends on your walking speed but we could do it in about 30 min. Probably the best way, assuming you can handle your luggage, is to use the new People Mover from the port to the Piazale Roma from where you cross the beautiful new pedestrian bridge (not so new anymore) across the canal. You then turn right and the station is only a few minutes walk.

Hank

Thanks Hank but what if we can't handle our luggage easily. Can you take a taxi?

You can't get a land taxi to the Venice train station, but you can get one to the train station in Mestre. It will be about 30 euro or so from the cruise port and should take about 20 minutes.

If you have a difficult time with luggage, the train may not be a great option for you. At the Mestre station it is possible that you'll need to use a couple of staircases to get to your train (not a given, but it is possible). This will not be an issue at Milan.

You also need to handle your own luggage on the train, unless you use Trenitalia's luggage delivery service (20 Euro per bag).

Are stairs an issue at the other Venice Station or just Mestre?

There isn't an issue with stairs at the Venice train station (Santa Lucia), but getting there from the People Mover requires either stairs (up one side and down the other on the pedestrian bridge from Piazzale Roma to the train station) or a vaporetto ride one stop across the canal. The vaporetto with luggage is no treat either, so this is a case of "pick your poison".

I don't remember elevators at S Lucia train station but there was ramps that connected the inside station to the outside (we were traveling with two babies). Lots of people take the vaporetti... the only thing with the vaporetti is they can take FOREVER sometimes. We waited over an hour one time for one to San Marco from S. Lucia. I'd suggest a water taxi if you aren't very mobile or get a transfer through the cruiseline. There's lots of trains to Milan, I'd just buy my ticket once I got to the train station personally. If you take a private water taxi make sure to decide on a price before you get in.

I've seen lots of people with luggage on the vaporetti with no issues, but not something I would do unless you were pretty mobile. I didn't find pick pockets or anything a real issue in Venice.

We agree with Euro that if handling your own luggage is going to be a problem you should take a land taxi all the way to Mestre. There is no easy way to get luggage from the port to the Venice train station unless you are capable of hauling all of your luggage the equivalent of several blocks including up and down the very wide steps on the pedestrian bridge. As much as we love being in Venice the city is always a logistical nightmare.

And using the vaporetto to get to the Venice (S Lucia) train station makes little sense. Again, you would first have to get to the P. Roma and then drag your luggage down to the ACTV docks. You then must drag your luggage onto the vaporetto, pay 6.5 Euros per person, pay extra if you have more then 1 piece of luggage per person (they do not always assess the extra fee), and then take your 2 min vaporetto ride one stop to the train station where you must drag your luggage off the vaporetto and into the station. At this point you would have spent at least 13 Euros on the very short vaporetto ride plus a few more Euros for the People Mover. Suddenly spending 30-40 Euros for a taxi to the Mestre train station does not look like such a bad option :)

Hank

Provided your main cases have wheels it is quite easy to get from the Main Cruise Terminal to Venezia St.Lucia station . (If your boat berths at the San Basilio piers take Vaporetto # 42 to Piazzale de Roma.)

Beware - many through trains do NOT stop at the lesser Mestre station, so be careful joining a train at Mestre .

Leaving the Main Cruise Terminal :

- Take the People Mover to Piazzale de Roma

- You will arrive in P de R in the back RH corner, head towards the left hand side of the Piazza and cross the new pedestrian bridge . Follow the quay line along for around 200m and you are at the station on your left. A 1950's looking white marble building with an FS logo .

Allow 25 minutes max. People Mover say 5 mins, + walk from P d R over bridge to St Lucia station say 15 mins = 20 - 25 mins.

(From San Bassilio allow 30 - 35 mins.)

Beware - many through trains do NOT stop at the lesser Mestre station, so be careful joining a train at Mestre .

While I agree that it is good advice to check that the train you want stops at the station you want, out of 23 trains tomorrow from Venice Santa Lucia to Milan, only one does not stop at Mestre, so this is not a big issue.

And using the vaporetto ... 6.5 Euros per person

There actually is a lower fare for situations like this - the single fare:

1,30 € - SINGLE FARE WATERBORNE SERVICES

Allows travel on all water services (except those of route Alilaguna, 19, 16, 21 and Casinò) for 75 minutes from stamping, with transport means change allowed in the same direction. Does not include the return journey. Can be purchased from the Hellovenezia ticket desks and the authorized resellers.

Note that you can't just purchase this fare at the dock or on the boat ... you need to know in advance that you're going to want to use this. There is a link on the ACTV site to a list of Hellovenezia ticket offices and resellers.

Information on this can be found on the ACTV web site here: http://www.actv.it/en/movinginvenice/fares1