Arriving by train in Venice

Don't get off at Venice, Mestre (unless you're staying there!), S.Lucia (Stazione Ferroviaria Santa Lucia) is the name of Venice's train station and it's the end of the line. The station is a modern building in the sestiere of Cannaregio in Venice's west, and is serviced by Eurostar, Intercities and Express trains. Oh, and the Orient Express stops here from March to November on its way across Europe.

Facilities
The station has a bank (not the greatest rates but convenient) and also a non-euro banknote exchange machine if you're desperate, plus a restaurant, hotel info/booking desk and railway tourist info office. Apart from the usual left luggage office (2.6 euro for 12 hours - near platform 14) there are also lockers available near platform 1 (24 hours a day, 1.6 euro for six hours for a locker measuring 34x43x79cm. and 2.1 euro for one measuring 34x58x79cm).

You can get a trolley for your luggage inside the station, and you can wheel it out to the boat stop by using the station's side exit, avoiding the steps outside the main entrance.

When you get outside the main doors, you'll find yourself on a terrace in front of the Canal Grande. On the other side of the Canal you'll see the green dome of the church of S.Simeon Piccolo.

This is what you see when you come out of the station (192 KB)

Transport
Venice's public waterbuses (vaporetti) are just outside the station (stops for the No. 1 and No. 51 to your right as you leave and No. 52 and No. 82 to your left) on the Grand Canal. The No. 1 stops at every station along the Grand Canal and the No. 82 is the express boat to San Marco. There are some other routes as well, but always make sure you get the vaporetto going in the right direction, because boats going in both directions come in at about the same spot.

And don't light up if you're taking ANY form of public transport, because smoking is forbidden and that includes the landing stage!

Want more details about buses, vaporetti and motoscafi run by the ACTV? Check their website

You can also get a water-taxi (motoscafi), convenient but not cheap, think "limo". Unless your destination or hotel has a landing stage, you'll obviously have to walk a little at the other end, and make sure you agree a the price before you go aboard. Most of these are now run by a consortium of operators, the "Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia"

For more on public transport in Venice, see our "Getting Around Venice" pages.