chicgeek

We are going to Venice this spring, and need assistance with bags at the train station. Are there porters available?

JeanneB

Are you going straight to the docks? It's really not far at all. Maybe 60 yards or so.

Sorry, I never looked for a porter so can't answer your question.

SusanP

I've never seen porters at any train station in Italy and don't think there are any, but there are many posters who have used the trains a LOT more than I have, so I'll be interested to see if any have seen porters.

Grinisa

There have not been official porters at train stations in Italy for many years. Some stations, like Napoli Centrale, have "unofficial" porters who are really just men looking for unsuspecting tourists to extort a quick Euro from. They will come up to you, grab your luggage and "help" you to your train. Then hold onto the bags until you give them some money. It's up to you whether to use them or not but I haven't seen them at Venice St. Lucia station anyway. Why will you need assistance with bags? If you just have a lot of luggage or it's heavy, there are rolling carts like you find in airports available. If there is a physical disability, inquire at the ticket booth or tourist information office and they may find you someone to help.

J62

The rolling carts at Venice train station only go to the edge of the station area. The wheels will electronically lock of the cart is moved past a perimeter line. There are about 10-15 steps down to the quay, then 50 -100 foot walk to the vaporetto stop.

If you need assistance at the train station then you will REALLY, REALLY need to take a private water taxi directly to your hotel dock.

While not difficult for most, it is far harder to navigate with luggage from a vaporetto stop to your hotel. You will likely have to go up and down steps over several bridges.

If you are planning to take a vaporetto you'll be SOL with all your luggage, as there are no porters to assist you to your hotel.

Besides travelling lighter, the best method is to have bags with good wheels, and a strap with which you can attach smaller bags to piggy back. One stong person can tote 4 bags that way.

Holly_uncasdewar

Why not ask your hotel to arrange for a porter to meet you at the train station once you know what train you'll be on?

LoveItaly

Hello chickgeek, here is a website regarding the Santa Lucia Train Station that might be of help.
http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/...n-arriving.htm

raspberry7

There aren't any. Have you ever thought about packing more lightly?

ellenem

Perhaps chicgeek has seen *Summertime* . . . a porter carries Katherine Hepburn's bags from the train, out of the station, onto the vaporetto, and all the way to her hotel.

nytraveler

Only that was - what - 45 years ago?

We always get a hotel with a private dock and take a water taxi - since we are NOT light packers (usually a 26" bag with wheels and a carry-on with a strap - that can be attached to the top of the bigger bag - or carried on the shoulder). But - if we have to we can carry our bags up or down a flight of stairs - never mind roll them long distances.

chicgeek

I'm sorry........I misrepresented myself. Our friend was visiting uw, and I was showing him the fodors site. He is visiting Venice for the first time this spring, and he has some trouble with walking distances. He needs a cane, and needs help. His wife is also NOT a light packer.

So I put the question out there for him. We have been to Venice a couple of times, and have been able to handle our carry-on bags ourselves because we (A) travel light, and (B) don't have any disabilities.

My concern was that there wasn't any help available, but I wanted to see if there was any that we had missed. Thank you for your responses.

ellenem

This site offers the possibility of porter service. I haven't read the entire page, but it might be what you friend needs:

http://www.veniceguideandboat.it/transfertrain.htm

I found this site by googling "venice porter service train station."

muskoka

We stayed at Hotel Antiche Figure not far from the train station, across Scavi Bridge. Our hotel arranged for porters to bring our bags to the hotel and then back to the train. It's really pricey to do it that way, but the porters who were employed by the station put our bags on the train with no problem whatsoever.

Southam

I've seen luggage porters in the passageways of Venice, and read that hotels can supply such assistance (although I don't myself need it, at least not yet....) Perhaps your hotel can provide more information.

janisj

Southam -- the trip was 5 years ago. . . .

worldinabag

Hi

Last year we arrived at Santa Lucia train station. I can speak Italian so I asked an attendant for directions to the vaporetto. He explained that we could take the ramp down rather than use the steps. So much easier! I can't remember specific details but write the following down and ask the attendant - "Per favore dove la rampa, non vogliamo usare le scale se possibile".

marg

We were in Venice in May. As soon as we stepped out of the railway station, we had porters asking if we wanted help. As soon as I saw the bridge we had to cross, my immediate reaction was 'yes, we do want help'. It cost 5 euros per bag and we were glad of the assistance particularly since the porter knew exactly where our hotel was, whereas we would have been walking around in circles. When we left the hotel to go to the cruise terminal,the receptionist called a porter to help us get to the people mover.

kybourbon

This thread is old. Any porters at Venice train station are not employees of Trenitalia. Trenitalia only offers that service at these four stations. While you may have paid some random person 5€ you probably could have negotiated for much less since these are not employees or in any official capacity.

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD