Sidetrip from Venice to Chioggia
 

My husband and I will be in Venice for a weeek. We are considering making a sidetrip to Chioggia. We like to go off the beaten track. Has anyone been there? Does anyone have an opinion?

I've been there twice on day trips from Venezia. You get a bus from the Lido to Pellestrina then a connecting boat to Chioggia. The whole journey is covered by an ACTV 24-hour or 72-hour ticket. Services run at least every hour - the schedule is on www.actv.it.
Chioggia is an attractive town with some good fish restaurants and not many tourists. I'd certainly recommend a visit.

Yes, we did it last summer going in the early morning, thinking we'd be back after lunch, but ended up spending the whole day. It was a wonderful change from Venice. In the morning all the street cafes were filled with elderly -- we thought the "homes" must have let out for the day. We had a hard time picking a place for lunch -- they all looked so good. And getting there and back was a lot of fun and quite scenic as well. Do it.

Thanks. Sounds interesting. We will probably do it.

Patrick and Geoff,

Thinking of making the trip to Chioggia on my next Venice visit. How long does the entire journey take (central Venice to vaporetto to bus to Chioggia)?

Thanks in advance

The service to Chioggia is route no.11 in ACTV's schedules. The journey from the Lido to Chioggia takes roughly an hour and a quarter each way. The bus travels along the Lido island then goes on a car ferry to Pellestrina island; at the end of that island, passengers change to the boat for Chioggia. There are several boat routes from the old city to the Lido, but from Piazza San Marco to the Lido takes about 15 minutes. Services run all through the night, so you could even go to Chioggia for an evening meal and not worry about getting the last bus back, though i think a daytime trip would be a much better idea.

Thanks for this detailed description. I had read that there is also a way to go by bus from Piazzale Roma all via land, but that it takes just as long. The boat/bus/ferry combination seems much more scenic and interesting.