Venice Car "Pick-up" locations - help needed
 

We would like to pick up a car in Venice (& plan to drop it off in Orvieto). It appears that there are a few pick up locations in Venice downtown, in addition to the Marco Polo airport.

I'm not sure how to get to the "downtown" locations from Venice proper. Is it a train from Santa Lucia back to Mestre? and then we would walk to the rental agency?

Which is easier, to pick up a car at the airport or some downtown location. And how long from San Marco stop back to the airport, for example (so I have a sense how long it would take us)?

Thanks so much in advance.

I may have found an answer. I see from a quick search on google that there's an airport water taxi from the airport to San Marco square, operated by Alilaguna. What I'm unable to figure out is the "time wrap" time tables. But the length of time is about 1H10M on the "red line". It may be easiest and it appears that the price is reasonable too...12euros.

Thoughts?

We picked up our rental car on leaving Venice at Piazzale Roma which is just before the causeway leading back to the mainland. I remember it as a not too long trip from San Marco on the Grand Canal.

There are no pick up locations in "downtown" Venice - because there are no streets in "downtown" Venice. Not sure where you're looking at - perhaps Mestre (which is a different city on the mainland). The most sensible place to get your car is at Piazzele Roma - the end of the causeway that leads to Venice proper (and as close as you can get in a car).

You do realize that there are no cars or car rentals anywhere near Piazza San Marco?

"Downtown" car-rental locations are either at Piazzale Roma in Venice proper (by water bus - "vaporetto" -from anywhere in Venice) or in Venice-Mestre (ACTV bus from Piazzale Roma or train from Venezia Santa Lucia; 10 minutes, give or take).

Thanks for the replies. Sorry for my incorrect usage of the word "downtown". I needed some way to indicate mainland. I'm looking at the autoeurope website and the pick up location is showing
88 Viale Milano in Vicenza Downtown
Seems to be walking distance from the Mestre Train stop from my mappy plot.
Who operates the Piazzale Roma car pick up location.

*Vicenza* is about 1 1/2 hours by train from Venice...

I would think all car-rental agencies are represented at Piazzale Roma.

pick up at Piazzale Roma which is the ground transport hub at the end of the causeway---very easy. They have big parking garages there and the car vendors are there. Autoeuroep has multiple locations there because they use several vendors---your model choice and drop point will dicatte which vendor. CALL THEM AT 800-223-5555

That helps explain it.

Bob- I'll give autoeurope a call. I was just about to do that since I wasn't making much of a dent through their web site.

Appreciate everyone's thoughts. As always, great help.

All set! Easier on the phone than the autoeurope web site. We will be picking up the car at the Piazalle Roma (I'm sure I'll figure out where that is next).

Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions (& clarification on my incorrect use of the phrase downtown ;)

Hi ohsomod, the Italian version for Venice is Venezia. As another poster said Vicenza is a complete different city west of Venice (Venezia). Be sure to get a map with the Italian name of places. For example in Italian Florence is Firenze

Have a fun trip!

Hi, ohsomod.

There is a causeway from the Italian mainland (the city of Mestre) to the western end of "historic" Venice. Cars can drive across this causeway and park at the western end of the historic city in the Piazzale Roma--but they cannot drive any further into the historic city. In fact, even bicycles are forbidden in the historic city.

So Piazzale Roma is a big plaza or square on the western end of the "real" Venice where cars and buses that have driven from the mainland have to park--and the rental agencies are located there as well. It's more or less across the Grand Canal from the train station (That's Santa Lucia station in the "real, historic" Venice as opposed to the Mestre station in Mestre).

Is that now as clear as mud? lol

Hi oh,

> Piazalle Roma (I'm sure I'll figure out where that is next). <

See www.mappy.com

found it! I love mappy. Thx.