abcdc

I've scoured the boards but haven't been able to find anything on this particular transfer (although certainly plenty on Venice airport transfers ...) - we'll be arriving at the Mestre train station and will need to get to our hotel on the Grand Canal. Are water taxis prevalent and is the cost less since you're not coming all the way from the airport, or are the vaparettos really the only option? Any guidance appreciated - cheers!

Zerlina

There are no water taxis from Mestre train station. You have to take a train (to Santa Lucia train station) or a bus (to Piazzale Roma) before you can get a water taxi. From either, a water taxi will cost about 50-60 Euro.

abcdc

Thanks, Zerlina. Are there other options besides the bus upon arrival at Mestre? Or is it definitely a 2-leg trip?

Zerlina

Where are you coming from? Many - not all - trains that stop at Mestre go on to Santa Lucia. It's definitely two-leg, but I would think it would be easier to transfer within the train station to another train than to exit the train station and look for the bus stop. Your call.

abcdc

Zerlina, I think you just might be a lifesaver. The (infamous) Trenitalia website presented the info for arrival as

15:22
VE S.L.
MESTRE (in red)

Does that in fact mean that the train stops at Santa Lucia first and Mestre is the terminus? (I speak decent French, so I'm ballparking my way through the Italian on the site, but that was not at all clear to me.) If so, hurrah - just confused as to why one arrival time and 2 stations?

GeoffHamer

Where is your train coming from?

bardo1

It's the opposite. VE S.L. is the end of the line. All rail lines pass through Mestre before reaching VE S.L.

http://www.railitalia.com/menu/map.htm

I think you can get a train from Mestre to VE S.L. like every 20 minutes or so. Obviously, there is no way any train can be at these two stations at the same time - something must be missing from the info on the website or something.

ira

Hi ab,

Your train terminates at Venice San Lucia.

Zerlina

That means it stops at Mestre and goes on to Santa Lucia as its final stop.

Zerlina

>>If so, hurrah - just confused as to why one arrival time and 2 stations?<<

If you click on Dettagli for the train, then on the train number, it will give arrival and departure times for Venezia Mestre.

abcdc

Thank you all! This is exactly what I needed to know.

(Oh, and FWIW, we're coming from Rome Termini on the ES.)

A very happy weekend all around ...

J62

There is only a single time listed since for the long distance trains Mestre is considered merely a drop off point, not to be used for Mestre-SL transit.

They only put on the timetable the arrival at SL. It's no more than about 5min ride from Mestre to SL.

On the way to SL it will stop at Mestre, but if the train is running early it'll leave when ready rather than waiting for a specified Mestre departure time.

This is a common timetable practice on NYC area commuter trains as well during outbound/evening commute.