Venice > Transportation > Alilaguna: San Marco - RR station

Alilaguna Blue Line boat between San Marco and the Venice train station

Archived article Early 2024 update: Alilaguna's Blue Line now ends at Giudecca Stucky. This means that, at least for now, you won't be able to get from San Marco to the station by Alilaguna boat. (We're keeping this article online just in case the situation changes and the railroad station returns to Alilaguna's Linea Blu timetable.)

ABOVE: An Alilaguna water bus cruises through St. Mark's Basin with the island of San Giorgio Maggiore as a backdrop.

By Durant Imboden

Hotels near the Piazza San Marco (and along the nearby waterfront) have long been popular with visitors to Venice, but they've had one major disadvantage: the hassle of traveling to or from Venice's Santa Lucia Railroad Station by public water bus.

Now, thanks to a route change for the Alilaguna Linea Blu or "Blue Line' airport boat, transfers between San Marco and the train station (or vice versa) are quicker and easier than on crowded and less luggage-friendly vaporetti.

The map below tells the story: From the San Marco Giardinetti boat stop near Piazza San Marco, you can catch the Alilaguna boat in the direction of Ferrovia (a.k.a. Venice Railroad Station).

The trip takes about half an hour, with intermediate stops at Zattere (near hotels in Dorsoduro), Giudecca Stucky (next to the Hilton Molino Stucky hotel), and the parking island of Tronchetto.

ABOVE: A Linea Blu boat calls at Zattere on its way from San Marco Giardinetti to Ferrovia (a.k.a. Venezia Santa Lucia railroad station).

You can also travel in the opposite direction, catching the boat at the train station and riding to San Marco Giardenetti or points beyond (such as San Zaccaria and Arsenale, just to the east of the Piazza San Marco along the waterfront).

The fare between San Marco and the train station is €10, while the fare to or from San Zaccaria, Arsenale, and the airport is €15.

The two fare zones are indicated on the map below. To view a larger map on your computer or tablet, click here.

For a stylized map of the complete route (including the airport) and a Blue Line timetable, see Alilaguna's Linea Blu page.

BELOW: At Ferrovia, Alilaguna boats arrive and depart from piers near KFC on the eastern side of the railroad station.

Note that the piers are also used by Alilaguna's tour boats. You'll want the water bus with a blue sign on the side that reads "Linea Blu."

About the author:

Durant Imboden has written about Venice, Italy since 1996. He covered Venice and European travel at About.com for 4-1/2 years before launching Europe for Visitors (including Venice for Visitors) with Cheryl Imboden in 2001.

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