Venice's main station: Location map
Venice Santa Lucia (Venezia S Lucia or just Venezia SL) is Venice's main station, located in Venice itself on the Grand Canal, just 20 minutes walk from the Rialto Bridge or 27 minutes walk from St Mark's Square. The other Venice station is Venezia Mestre, but this is located on the mainland, not in Venice itself.
Station overview
Venice Santa Lucia station is located in central Venice right on the Grand Canal as you can see on this map. The station is a terminus with 23 platforms, numbered from right to left as you look at them, i.e. with platform 1 on the east side. Trains first call at Venice's other station, Venice Mestre on the mainland, before crossing the long rail-and-road causeway across the lagoon to the historic city of Venice itself.
There's been a station here since the 1860s, named after the church of Santa Lucia which was demolished to make way for it. The design of the current station dates from a competition held in 1934, but construction took considerable time and the station was only completed in 1952.
Crossing the causeway over the lagoon then walking out of the station to see the Grand Canal right in front of you with vaporettos (waterbuses), water taxis and gondolas makes it arguably the most impressive arrival experience of any station in Europe. Savour that moment!
There's a plan of the station at www.gsretail.it/en/network/venezia-santa-lucia.
Venice Santa Lucia station, a modernist classic. Designed in the 1930s, completed in 1952.
Venice Santa Lucia station, taken from a water taxi with the beautiful Ponte degli Scalzi visible in the background.
The Grand Canal & Venice Santa Lucia station, with a vaporetto at the Ferrovia stop. Taken from the Ponte degli Scalzi.
The outer concourse, immediately inside the main entrance doors. You reach the inner concourse and platforms through 3 passageways between the retail units, one straight ahead (visible in this photo on the left), one to the right (in the far background in this photo), one to the left (behind the camera). Go through the left-hand one to find the ticket office. Go through the right-hand one to find the food court, also for platform 1 and the left luggage office.
Which platform for your train?
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There are LED station departure screens in various locations which tell you the platform for your train usually about 20 minutes before departure.
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Check your departure platform on your phone
Stay one step ahead! If you go to www.viaggiatreno.it/infomobilita/index.jsp on your phone and select Venezia S. Lucia you'll see a list of departures with the planned platform number (Binario previsto) for Trenitalia trains (but not Italo trains) even before the actual platform (Binario reale) is announced on the station departure boards. Just remember that they can sometimes switch platforms on the day.
Alternatively, you can see actual departure platforms for all trains including Italo by selecting Venezia S. Lucia at www.rfi.it/en/stations/station-page/quality-services/Public-information/Live-departures-Arrivals-Monitor.html.
The inner concourse, on the other side of the retail units from the outer concourse, just behind the buffer stops. In this photo, the platforms are on the right, the main concourse and station exit are the other side of the retail units on the left.
Tickets & reservations
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There are Trenitalia and Italo self-service ticket machines all over the station, easy to use with a touch screen and English language facility. I explain how to use a Trenitalia self-service ticket machine here.
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The Trenitalia ticket office is in the southwest corner of the station, just off the outer concourse. Walk into the station onto the outer concourse and turn left, the ticket office in the left-hand passageway through to the platforms. A numbered queuing system operates, take a numbered ticket and await your turn to be served.
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Agenzie 365 is a travel agency, not the official ticket office: When you walk into the station onto the outer concourse, you'll see Agenzie365 right in front of you, marked Train Tickets in big letters. Agenzie365 are Trenitalia agents who pretend to be the official ticket office, with Trenitalia logos and Trenitalia-style red-&-white Frecce branding. However, they add a travel agency booking fee to every ticket - avoid paying this fee by using the real ticket office or the self-service machines.
Left luggage, ATMs, WiFi
- There's a left luggage office (deposito bagagli) on platform 1 if you need to leave your bags. It's run by KiPoint/KiBag (www.kipoint.it/deposito-bagagli), for prices & opening times see the left luggage page.
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There are ATMs in various locations.
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The station has free WiFi. Select the WiFiStation, network and on https://portale.wifistation.it either sign in with a Facebook or Twitter account or enter your mobile number to have a verification text sent to you (this works with international numbers including UK +44 mobiles). Feedback appreciated, I haven't tested this at Venice, only at other main stations.
Executive & Club class lounges
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Trenitalia has a FRECCIAClub lounge with free WiFi) for Executive class & Salottino passengers on its Frecciarossa trains or those with certain Trenitalia loyalty cards. It's on the inner concourse near platform 13. It offers power sockets, free WiFi and complimentary drinks and snacks.
You can add lounge access to your booking for €20 when you book any domestic Trenitalia Intercity or high-speed train in any class at Trenitalia.com. Look for the FrecciaClub/FrecciaLounge +Add button, or the link to add other services. You can use the lounge for up to 4h before departure.
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Italo has a small Casa Italo with seating and free WiFi for all classes of Italo passenger near platform 14. Italo also has a Club Italo lounge for Club class passengers near platform 14, you can use the lounge up to 3 hours before your train leaves. In Smart & Prima classes, you're often offered lounge access for an extra €12 or so when you buy your ticket at the Italo website.
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If you don't have lounge access, arguably the best place to wait for your train is the upstairs seating area above the food court near the outer concourse.
Italo's Club Italo lounge for Club class passengers. Photo courtesy of www.youtube.com/@MidlandLondon.
Somewhere to eat
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The station has a simple open-plan cafe-food court with seating upstairs, you'll find it in the right-hand passageway when walking from the outer concourse to the inner concourse. You can buy snacks and drinks for your journey here too, including wine and beer.
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You'll find a pizzeria on the inner concourse on platform 1.
Local transport: Walking, water taxis, vaporettos
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Walking: It's easy to walk from the station to anywhere in central Venice. The Rialto Bridge is 20 minutes walk from the station, Piazza San Marco is 27 minutes walk, all through delightful narrow streets with many small hidden squares.
Start by walking out of the station and turning left to cross the beautiful Ponte degli Scalzi across the Grand Canal, completed in 1934. It's the elegant stone bridge you'll see to your left when you walk out of the station. Then follow the many street signs to Piazza San Marco or Rialto. On your way back, follow signs to Ferrovia.
There are many alternative routes in places (indeed, I've never taken the same route twice each time I've walked from the station to San Marco!) and you'll get lost at least twice, but that's part of the fun. There's nowhere else quite like Venice!
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Water taxis: Water taxis (speedboats) are a wonderful way to get around, but very expensive. Expect a trip from the station to San Marco to cost €70. But boy, it's an experience.
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Vaporettos: Vaporettos (water buses) are a more practical option. They leave from the stop called Ferrovia right outside Santa Lucia station. You're looking at €7 or so for a single ride, plus a few extra euros if you've large luggage. See actv.avmspa.it/en. Waterbus line 1 links Piazzale Roma (where the buses and road vehicles arrive), Ferrovia (= Santa Lucia station), Rialto, San Marco & Venice Lido, and runs early until late, usually every 12 minutes or so. After walking, vaporettos are the best way to get around, and a waterbus ride along the Grand Canal is not to be missed. Remember to hold your vaporetto ticket against the validator machine to get a 'beep' and green light before boarding!
Hotels in Venice
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Location, location, location
Some people try to save money by staying on the mainland at Mestre, where hotels are naturally cheaper. It's an option, but don't do that if you can help it. You want to be a resident in Venice, not a serial day-tripper, so it's worth trying to find an affordable place in Venice itself. Given that the station is walking distance from everywhere in central Venice including San Marco, a hotel near the station where you can easily walk with your bags makes quite a lot of sense (if you have the financial backing for a water taxi, then fine, stay near San Marco or wherever you like!).
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Relatively inexpensive places with good reviews near Santa Lucia station include Albergo Marin, Hotel Marte, La Loggia della Luna, Albergo ai Tolentini.
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An excellent upmarket choice just 5 minutes walk from the station is the small and intimate Hotel Canal Grande - I've stayed there myself. You could also try the Abazzia De Luxe.
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For the least expensive places in central Venice check www.hostelworld.com. Use the map view to see places in Venice itself.
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If you do decide to stay in Mestre to save money, travelling in & out of Venice by train every day, try the Hotel Cris which has great reviews 200m from Venezia Mestre station, or the Best Western Plus Hotel Bologna.
More information
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You'll find more station information and a plan of the station (not that you really need one) at the official Grandi Stazione Venice Santa Lucia website, www.veneziasantalucia.it.
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For more about the station's history see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezia_Santa_Lucia.
Visiting Venice
I've often seen it asked, "Should we visit Venice, or such-and-such a city?". The other city they name may be a great city, but there are lots of great cities. There's only one Venice, utterly unique. There really is nowhere like it. Easy to visit by train!
New fee for visiting Venice: From 16 January 2023, day trippers must pay a fee (just a few euros) to visit Venice at certain times of year. You can check dates and pay online at cda.veneziaunica.it/en. There's no fee if you stay overnight in a hotel in Venice as the hotel cost includes visitor tax.
San Marco from the Grand Canal - arriving by water taxi.
The famous Rialto Bridge, completed in 1591, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rialto_Bridge.
Venice Mestre station: Location & city map
Venice Mestre is Venice's other station, a railway junction located on the mainland. All trains to Venice Santa Lucia also stop at Mestre before crossing the causeway. All trains from Venice Santa Lucia call at Venice Mestre after crossing the causeway. Use Venice Mestre if your hotel is on the mainland, or if you are heading to a ferry or cruise terminal located on the mainland rather than in central Venice. For the historic city of Venice, you should use Santa Lucia station.
Venezia Mestre has all the usual facilities, including ticket office, ticket machines, food outlets & shops, and a Freccia Lounge for Trenitalia Executive class passengers. The station has 9 platforms, currently being expanded to 13. Photos courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.
Venice Mestre, station entrance.
Venice Mestre, concourse.
Venice Mestre Trenitalia Freccia Lounge and (in the background) ticket office.
Venice Mestre platforms.