Venice's main station: Location map
Venice Santa Lucia (Venezia S Lucia or just Venezia SL) is Venice's main station, located on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice itself just 20 minutes walk from the Rialto Bridge, 27 minutes walk from St Mark's Square. Venice's other station is Venezia Mestre, located on the mainland not in Venice itself. Trains call at Venice Mestre on the mainland before crossing the long causeway carrying the road and railway across the lagoon to Venezia Santa Lucia in the historic city of Venice.
Station overview
Venice Santa Lucia is located on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice itself 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, with platform 1 on the east side.
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.
The Grand Canal & Venice Santa Lucia station, with a vaporetto at the Ferrovia stop. Taken from the Ponte degli Scalzi.
Venice Santa Lucia station, taken from a water taxi with the beautiful Ponte degli Scalzi visible in the background.
Outer concourse, just inside the entrance doors looking west. That's private agency (Agenzie 365) on the right, not the official ticket office. The official Trenitalia ticket office is down the passageway in the far background of this photo. For the left luggage office, walk in and turn right towards platform 1.
Which platform for your train?
There are LED station departure screens in various locations which tell you the platform for your train, usually about 20 minutes before departure.
How to check departure platforms 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.
Ticket check before accessing the platforms
A line of barrier tape separates the inner concourse from the platform circulating area, you can see this red tape in the photo below, to the right. There are several gaps in this tape where security staff check your ticket before letting you onto the platforms. They are there to prevent undesirables accessing the platforms rather than protecting train operator revenue, they only check tickets going in, not coming off the trains, and anything vaguely ticket-like is OK!
Inner concourse, on the other side of the retail units from the outer concourse, behind the buffer stops, looking west. In this photo, the platforms are on the right, the outer concourse and main exit are on the left on the other side of the retail units.
The platforms, looking east towards platform 1, with a nice line-up of high-speed Frecciarossa and Italo trains.
Tickets & reservations
There are Trenitalia and Italo self-service ticket machines all over the station, easy to use with a touch screen and English language facility. How to use a Trenitalia self-service ticket machine.
Trenitalia ticket office: Walk into the station onto the outer concourse, the ticket office is in the passageway to your left. A numbered queuing system operates, take a numbered ticket and wait your turn.
Italo ticket office: The Italo office is next to the Trenitalia one, just off the outer concourse.
Agenzie 365 is a travel agency, not the official ticket office. You'll see it in front of you on the outer concourse when you walk into the station, their office is branded with Trenitalia logos and Trenitalia red Frecce branding. They add a booking fee to every ticket, avoid this by using the real ticket office!
The Italo and (beyond it) the official Trenitalia ticket offices in the southwest corner of the station, just off the outer concourse.
Left luggage, toilets, ATMs, WiFi
Left Luggage: The left luggage office (deposito bagagli) is a little way along platform 1, beyond the toilets. It's run by KiPoint/KiBag (www.kipoint.it/deposito-bagagli), for prices & opening times see the left luggage page.
Toilets: The toilets (servizi) are on platform 1. A fee of just over €1 is charged, you can pay with coins or contactless.
ATMs: There are ATMs in various locations.
WiFi: The station has free WiFi. Select the WiFiStation, network and on 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
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.
Italo has a Club Italo lounge for Club class passengers on 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. More about Italo.
If you don't have lounge access, the best place to wait for your train is either the upstairs seating area above the food court near the outer concourse, or the Bistro Santa Lucia opposite platform 14.
Italo's Club Italo lounge for Club class passengers on platform 14. Interior photo courtesy www.youtube.com/@OMtheRails.
Somewhere to eat, drink, stock up
Food court & shop The station has an open-plan cafe-food court with seating upstairs, walk into the station and turn right and it's on the right in the passageway from the outer concourse towards the platforms. You can buy snacks and drinks for your journey here too, including wine and beer, although the DeSpar supermarket 2 minutes walk from the station offers a wider and cheaper selection.
Bistro Santa Lucia: A good place to sit down with a coffee or sandwich, on the inner concourse opposite platform 14.
Pizzeria: You'll find a pizzeria on the inner concourse on platform 1.
DeSpar supermarket: To stock up for your journey, walk out of the station and turn left. Walk past the Ponte degli Scalzi footbridge into the little street straight ahead of you (Rio Tera Lista di Spagna). The DeSpar supermarket is on the left at number 124. see walking map.
Local transport
Walking: It's easy to walk from the station to anywhere in central Venice. The Rialto Bridge is a 22 minute 1.6 km walk from the station, Piazza San Marco is a 32 minute 2.2 km 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 Per Piazza San Marco or Per Rialto. On your way back, follow signs Alla Ferrovia.
There are many alternative routes (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!
Water taxis: Water taxis (speedboats) are a wonderful way to get around, but boy, they're expensive! Expect a trip from the station to San Marco to cost €80. My son badgered me and I eventually caved, but it turned out to be one of the best things I've done in Venice.
Vaporettos: Vaporettos (water buses) are a more affordable option. They leave from the stop called Ferrovia right outside Santa Lucia station, pictured below. You're looking at €8.50 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 buses & road vehicles arrive), Ferrovia (Santa Lucia station), Rialto, San Marco & Venice Lido running early until late, usually every 12 minutes or so. Apart from walking, vaporettos are the best way to get around and a waterbus ride along the Grand Canal is not to be missed. Buy tickets from the vaporetto ticket office, and remember to hold your vaporetto ticket against the validator machine to get a 'beep' and green light before boarding!
Vaporetto (water bus) stop Ferrovia outside Santa Lucia station on the Grand Canal. You can see the ticket windows & boarding gangway.
More information
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.
For more about the station's history see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezia_Santa_Lucia.
Recommended hotels in Venice
Should you stay in Venice or Mestre?
Location, location, location! I'd always try to find a place in the city of Venice itself, even if it meant a small splurge. Some people try to save money by staying in Mestre on the mainland where hotels are cheaper. It's an option, sure, but you really want to be resident in Venice, not a serial day-tripper.
Santa Lucia station is walking distance from everywhere in central Venice including the Rialto bridge and Piazza San Marco, so a hotel near the station makes a lot of sense as you can easily walk there with your bags. Although if you have the financial backing for a water taxi, by all means stay near the Piazza San Marco!
If you do decide to stay in Mestre to save money, try the Hotel Cris which has great reviews 200m from Venezia Mestre station, or the Best Western Plus Hotel Bologna. But I'll say it again, find a hotel in Venice itself if you can!
For the least expensive accommodation in Venice check www.hostelworld.com, use the map view to find places in Venice itself.
Inexpensive hotels near Santa Lucia
Affordable hotels with good or great reviews near Santa Lucia station include the Albergo Marin, Hotel Marte, La Loggia della Luna, Albergo ai Tolentini. I recommend the friendly Albergo Marin (pictured below), in a quiet street an easy 6-minute walk from Santa Lucia station. It's as inexpensive as central Venice gets, but with clean en suite rooms, egg & bacon and even (I was delighted to find!) Prosecco available at breakfast. It's a 19 minute walk from the Rialto bridge and 25 minute walk from the Piazza San Marco.
Upmarket hotels near Santa Lucia
The luxurious & intimate Hotel Canal Grande (pictured below) is a top choice just 6 minutes walk from the station with an impressive 9/10 review score. I've stayed here myself with my son, some rooms look out onto the Grand Canal. You can walk from here to the Rialto bridge (18 minutes) & St Mark's Square (27 minutes). In a similar bracket, try the Abazzia De Luxe.
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!
Fee for visiting Venice: From 16 January 2023, day trippers must pay 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 map
Venice Mestre is Venice's other station, a railway junction on the mainland. All trains to Venice Santa Lucia 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 on the mainland rather than in central Venice. For the historic city of Venice, you should use Venice Santa Lucia.
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 14 platforms, numbered 1, 1G and 2-13. A passageway under the tracks links all the platforms, with steps & a lift up to each platform.
There are no ticket gates, barriers or ticket checks at Venice Mestre, just free & easy access from street to concourse to platforms to train.
Tip: Tap & Tap. When travelling back and forth between Venice Mestre & Venice Santa Lucia, instead of buying a ticket you can simply touch in and out with any contactless bank card on the green validator machines on the platform, for details see here. Trenitalia calls this system Tap & Tap. Only good for regional trains (R & RV), and you need to have 1 contactless bankcard per person, you can't buy for other people this way.
Main entrance. There's another entrance and taxi rank at the right-hand end of the building, on the right of this photo.
Concourse, just inside the main entrance. A little cramped! A passageway leads to the ticket office and second entrance hall.
Ticket offices: Trenitalia Frecciaclub lounge and (in the background) Trenitalia and Italo ticket offices.
Platforms. There are 14 platforms, numbered 1, 1G & 2-13. Platform 1 is on the side with the main station building (platform 1G is at the far western end of platform 1). A subway under the tracks links all the platforms, with steps & a lift up to each platform.
Left luggage office on platform 1. Run by Kipoint/Kibag. Walk from the main hall onto platform 1 and turn right.