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Arriving in Venice by car
How to get to Venice by car and where to park—since you bloody well can't drive in Venice
Piazzale Roma
Vaporetto: Piazzale Roma
tel. +39-041-272-7211,
www.asmvenezia.it
Tronchetto parking
Piazzale Tronchetto
Vaporetto: Tronchetto
tel. +39-041-520-7555
www.veniceparking.it
Sights nearby
San Simeone Piccolo [church]
Scuola Grande di San Rocco [sights] (nearish)
Where to eat nearby
Brek [light meal]
Hotels nearby
» Hotels near Piazzale Roma
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TOURS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS that include Venice
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Venetian artist Livio De Marchi (www.liviodemarchi.com) driving his hand-made wooden Mercedes 300SL along the Grand Canal past Piazza San Marco and into the Bacino San Marco. Kids, don't try this at home (or in Venice).
No, you can't drive in Venice—but you can drive to Venice, leave your car in a garage or lot, and proceed to enjoy the city of canals car-free.
Driving to Venice
Venice lies on the major A4 autostrada that runs east-west across Northern Italy though the Po Valley, from Turin past Milan, Brescia, Lake Garda, Verona, Vicenza, and Padova to Venice (and on to Trieste).
Exit the A4 at Venezia-Mestre, and follow signs for Venezia - Centro Storico (or simply ones that say 'Venezia" with that little black-on-white bulls eye symbol, which is international for "city center").
You'll end up on Via della Libertà in Mestre. (Sometimes referred to as Venezia-Mestre, this sprawling, industrial, landlubbing suburb is technically a part of Venice but is as far from being what the tourist thinks of as "Venice" as Detroit is from being "Key West.") If you keep following signs for "Venezia" and centro storico, Via della Libertà becomes a causeway over the lagoon called Ponte della Libertà.
On the other side of the causeway, you'll arrive at a large square called Piazzale Roma, which serves as a bus terminus and turn-around spot, because this is the only bit of Venice accessible by car—crazy local artists like Sr. De Marchi, up on the left there in one of his floating wooden cars, notwithstanding. (See the map on the right for details; the big blue "i" with a P under it marks the parking lot on Piazzale Roma.)
Parking in Venice on Piazzale Roma
Once you arrive on Piazzale Roma, you'll have to park your car. At the risk of stating the obvious, there are no cars allowed in Venice at all. It's a bit hard to drive on all that water, see.
Parking discounts
You can save 5% low season, 10% high season—and guarantee yourself a spot—by booking 15 days ahead of time through the city's Venice Connected discount system. Pull into the first garage on your right (the cheapest of the bunch) and park your car for the duration of your stay. This is the official ASM Venezia car park (tel. +39-041-272-7211, www.asmvenezia.it), with room for nearly 2,300 cars, open 24/7, and charging around €24 to €28 per day, depending on size of car and time of year (to save some money book ahead; see the box on the right).
If the ASM garage is full, there are a few other lots and garages on Piazzale Roma, though they'll cost a bit more.
How to get to downtown Venice from Piazzale Roma
On Piazzale Roma there is a vaporetto (water bus) stop for the Grand Canal Lines 1 (commuter), 2 (express; the old Line 82) and N (night).
Follow signs marked with 
"Actv" (the official public ferry system; its symbol a disc that's green on the top half and blue on the bottom bisected by a white line that looks a bit like a heart monitor reading), and make sure you get on the boat headed to the left to steam down the Grand Canal toward the center and Piazza San Marco. 
Cheaper options for when the Piazzale Roma lots are full
There are two cheaper options—or simply additional options, if the garages on Piazzale Roma are full (common in summertime):
- An artificial island just behind Piazzale Roma called Tronchetto.
- Back on the Mestre mainland in the S. Giuliano lots.
(Actually, there are a half-dozen other options and lots in and around Mestre and elsewhere rimming the lagoon, but these are the two best alternatives.)
Parking on Tronchetto
The first option is to backtrack around behind Piazzale Roma to an artificial island called Tronchetto.
The Tronchetto garage (tel. +39-041-520-7555, www.veniceparking.it) has 3,500 more parking spaces (plus an open lot for oversized campers) and charges €3 per hour or €21 per day—though, if you'll be staying for more than three days and pay for the entire stay upon arrival, you will receive a 20% discount. (If you're taking a cruise, there's a "Partenze Porto di Venezia" special that gives you 50% off for stays of 7 days or longer.)
There's a vaporetto stop on Tronchetto for the no. 2 line (and, in summer, a lot of touts trying lure you to their water taxis—unless you're made of money, ignore them)—though supposedly opening soon is a high-tech people mover connecting Tronchetto with Piazzale Roma. You could also grab the no. 6/ bus to Piazzale Roma (just one stop).
Parking in Mestre at S. Giuliano
The second option for true penny-pinchers (€5 per day) are the lots of S. Giuliano back on the mainland in Mestre, by the shore to the left (north) of the causeway over to Venice proper. There's a turn-off for these parking lots just before the flyover leading to the causeway; don't miss it, and don't pay any attention to the touts in hats who will try to wave you down to lead you to a lot. They'll stick you in what should be a free, open-air, unattended lot and charge you for the privilege. Just follow the "P" signs to the official S. Giuliano lots, which are operated by ASM Venezia (tel. +39-041-532-2632, www.asmvenezia.it).
There are actually three lots at S. Giuliano. The one you probably want is Parcheggio Porta Gialla (yellow), which is open 24 hours a day (and can handle campers), charging a mere €2 for up to three hours, €5 per day, or €15 for a Monday-to-Friday pass.
The other two lots—Parcheggio Porta Rossa (red) and Parcheggio Porta Blu (blue)—are day-use lots only—no overnight parking—open from 6am to 2am and charging €2 for the first four hours, €4.50 for five hours, €8 for six hours, and €12 for a full day.
All three lots operate on a keen new system that doesn't involve tickets; a camera reads your license plate when you arrive, and then again as you go to leave, and charges you accordingly. Note: The automated payment machines take cash or credit cards, but do not give change, so when in doubt, use a credit card.
Astoundingly cheap, yes, but do note that you'll have to take a city bus (no. 5, 12, 12/, 19, or 24) from Parco S. Giuliano one stop to Piazzale Roma (7 minutes, €1.20). Also, if the lots at Piazzale Roma and Tronchetto are both filled, then the city is probably bursting at the canals with tourists as well, so fair warning.
Related pages
- Driving in Italy
- Road signs in Italy
- Renting a car in Italy
- Getting around Venice
- The vaporetto (water bus) system
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This material was last updated February 2011. All information was accurate at the time.
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