How to Get to Venice from Milan

If you’re planning your itinerary with all the things to see and do in Milan, a visit to Venice should be in your top three activities. The Milan–Venice route is one of the smartest choices if you want to experience the best of these two tourist cities. Separated by 280 kilometres, it ranks among the best tours and day trips from Milan thanks to its convenience and beauty.

There are plenty of ways to get there. You can choose to travel from Milan to Venice by train, bus, car or other means of transport. To help you make a decision, in this post I’ll show you the best options for travelling between the two cities. You’ll discover that exploring Venice is a unique experience that will make you want to visit it after reading about the following ways to travel from the Lombard capital.

If it’s your first time travelling to Venice or you prefer recommendations, tips and explanations of the sights in person, a guided tour will be a lifesaver and your best option for exploring Venice’s main attractions. Ready for the adventure?

To start with, it’s important to know that most of these tours combine walking tours of Venice’s monuments with a boat trip for a complete experience. You can visit St Mark’s Basilica, explore the interior of the Doge’s Palace, or stroll along the Rialto Bridge or the Bridge of Sighs.

Local tours are usually flexible, and the guides take care of everything to ensure you have an unforgettable visit. You can explore the city, enjoy a delicious vitello tonnato, have a coffee on a terrace, buy souvenirs, take a gondola ride or simply wander through this paradise at your own pace.

Useful information

• Price: Available from €120.
• Duration: Between 12–13 hours.
• Advantages: Coach transport, return service, bilingual guide, boat trip on the Venetian lagoon.
• Drawbacks: Most of these experiences do not include drinks or snacks. Not suitable for wheelchair users.
• Suggested activities during the tour From €30, you can enjoy a gondola ride along the Grand Canal on a peaceful 30-minute trip.

You can travel from Milan to Venice by plane for the comfort and speed of travelling by air. A direct flight between Milan and Venice takes 2 hours and 30 minutes; however, bear in mind that there are few direct flights on this route.

Travellers who choose this option usually have to stop over in Rome, Brindisi or Cagliari, which immediately negates the advantage of speed. Honestly, this option is not very advantageous if you can’t get a direct flight; besides, you have better options, such as trains.

Useful information

• Price: Available from €210.
• Duration: Direct flights 2 hours and 30 minutes. Flights with a stopover, over 3 hours.
• Advantages: The chance to enjoy the journey from above.
• Drawbacks: The cost-benefit ratio isn’t great. The time spent travelling can also be an issue.
• Suggested activities during the flight: Just relax, read a good book or have a nice chat with your fellow passenger. The best is yet to come once you land in Venice.

Imagine your road trip of the year is between Milan and Venice – a dream come true, don’t you think? Check the best time to travel to Venice and get your car ready or hire one, as this will be your ideal option.

By private car

If you’re thinking of travelling by car in Italy, especially in the north, believe me, you won’t regret it because the motorways are very well signposted and in excellent condition. To make it easier for you, you have two options for enjoying your road trip: the first is to take the A4 Turin–Trieste motorway, which passes through cities such as Bergamo, Brescia, Verona, Padua and Vicenza.

These cities are perfect for stopping off, exploring and enjoying them on foot or by bike, and at the end, stop off at one of the best affordable restaurants in Venice.

Another way to get to Venice from Milan by car is via the A1 Milan–Naples motorway to Bologna, taking in Piacenza, Parma and Modena. Furthermore, another way to make the experience more complete is the A13 Bologna–Padua route to Venice, which passes through Ferrara.

The route mentioned is a little longer, a total of 363 km, but if you’re not in a hurry to get to Venice so quickly, you can take the Via Emilia gastronomic route and book a tour to sample the best dishes of Italian cuisine.

By carpool

Carpooling is an economical way to travel within Italy. As the name suggests, it involves travelling by sharing a car with a stranger.

Although this method began to gain popularity in Italy from 2017 amongst locals, safety remains a concern for foreigners. The most popular site isBlaBlaCar.

From €11, you can make the journey from Milan to Venice in around 2 or 3 hours. Tourists still view this option with scepticism, but the price keeps winning them over – doesn’t that sound good?

Points of interest

• Price: The price may vary depending on the route, but it’s approximately €20 for fuel and €25 for tolls, depending on the route you choose. Finally, parking costs range from around €15 for the furthest car parks to €30 for the closest ones.
• Duration: Between 3–4 hours depending on the route you choose.
• Advantages: It’s a flexible experience that allows you to discover more places than you ever imagined.
• Suggested activities during the tour: If you’d like to stop in any of the cities, I recommend the route from Venice to Bologna; it offers plenty of activities for the whole family, as well as for those looking for a top-class culinary tour.

The bus will always be the best option for travellers who prioritise saving money whilst travelling. If you’re one of them, then you should find out everything this experience has to offer.

Without a doubt, taking the bus has its advantages, such as stopping at parks, gardens or other attractions along the route. For the Milan-Venice or Venice-Milan route, there’s a very easy way to get there and back.

Milan-Venice route

The departure station is called Milano Lampugnano, which is located on the outskirts of the city, but the journey is straightforward; you need to:

• 1. Take metro line 1 (red) from Central Station or the Lampugnano stop.
• 2. Once in Venice, you must get off at the Tronchetto stop.
• 3. Then, you can take a vaporetto or walk.

Return journey from Venice to Milan

The station for the return journey from Venice to Milan is Tronchetto, located on the artificial island of the same name. To return, you must:

• 1. Take a vaporetto to reach the stop.
• 2. Once at the stop, you must take line 1 back to Lampugnano.
• 3. Get off at the central station.

Useful information

• Price: Tickets from €17.
• Journeytime: Between 4–5 hours
• Advantages: Mainly the ticket prices, and there are times of year when you can get even better deals. The best-equipped company is Flixbus, which runs 9 services a day.
• Drawbacks: The time spent on the road, as well as any potential stops, is something to bear in mind on these journeys
• Suggested activities during the tour: If there is a stop during the tour, you can eat at a local restaurant such as Antica Trattoria Lampugnano.

Regional trains in Italy are chosen by tourists looking to save time and money; they are also such a cost-effective option that they are well worth it despite the journey time.

Milan currently has 23 railway stations. The main railway stations in Milan are: Milano Centrale, Milano Rogoredo and Milano Porta Garibaldi.

In Venice, the three main stations are: Venezia Santa Lucia, Venice and Venezia Mestre, the latter being the most popular among travellers.

Option I: Regional trains

There is a wide range of regional trains available, so every hour there are between two and three trains ready to make the journey between the two cities. To check timetables, it is best to visit the official Trenitalia website, which offers a variety of journeys at prices offering good value for money.

As for fares on regional trains, there is only one category: Ordinary, based on the distance between the departure and destination stations and the class or level of comfort, as stated in their regulations.

The trick to getting cheap train tickets is to book in advance. When planning your trip, take your time and book your train tickets as early as possible; this way, you’ll have a wider range of timetables and prices to compare.

Useful information

• Price: Between €20 and €30.
• Duration: Between 3½ and 4 hours, including one or two changes.
• Advantages: The main advantage of this option is the price, and, like high-speed trains, they offer Wi-Fi and other amenities.
• Drawbacks: There is only one fare, though some may include an additional one. However, when purchasing your ticket, you should check the terms and conditions.
• Suggested activities during the tour: you can take a full tour of St Mark’s Square. Also, a way to make the journey more enjoyable during transfers or stops is to photograph the beautiful Italian landscapes you’ll see along the way. Guess what’s best? It’s free – you just need your camera.
• Important: the Trenitalia website is not available in Spanish; make sure you select “Regional” in the “Main Solution” section.

Option II: High-speed trains (Frecce, the most recommended option)

Travelling by train from Milan to Venice gives you the chance to discover a magnificent city in the most practical, safe and economical way.

Given the extent of the Italian rail network, you can reach any destination by train, extend your sightseeing itinerary, or stay in a single city to appreciate every little detail it has to offer. But if you’re looking for the quickest way to travel, then high-speed trains are for you.

The main company managing the rail network in Italy is Trenitalia, which operates four main train models, with the Frecciarossa being the fastest, as it can reach speeds of up to 400 km/h.

There is also a new high-speed rail service called Italo, which offers most of the benefits of the first option.

Useful information

• Price: Between €30 and €120. This will depend on the fare categories. Trenitalia offers four: Base, Economy, Super Economy and Ordinary; you can find deals from €9 by booking in advance. Furthermore, in each class, you have the choice of Standard, Standard Quiet, Premium, Business and Executive for greater privacy and comfort.
• Journey time: 2 hours and 25 minutes is all it takes to travel between the two cities.
• Advantages: They have better timetables and include Wi-Fi, toilets, power sockets, air conditioning, luggage space, and an on-board restaurant and bar.
• Drawbacks: When buying your ticket, there may be some confusion if it’s your first time; make sure to select “Venezia S. Lucia” as your destination.
• Suggested activities during the tour: Once you arrive at Santa Lucia station, you should take one of Venice’s vaporettos (water buses costing €7.50); this way, you’ll travel along the canal, passing two major attractions: the Rialto Bridge and St Mark’s Square.
• Important: make sure you select “Frecce” in the “Main Solution” section.