Santa Lucia station: the best way to San Marco and Rialto for four people
Four people on the vaporetto pay 38 euros in total. A water taxi at 70 to 100 euros works out at 17.50 to 25 euros each and takes you to the hotel door if it has a canal entrance. That is a fair price for four people with cases, since four people lifting luggage on the vaporetto steps is slow. For one or two people the 9.50 euro boat or the walk wins on price.
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Vaporetto lines 1 and 2 from Ferrovia is the best value: €38 for the group, about 40 min.
Bus
Vaporetto lines 1 and 2 from Ferrovia
40 min
For the group€38
Vaporetto lines 1 and 2 from Ferrovia
ACTV water bus · 9.50 euros · 75-minute ticket
- Per person
- €9.50
- Door to door
- 40 min
- Runs
- 05:23–00:10
- Frequency
- every 12 min on line 2
- Board at
- Ferrovia landing, directly outside the station
- Suitcases
- Awkward
Taxi
Private water taxi
25 min
For the group€70–€100estimate
Private water taxi
Licensed boats · priced per boat · agree the fare first
- Per person
- €70–€100 per vehicle
- Door to door
- 25 min
- Runs
- 24 hours
- Frequency
- Taxi pier at the station
- Board at
- Water taxi pier beside the Ferrovia landing
- Suitcases
- Carried for you
On foot
Walk to Rialto and San Marco
45 min
For the groupFree
Walk to Rialto and San Marco
On foot · free · bridges with steps
- Per person
- Free
- Door to door
- 45 min
- Runs
- 24 hours
- Frequency
- Any time
- Board at
- Station forecourt, then over the Scalzi bridge
- Suitcases
- Awkward
Every option in detail
On footWalk to Rialto and San Marco
- €0
- 45 min
- 24 hours
- → Rialto in about 25 minutes, Piazza San Marco in about 45
The Scalzi bridge starts right outside the station and has steps on both sides, so you carry the case up and down. The usual route follows Lista di Spagna and the Strada Nova to Rialto, then the Mercerie to San Marco. It is about 2.4 km in all and signposted in yellow for Rialto and San Marco. With two large cases and any rain, the walk is slow. It suits one light bag and a hotel on the way.
BusVaporetto lines 1 and 2 from Ferrovia
- €9.50
- 40 min
- 05:23–00:10
- → Rialto, San Marco Vallaresso or San Zaccaria
The 75-minute ticket costs 9.50 euros and must be validated at the yellow reader on the landing before you board. Line 2 is the quicker boat, about 25 to 30 minutes to San Marco, and line 1 stops at every landing on the Grand Canal and takes around 45 minutes. Boats fill up in the middle of the day, and boarding involves a step, so a large case needs both hands. The line 2 times shown are from the ACTV timetable valid from 14 September 2026 and may differ at Ferrovia, so check the ACTV app. Line 2 does not run late at night.
TaxiPrivate water taxi
- €70–€100 per vehicle (estimate)
- 25 min
- 24 hours
- → Your hotel landing or the nearest canal stop
Guides quote about 70 euros and upward for a trip inside the historic centre, and the figure rises with distance, luggage and night. The city sets the tariff and this figure comes from guides, not from the official table, so treat 70 to 100 euros as an estimate. The boat takes up to four people with bags and stops at hotels with a canal door. Ask for the total, including bags and any supplement, before you step aboard. Do not take an offer from someone who approaches you in the station.
Practical tips
- Cars cannot reach Venice proper. The taxi and car queue you may expect does not exist, and the taxi rank here is a water taxi pier.
- Porters work outside the station and carry luggage over the bridges. Agree the price per bag before you hand it over.
- Buy the ACTV ticket at the machines or ticket office at Ferrovia or in the ACTV app, and validate it before boarding. An unvalidated ticket can mean a fine.
- Check which side of the Grand Canal your hotel is on. Line 2 stops at Rialto and San Marco Giardinetti, and line 1 at every landing in between.
- The walk to Rialto is flat apart from the bridges. If your hotel is within about 15 minutes of the station, walking is faster than waiting for a boat.
- Venezia Mestre is a separate station on the mainland. Make sure your train stops at Santa Lucia, not Mestre.
Questions travellers ask
Santa Lucia station with four people: what is the cheapest way?
Walk to Rialto and San Marco: Free for the group of four, about 45 min door to door.
Santa Lucia station: what is the best option for four people with four suitcases?
Vaporetto lines 1 and 2 from Ferrovia is the best value: €38 for the group, about 40 min.
Santa Lucia station: is a taxi cheaper than four tickets?
No. Walk to Rialto and San Marco costs Free for four tickets, against Private water taxi at €70–€100 for the group.
Santa Lucia station: is one taxi enough for four people?
The fare here is counted for up to 4 passengers per taxi, so four people go in one taxi for €70–€100.
Santa Lucia station: which options are easiest with four suitcases?
The comparison marks these as awkward with suitcases: Vaporetto lines 1 and 2 from Ferrovia, Walk to Rialto and San Marco. Luggage is carried for you with: Private water taxi.
Santa Lucia station: where do these prices and times come from?
Prices and times were checked on October 4, 2026 against ACTV, Europe for Visitors, linked in the list of options on this page.
