Santa Lucia station: getting to San Marco and Rialto after midnight
The last vaporetto on line 2 leaves at 00:10 on the timetable we used, and line 2 stops running between midnight and about 05:00. After that the Line N night boat runs along the Grand Canal at a lower frequency, and water taxis work all night at higher prices. Walking is possible at any hour, but the narrow streets are dark and quiet, and the bridges are harder with a case at night. If you arrive after midnight, agree a water taxi fare before boarding or book the boat in advance.
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Walk to Rialto and San Marco: about 45 min on foot, and it costs nothing. Not running at this hour: Vaporetto lines 1 and 2 from Ferrovia.
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
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
Bus
Vaporetto lines 1 and 2 from Ferrovia
Not running at this hour
For the group-
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
- Not running at this hour (05:23–00:10)
- Frequency
- every 12 min on line 2
- Board at
- Ferrovia landing, directly outside the station
- 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 at 00:30: what still runs?
At 00:30 these options run: Walk to Rialto and San Marco (Free, 45 min); Private water taxi (€70–€100 per vehicle, 25 min). Fares are per person unless marked per vehicle. Not running at that hour: Vaporetto lines 1 and 2 from Ferrovia (05:23–00:10).
Santa Lucia station: what is the cheapest way after midnight?
The cheapest option running at 00:30 is Walk to Rialto and San Marco: Free, about 45 min door to door.
Santa Lucia station: how much is a taxi at night?
Private water taxi: €70–€100 per vehicle, counted for up to 4 people, about 25 min door to door. The price is an estimate.
Santa Lucia station: when do trains and buses run?
Scheduled services: Vaporetto lines 1 and 2 from Ferrovia 05:23–00:10. Times can change, so check with the operator before you travel.
Santa Lucia station: what is the best option for two people with two bags at 00:30?
Walk to Rialto and San Marco: about 45 min on foot, and it costs nothing.
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.


