How to Get to Venice from Milan

If you're preparing your itinerary with all the things to see and do in Milan, a visit to Venice should be in your top 3 activities. The Milan-Venice route is one of the smartest options if you want to visit the best of these two tourist cities. Separated by 280 kilometres, it is one of the best tours and excursions from Milan for its practicality and beauty.

The options for getting there are many. You can choose how to get from Milan to Venice by train, bus, car or other means of transport. To help you make a decision, in this post I will show you the best options to make the journey between the two cities. You'll find that touring Venice is a unique experience that will compel you to visit it after reading the following ways to get from the Lombard capital.

Whether it's your first time in Venice or you prefer recommendations, tips and explanations of the sights in person, a guided tour will get you out of trouble and will be your best option to get to know the main attractions of Venice. Ready for an adventure?

For starters, it's important to know that most of these tours are split between walking the sights of Venice and boarding a boat for the full experience. You can visit St Mark's Basilica, tour the interior of the Doge's Palace or walk along the Rialto Bridge or the Bridge of Sighs.

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

Interesting details

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

You can get from Milan to Venice by plane for the comfort and speed of travelling from above. A direct flight between Milan and Venice takes 2 hours and 30 minutes, however, take into consideration that there are few direct flights on this route.

Most travellers who choose this alternative have to make a stopover in Rome, Brindisi or Cagliari, which immediately rules out the advantage of speed. Honestly, this alternative is not very advantageous if you can't get a direct flight, besides, you have better options such as trains.

Interesting details

• Price: Available from €210.
• Duration: Direct flights 2 hours and 30 minutes. Flights with stopover, more than 3 hours.
• Advantages: The opportunity to enjoy the journey from above.
• Disadvantages: The cost-benefit ratio is not attractive. Time spent can also be a problem.
• Suggested activities during the tour: Just relaxing, reading a good book or having a good conversation with your flight companion. The best will come after landing in Venice.

Imagine your road trip of the year being between Milan and Venice - a dream come true, don't you think? Check out the best time to travel to Venice and get your car ready or rent one because it will be your ideal choice.

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 well signposted and in excellent condition. To make it easier for you, you have two options to enjoy your road trip: the first is to take the A4 Torino-Trieste motorway, which runs through cities such as Bergamo, Brescia, Verona, Padova and Vincenza.

These cities are perfect for stopping off, getting to know them and enjoying them by bike, and at the end of the trip, stop off at one of the best cheap restaurants in Venice.

Another way to get to Venice from Milan by car is to take the A1 Milano-Napoli motorway to Bologna, via Piacenza, Parma and modern Bologna. Another way to make the experience more complete is the A13 Bologna-Padova route to Venice, which passes through Ferrara.

The aforementioned route 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 shared car

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

Although carpooling in Italy is a method that started to gain popularity in 2017 by locals, it is still sensitive to safety issues among foreigners. The most popular site is:bla bla car.

From 11 € you can make your way from Milan to Venice in about 2 or 3 hours. Tourists are still sceptical about this option, but the price is still winning them over, doesn't it sound good?

Details of interest

• Price: The price can vary depending on the route, but approximately €20 for fuel, €25 for tolls, depending on the route you choose. And finally, parking is between €15 for the furthest and €30 for the closest.
• Duration: Between 3 - 4 hours depending on the route you choose.
• Advantages: It's a flexible experience that allows you to see more places than you imagined.
• Suggested activities during the tour: If you want to stop in any of the cities, I recommend the Venice to Bologna tour, it has many activities for family enjoyment as well as for those who want a gastronomic tour in style.

The bus will always be the best option for those travellers who prioritise savings during their travels. If you are one of them, then you should know what this experience has to offer.

Without a doubt, taking the bus has its advantages such as making stops in parks, gardens or any other attraction you may find along the way. In the case of the Milan-Venice or Venice-Milan route, there is an 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 route is simple:

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

Return from Venice to Milan

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

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

Interesting details

• Price: Tickets from €17.
• Duration: Between 4 - 5 hours travel time.
• Advantages: Mainly the price of the tickets, and there are seasons where you can get better deals. The best-qualified company is Flixbus, which has 9 departures a day.
• Disadvantages: The hours on the road, as well as the possible stops is an issue to evaluate on these tours.
• Suggested activities during the tour: If there are any stops during the tour, you can eat at a local restaurant such as Antica Trattoria Lampugnano.

Regional trains in Italy are chosen by tourists who want to save time and money, and are such an economical option that they are worth the journey time.

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

In the second case, the three most important railway stations in Venice are: Venezia Santa Lucia, Venice and Venezia Mestre, the latter being the most popular with travellers.

Option I: Regional trains

There is a wide range of regional trains, so every hour there are between two and three trains waiting to travel between the two cities. To check timetables it is best to visit the official Trenitalia website, which offers a variety of journeys at prices with a good time/cost ratio.

Regarding fares on regional trains there is only one fare and that is the Ordinary fare, based on the distance between origin and destination stations and the class or level of comfort, as indicated in their regulations.

The trick to getting cheap train tickets is to book in advance. When planning your trip, take your time and book train tickets as soon as possible so you have a wider choice of schedules and prices to compare.

Details of interest

• Price: Between 20 and 30 €.
• Duration: Between 3.5 - 4 hours, including one or two transfers.
• Advantages: The main advantage of this experience is the price, and like the high-speed trains, they offer WiFi and other amenities.
• Disadvantages: There is only one fare, some may include one more. But make sure you check the conditions when you buy your ticket.
• Suggested activities during the tour: you can make a complete visit to St. Mark's Square. Also, one way to make the experience more bearable during the stops is to take pictures of the beautiful landscapes of Italy that you will see during the tour. Guess the best part? It's free, all you need is your camera.
• Important: the Trenitalia website is not available in English, so 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 opportunity to experience a splendid city in the most practical, safe and economical way.

Given the breadth of the Italian rail network, it's possible to reach any destination by train, extend your tourist route or stay in a single city to appreciate every little detail that makes it up. But if you're looking for the fastest way, then high-speed trains are for you.

The main company running the rail scene in Italy is Trenitalia, which has 4 main train models, with the Frecciarossa being the fastest, reaching up to 400km/h (250mph).

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

More details of interest

• Price: Between €30 - €120. This will depend on the fare groups. Treintalia offers 4: Base, Economy, Super Economy and Ordinary, you can get deals from €9 by booking in advance. Also in each section you have standard, standard silent, premium, business and executive options for privacy and comfort.
• Duration: 2 hours and 25 minutes will be enough to connect the two cities.
• Pros: They have better schedules, include WiFi, toilets, power sockets, air conditioning, luggage space, restaurant and bar on board.
• Disadvantages: When buying the ticket there can be confusion if it's your first time, make sure you select "Venezia S. Lucia" as the arrival point.
• Suggested activities during the tour: Once you have arrived at Santa Lucia station you should take one of Venice' s vaporettos (€7.50 water buses), which will take you 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.