Venice while staying in Mestre

Treat Mestre as your base

Every day in the historic centre starts and ends in Mestre. The usual crossings are the train from Venezia Mestre to Venezia Santa Lucia and the buses to Piazzale Roma; check current timetables, as they change.

Going back in the middle of the day costs a crossing each way, so it helps to plan full days in the centre with a proper break there, rather than returning to the hotel to rest.

The first day: arriving

Your arrival decides how much of the first day is left. If you land at Marco Polo or Treviso in the evening, the realistic plan is to reach Mestre, check in and eat nearby; the historic centre can wait until the morning.

If you arrive by train at Venezia Mestre in the morning, you may still have an afternoon in the centre.

The days in between

A shape that suits a base in Mestre, if you have a few days:

• San Marco and the Rialto on the first full day, while the crossing is new and the day is long.
• The islands of Murano and Burano by water bus on another day; they are a day in themselves.
• A quieter district such as Cannaregio or Dorsoduro on a day when you want to walk less.

Keep each day within a walking limit you are comfortable with. The historic centre is crossed on foot and over many bridges with steps.

The last day: leaving

Work back from the time you need to be at your departure point, not from your flight or train time. If you leave from Marco Polo or from Mestre, a morning in the centre can still fit; from Treviso, leave more room. Collecting your luggage in Mestre is part of the journey too.

How PingWinWin plans this trip

Give Venice as the destination and your hotel in Mestre as the stay location. The planner then treats Mestre as the base each day starts from and returns to.

It measures the drive from your arrival point to Mestre and from Mestre to your departure point, and uses them to bound the first and last day: nothing is planned before you could have reached Mestre, and the last day ends in time to reach your departure point.

It does not time the daily crossing into the centre. The plan leaves room for it instead of inventing a timetable — check trains and buses yourself.

Your walking limit, pace and interests, and the ages of any children travelling with you, decide which stops fit into each day.

What to check yourself

• Opening hours and ticket availability for anything you plan to visit
• Current train, bus and water bus timetables
• The city’s current rules for visitors to the historic centre