How to Get to Venice from Florence

It's likely that after seeing everything there is to see on a trip to Florence you'll have a few days left over and you'll want to use them to visit another of Italy's major cities. One of the best options is Venice.

Because of its tourist value and proximity, the city of canals has a direct connection with the Florentine capital. In fact, there are many companies that offer this trip by different means of transport. Below I will show you the best transport options and the advantages, prices and disadvantages of each of them.

In case you have a few days left over in Florence, a day trip to Venice is a viable option and one of the best excursions you can do from Florence.

This type of excursion from Florence to Venice offers about 7 hours of free time to see Venice, enough time to see the highlights such as St. Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace, as well as to book tickets for St. Mark's Basilica.

• Price: from 90 euros.
• Duration and distance: the tour lasts 14 hours, including the three hours there and the three hours back.
• What's included in the tour: return bus transport, tour guide, free time for sightseeing, mini orientation tour of Venice.
• Recommended if... You have a day to spare in Florence and want to visit another of Italy's major tourist cities.

If you're looking for a good balance between speed, comfort and price, the train is the best option. There are more than 15 daily departures from the Florentine capital due to its high demand and among these there are three types of trains that make the journey.

High Speed Train

The Frecciargento and Frecciarosa trains are the high speed trains, which are slightly more expensive but take only 2 hours to reach Venice. The main company offering these journeys is Trenitalia.

Prices are around 30 euros, varying according to the timetable and date of the ticket. In addition to speed and comfort, the great advantage of these trains is that they depart from the main station in Florence and go directly to Santa Lucia on the island of Venice. Both stations are in the centre of the cities.

Intercity trains

These are cheaper (from 20 euros) but take a little longer. They make several stops in between the two cities and the journey takes about 2.5 hours.

They have one major disadvantage: they depart from Firenze Rifredi and arrive in Venezia Mestre, two stations far from each other.

Regional Trains

These trains are only recommended if you have not bought your tickets in advance and have no choice. The journeys are longer, about 4 hours, and you will also have to change trains.

The prices are cheaper and you can find tickets for just over 10 euros, but the savings are not worth it compared to intercity or high-speed trains.

• Price: Between 20 and 40 euros.
• Duration and distance: 2-2.5 hours.
• Companies operating: Trenitalia
• Recommended if... You are looking for the best value for money.
• Final tip: opt for the high-speed train. Also, if you buy your ticket online and in advance you can find good deals.

The bus is the cheapest alternative to the train. The journey is slightly longer, taking about 4 hours, but the prices are cheaper and there are several trips a day from early morning, allowing more time to see Venice.

The departure station from Florence is Piazzale Montelungo and the destination in Venice is Tronchetto. From here, you can walk across a bridge or take a tram to the island of Venice.

• Price: 10-15 euros.
• Length and distance: 270 kilometres and about 4 hours.
• Operating companies: Flixbus, Baltour and Buscenter.
• Recommended if: You are looking for the cheapest transport.

If you have travelled to Florence by car, or if you have rented one or are considering doing so, travelling to Venice is totally feasible.

Both cities are well connected by motorway, bypassing cities such as Bologna, Ferrara and Padua on the most direct route. It is not a cheap option as the cost of the car and car hire if you do not bring your own car, plus tolls and parking.

It is not, therefore, the best option for travelling from Florence to Venice if you buy the comfort and prices of the train or bus.

• Price: depending on car rental, consumption, tolls and parking.
• Duration and distance: 270 kilometres and about 3 hours.
• Recommended if... You are travelling in your own car, share expenses and want to make the most of the stops in the intermediate cities.

The popular car sharing company Blablacar also operates in Italy. If you don't mind sharing the journey with strangers, it is a very good option to save a lot of money when travelling by car.

If you opt for this option, I recommend you look into it and book it in advance, as although they are more or less frequent, you may not always find the day and time that suits you best.

• Price: from approximately 15 euros.
• Duration and distance: 270 kilometres and about 3 hours.
• Recommended if... You don't mind sharing a journey with strangers and you want to save a lot of the costs of travelling by car.

Travelling by plane from Florence to Venice is practically out of the question, as there are no airlines offering direct flights.

The fastest flights take 2 hours and 50 minutes. That, plus the transfer time to the airport and the formalities involved, is not cost-effective. Moreover, prices are not cheap. Taking into account these factors and buying transport, the plane is an option to be discarded.

• Price: from 100 euros.
• Duration and distance: 2 hours and 50 minutes.
• Operating airline: ITA Airways.
• Recommended if... All else fails.

If you're travelling from Florence to Venice here are a few things to keep in mind to make your journey as pleasant and efficient as possible:

• The train and bus stations in Florence are close to each other and close to the centre, about 10 minutes walk from the Cathedral Square. To get there you can also take the C4 bus line.
• In Venice, the Santa Lucia train station is the only one on the island, and after mass you can take a vaporetto to get around the city. Keep this in mind, especially if you are travelling with a lot of luggage.
• Regarding luggage, there are rules and regulations in Venice and you are not allowed to bring wheeled suitcases unless they are made of rubber to avoid noise.
• Look for accommodation in Venice as close as possible to a Vaporetto station, as getting around the city with luggage can be a hassle.
• Whether you're travelling by train or bus, it's best to buy your tickets online in advance to get the cheapest fares.