We are flying into Venice and taking the train to Bologna (don't ask why). Which train station should we use, Mestre or Sant Lucia? Looks like it might be easier to get to Mestre from the airport. Thanks for any help, we are leaving this Thursday and I would like to buy my train tickets before we go. I was assuming we would leave from S Lucia until I began looking a little more.

A Quinn

Santa Lucia serves the lagoon part of the Venezia and Mestre city, where Venezia proper is the lagoon part of the city and Mestre is the mainland part. Santa Lucia is essentially a branch of the main railway connecting Venice to ther est of Italy: Trieste to northeast, Verona to the west and Bologna and Ancona to the south. All the trains departing to and from Santa Lucia have to go through the Mestre station, and all of them also stop in Mestre. trains headed to Venice stop in Mestre and continue to Santa Lucia where they stop for good, but trains just passing by just stop in Mestre.

Since you are arriving at the Venice airport and do not plan to spend time in Venice itself, just to head to Bologna, just go straight to Mestre station and catch a train there: all trains to Bologna departing from Santa Lucia also stop in Mestre, plus you may take train from Trieste or elsewhere that does not stop in Santa Lucia.

Is there a bus to the Mestre station from the airport? And when buying a train ticket it is okay if it says that it leaves from S lucia, but it also has Mestre written in red. I think I understand that is what you are saying, the train will go to both stops anyway.

Just check for trains from Venezia Mestre instead of "Venezia", that will be clearer. anyway ALL trains departingr from Santa Lucia also stop in Mestre, which is indeed Venice's main station.

Airporter bus between Venice Airport and Mestre rail station:

www.atvo.it

Bus costs 2.50 Euros and takes approx. 20 minutes.

Here's the official airport link with connecting bus info. The cushy ATVO bus is direct to the Mestre station with room for baggage underneath, and there's also a regular bus (no° 15).

You can buy your ATVO ticket on board, the ACTV city bus ticket must be bought in advance.