Arriving at Santa Lucia Railway Station
The Santa Lucia Railway Station art deco building and the vaporetto stops at the waters edge.
There are two railway stations for Venice, Mestre which is on the mainland and Santa Lucia which is in Venice itself. Some trains will stop at Mestre and then go on to other destinations without going into Venice. You will then need to catch a local train for the 10 minute journey across the causeway to Santa Lucia. Other trains will come across the causeway and bring you into the heart of Venice. So make sure you know which route your train is taking!
Arriving at Santa Lucia throws you straight into Venice very quickly! I have always remembered arriving for the first time as a 22 year old with a backpack at 10pm in winter. It was so beautiful and so quiet with sparkly water, lapping waves and a cool temperature. It was like a dream.
However, after standing on the wide steps of the train station to take it all in for a few moments, the next job is to buy a ticket for the vaporetto stop to take you as close as possible to your accomodation.
From the steps of the station looking at the canal, to the left you will see the floating vaporetto stops. Head over to the one that displays the route you need - number 1 takes you along the Grand Canal. You buy a ticket for your trip at the very obvious ticket kiosk and then validate it as you walk onto the pontoon. The big thing now is to make sure your boat is going the correct way. There are route maps outside and also inside the pontoon.
Vaporetto: The water buses moving everyone around Venice.
Ferrovia: The Italian word for railroad
Santa Lucia: The railway station in Venice itself.
Mestre: The railway station and town on the mainland.
