Minibus Rental Across Italy

Coach Hire in Venice for Organised Groups

No coach reaches San Marco. The road ends at Piazzale Roma, and the group goes on by foot or by boat. Hiring a coach in Venice is about getting the pass, the drop-off and the boat connection right on the mainland side.

A pass for almost the whole municipality

The ZTL BUS covers nearly all of Venice's municipal area, Mestre included, not just the island. Tourist coaches display a pass issued by AVM for the city; crossing is free only on the Mestre tangenziale and its spur to the airport. What the pass costs depends on where the coach is heading, Lido and mainland or the island city, and newer engines pay less.

Buy it online, or at one of the check-ins. The Petroli check-in, on Via dei Petroli at Marghera, is open from 06:00 to 20:15, with online purchase or a QR code outside those hours. A coach without a pass must follow the signs to a check-in, so it is better bought before the day.

Full-size coach interior with reclining seats and aisle
Full-size coach interior with reclining seats and aisle

Tronchetto, Piazzale Roma and Fusina

Inside the zone a coach may stop only in authorised loading areas and coach car parks. On Tronchetto the blue-line area allows up to 1 hour. In 2026 a trial let coaches stay 2 hours by the People Mover stop until 31 October; the operator confirms the limit for your dates. The People Mover then runs to Piazzale Roma.

Fusina, on the mainland, has 500 coach spaces and boats across the lagoon. It suits groups arriving along the Riviera del Brenta or the SS309 Romea.

Airports for groups arriving in Venice

  • Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) — about 15 km by road to Piazzale Roma, the road terminus of Venezia, about 25 min in light traffic; longer at peak times

Stadiums and arenas a coach can reach

  • Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo — Home ground of Venezia FC, on the island of Sant'Elena at the eastern end of the historic city; reached by water.

Coach day trips from Venice

  • Treviso — about 30 km, about 50 min
  • Villa Pisani, Stra (Riviera del Brenta) — about 33 km, about 45 min
  • Padova — about 41 km, about 50 min
  • Vicenza (Palladian villas) — about 71 km, about 1 h 10 min
  • Valdobbiadene (Prosecco hills) — about 79 km, about 1 h 30 min
  • Bassano del Grappa — about 91 km, about 1 h 35 min
  • Verona — about 121 km, about 1 h 45 min
  • Bologna — about 154 km, about 2 h 15 min
  • Cortina d'Ampezzo (Dolomites) — about 156 km, about 2 h 30 min
  • Trieste — about 160 km, about 2 h 25 min

Coach rules in Venice that shape the day

  • Aeroporto di Venezia "Marco Polo" (VCE) is about 15 km by road from Piazzale Roma, about 25 min by coach in light traffic; Treviso airport (TSF) is about 30 km, about 50 min. Journeys take longer at peak times. Distances in this record are measured from Piazzale Roma, the end of the road into the historic city.
  • The ZTL BUS, introduced by the City of Venice on 25 March 2002, covers almost the whole municipal area. Tourist coaches must display a pass issued by AVM S.p.A., the company appointed by the city; transit is free only on the Mestre bypass (tangenziale) and the link road from the bypass to Marco Polo airport.
  • The ZTL BUS pass is bought online (ZTL BUS ticket service) or at a check-in. Its price depends on the destination (the mainland and Lido, or the historic city) and on the vehicle; coaches of Euro 4, assimilated Euro 5, Euro 5 or higher pay less. Coaches carrying only guests staying in accommodation in the Venice municipality can get a reduced "hotel pass". Exempt coaches must still display an exemption pass.
  • Check-in "Petroli" is at Marghera on Via dei Petroli, after the San Giuliano overpass, for coaches coming from the SS14, SS13, SS245, the A4 from Padova and the SP32. It is open from 06:00 to 20:15; from 20:15 to 06:00 the pass is bought online or by scanning the QR code at the check-in. Coaches without a pass must follow the signs to a check-in.
  • Inside the ZTL BUS coaches may stop only in authorised loading and unloading areas, in the dedicated coach car parks and in private car parks reached with the pass displayed.
  • Tronchetto: the coach area on Isola Nova del Tronchetto (blue lines) allows short stops of up to 1 hour. From 1 June to 31 October 2026, as a trial, the area next to the People Mover stop allows up to 2 hours, the first 60 minutes free; the driver displays the parking-meter receipt. For long stays, private paid coach car parks are at Tronchetto and on the mainland.
  • Fusina: coach parking at the Fusina Terminal (500 spaces), reached from the SS11 Riviera del Brenta or the SS309 Romea, with boats across the lagoon.
  • The People Mover links Tronchetto, the Marittima cruise terminal area and Piazzale Roma.
  • Venice access fee (Contributo di Accesso): on set days, day visitors to the historic city pay an access fee between 08:30 and 16:00. In 2026 it applied on 60 days between April and July. Tour operators and agencies can join a convention to issue one QR-code voucher per group of 10 to 60 people. The 2027 calendar had not been published in early October 2026.
  • Venezia Santa Lucia (in the historic city, next to Piazzale Roma) and Venezia Mestre (on the mainland) are the main railway stations, with high-speed trains to Padova, Verona, Bologna, Milano, Firenze and Roma.
  • Under Article 142(3)(f) of the Codice della Strada (D.Lgs. 285/1992), buses and coaches with a maximum laden mass over 8 tonnes may drive at up to 100 km/h on motorways (autostrade) and up to 80 km/h on other roads outside built-up areas. Lower signed limits always apply.
  • Under Article 172(6) of the Codice della Strada, every occupant over three years old of a minibus or coach (vehicle categories M2 and M3) must wear the seat belt fitted to their seat while seated; passengers must be informed of this by signs or pictograms at each seat (Article 172(7)).
  • EU drivers' hours rules (Regulation (EC) No 561/2006) apply to coach drivers: at most 9 hours of driving a day (10 hours twice a week), a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours of driving and at least 11 hours of daily rest, recorded by the tachograph.
  • Most Italian motorways (autostrade) are tolled (pedaggio): the toll is paid at the toll stations or by electronic toll device, by vehicle class. Toll amounts are not given here.

The access fee on busy days

Venice charges day-trippers an access fee on certain busy-season days, between 08:30 and 16:00. An agency that joins the city's convention can cover a party of 10 to 60 with a single QR-code voucher. No 2027 dates had been published by early October 2026; look them up once your travel date is set.

Inland day trips

The coach earns its keep away from the lagoon. Padova and Villa Pisani at Stra are each under an hour, Vicenza about 1 h 10 min and the Prosecco hills at Valdobbiadene about 1 h 30 min. Verona is about 1 h 45 min, the Dolomites at Cortina about 2 h 30 min. On the long days, plan the driver's 45-minute break into the route.

Questions organisers ask

How long is the transfer from Marco Polo?

Venice Marco Polo Airport is about 15 km from Piazzale Roma, around 25 minutes by coach in light traffic. The other option, Treviso, lies some 30 km away, roughly 50 minutes.

Where does a cruise group meet the coach?

It depends on the berth, which changes from call to call: in 2026 ships used Fusina, Marghera, San Basilio, the Marittima and Chioggia. The operator confirms the stopping point once the ship's berth is known.

Can a coach drive on the Lido?

Yes. The Lido is the one island where coaches drive, and the ZTL BUS pass has its own band for the mainland and Lido, separate from the historic city.

Other group trips we arrange

Vehicles with a driver