Getting There By Road

Text

The main road route into Venice is the A4, although once travellers arrive in Venice, driving is no longer possible. Most vehicles taken as far as the city are parked at a car park in Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto; parking at these locations is expensive, so travellers often opt to park in Mestre on the mainland and continue their journey by train or boat. Italian roads are generally well maintained and road users drive on the right. Speeds on motorways are 139kph (81mph) for cars of 1100cc or more and 110kph (68mph) for smaller cars, unless conditions are wet in which case the 110kph (68mph). The minimum driving age is 18 and drivers without EU licences must carry an International Driving Permit. Any EU national taking their own car will need an International Insurance Certificate (Green Card).

Emergency breakdown services
Automobile Club d’Italia (tel: (011) 3964 9981). Call 116 from any roadside phone to request assistance from an ACI operator.

Routes to the city
The main route is the A4 which passes through Turin, Milan and Padua before arriving at Venice. There is good access to this road from connecting routes to other major cities, including the A13 from Bologna and the A1 from Florence, Naples and Rome.

Driving times to the city
From Milan - 2 hours; Bologna - 3 hours; Rome - 5 hours; Paris - 10 hours 53 minutes; Barcelona - 11 hours 48 minutes.

Coach services
Eurolines (tel: 041 538 2118; www.eurolines.it) prrovides a service to Mestre from London, Amsterdam and Paris. ATVO (tel: 0421 5944; www.atvo.it) operates a more local service and stops in Treviso, Verona, Padua and Milan from the Piazzale Roma.