Travel · By rail
Venice by rail: Santa Lucia, the fast trains and the Orient Express
Arriving by train is one of the great entrances in Europe. Here is how to use it, checked against the operators’ own websites on 27 October 2026.
Updated October 2026
Santa Lucia and Mestre
Venezia Santa Lucia is the terminus in the historic city; waterbuses leave from the quay in front of it. Venezia Mestre is the junction on the mainland.
Across Italy
Trenitalia and Italo run high-speed trains to Padua, Verona, Bologna, Florence, Rome and Milan. Book on their own websites.
The ULTIMATE Rome City Guide The ULTIMATE Tuscany guide
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express runs journeys to and from Venice; see belmond.com for routes and dates. See ULTIMATE Rail Journeys for the great railway journeys of the world.
Day trips by train
Padua and Verona are easy day trips by fast train, and trains run to Conegliano for the Prosecco hills. Check timetables with Trenitalia and Italo.
Verona Padua The Dolomites & Cortina The Prosecco hills
Questions and answers
Which station is in Venice itself?
Venezia Santa Lucia, on the Grand Canal. Venezia Mestre is on the mainland.
Can I take a day trip to Verona by train?
Yes: fast trains run from Santa Lucia to Verona Porta Nuova (Trenitalia, Italo).
Sources: trenitalia.com, italotreno.com and belmond.com (checked 27 October 2026). Timetables change: always check before you travel.