Home / Venice /Marco Polo / ACTV bus 5, then vaporetto to San Marco vs Taxi to Mestre

VCE → Venice · head to head

ACTV bus 5, then vaporetto to San MarcoorTaxi to Mestre?

The short answer

These do not go to the same place, so price is not the comparison. The ACTV bus 5, then vaporetto to San Marco reaches the historic city — San Marco and the islands within it; the Taxi to Mestre does not. Like every fixed land fare here, this reaches the mainland at Mestre — not the historic city, which no road can reach.

The Taxi to Mestre is quicker: 20 min against 1 h 09. The ACTV bus 5, then vaporetto to San Marco varies between 59 and 79 minutes.

ACTV bus 5, then vaporetto to San Marco: 04:08–01:10. Taxi to Mestre: Runs all night.

Priced against each other

Whole-party totals · adult fares
What each costs for the whole party, in EUR. The cheaper of the two is marked on every row.
TravelersACTV bus 5, then vaporetto to San MarcoTaxi to MestreDifference
1€18€35€17
2€36€35€1
3€54€35€19
4€72€35€37
5€90€70€20
6€108€70€38
7€126€70€56
8€144€70€74

The cheaper option changes at 2 travelers, from the ACTV bus 5, then vaporetto to San Marco to the Taxi to Mestre. That is the whole reason this comparison is not a single number.

Side by side

Where each one leaves you
51 · ACTV / AVMACTV bus 5, then vaporetto to San Marco
From
The bus stands outside arrivals
To
San Marco Vallaresso, by vaporetto from Piazzale Roma
Luggage
Three pieces per person, none over 150 cm in total dimensions, on both legs — a whole extra fare per three bags beyond that.
Runs
04:08–01:10
Journey
59–79 min

The 90-minute ticket is tight: about 20 minutes on the bus, a walk across Piazzale Roma, up to 20 minutes waiting for the boat, then 39 minutes on the water. Miss the connection and you may need to buy again.

Same EUR 18.00 as the Alilaguna boat and about a quarter of an hour quicker when the connection at Piazzale Roma is short; the boat is the one to take with heavy luggage or a hotel by the water.

Buy the EUR 18.00 combined ticket, not two singles: the ordinary EUR 9.50 vaporetto ticket excludes the airport bus leg, and two singles cost EUR 19.50.

ACTV bus 5, then vaporetto to San Marco: price for every party size

Check AVM fares
taxi · Licensed Venice land taxisTaxi to Mestre
From
The taxi rank outside arrivals
To
Mestre centre
Luggage
Included in the fare, with no supplement.
Runs
All night
Journey
20 min

Ask for the fixed EUR 35.00 fare before you set off. It is regulated, but it is not what you get by default — the meter is.

This is the mainland, not the islands. The historic city is only reached by water.

Taxi to Mestre: price for every party size

This compares two of 12 options. See all of them ranked for your party size

The other comparisons at Marco Polo