Marghera Cruise Port - Best Tips for Cruise Passengers

Learn how to get to Marghera cruise port if Venice is your embarkation port and how to get from this industrial area into Venice if this is your port of call.

Cruise ship dock in Marghera industrial area

In the past year or so, in cruising circles there has been a lot of talk regarding the relocation of cruise operations in Venice from Stazione Marittima to Marghera cruise port or, better to say the Marghera industrial area.

This move was primarily driven by concerns about the environmental impact and sustainability of large cruise ships navigating through the fragile and historically significant Venetian Lagoon and the Grand Canal.

So, if you have visited Venice on a cruise ship before - things have changed, and there is an additional step involved in getting from your cruise ship to the beautiful Venice. Are cruise passengers happy about this? No, not at all as it makes your day in port even shorter.

My first experience of docking at Marghera was in June 2023. As most passengers, I tried to avoid paying for expensive cruise line waterbus shuttles from the dock in Marghera straight into San Marco.

Keep reading to find out what steps are involved in getting from Marghera cruise port to Venice if you want to do it on your own!

What is Marghera Cruise Port in Venice?

Marghera is actually an industrial area located on the mainland of Venice, Italy. Marghera is known for its industrial facilities, including factories, ports, and shipyards.

When you dock in Marghera, all you will see around you is the sea of containers.There are no regular cruise port facilities like the check-in desks, taxi stands, customs and immigration, etc. Just a big set up tent with restrooms and the luggage handling area and a dock in the middle of this industrial area.

Sailing into Marghera

Marghera area is not very scenic as you can see

Where is Marghera Cruise Port in Venice?

It is situated northwest of the historic city center of Venice and is separated from the main islands of Venice by the Venetian Lagoon.

Here is the location of Marghera on the map. The location of the ship is approximate. As you can see, it would take you almost 1,5 hours to walk.

How far is Marghera Cruise Port from Venice Piazzale Roma and Stazione Marittima cruise terminal?

The distance between the Marghera industrial area and the Piazzale Roma/ Stazione Marittima in Venice is approximately 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles) if traveling by road.

Stazione Marittima is a big cruise port terminal between the area of Tronchetto and Piazzale Roma, the square which is the last point you can reach by car when coming from direction of Marghera or Mestre.

Piazzale Roma is considered a gateway into historical Venice as this is where you can catch first water buses/vaporettos to get to Piaza San Marco.

Until recently most cruise ships would dock in Stazione Marittima but now that has changed: all operations are transfering to Marghera cruise port even though there is no cruise terminal building there (I am writing this in summer of 2023. If the terminal has been built at the moment of your reading this, please let me know)

Can I walk from Marghera Cruise Port into Venice?

No, you can't, for two reasons: it is very far and you would not be allowed to walk from the cruise dock to the exit from Marghera industrial area as it is not safe for pedestrians. Actually, it took us almost 10 minutes just to get out of the area by bus.

Taking a ride on a shuttle bus in Marghera

Can I take public transport from Marghera Cruise Port exit into Venice?

Technically, you could if there was a way for you to get out of this big port area on foot. But there isn't.

I was hoping for the same as I saw on different public transportation applications there is a local bus from Marghera to Piazzale Roma. However, there was no way to reach it from the ship.

When I realized this, I was happy to be sitting on a free cruise line provided shuttle bus that took us to the Stazione Marittima where there is still the official terminal building (althought ships don't dock there).

Can I catch a taxi from Marghera into Venice?

No, you can't as taxis are not allowed into this industrial area. However, you can catch a taxi to Piazzale Roma (the last point cars are allowed) from Stazione Marittima (although it's 15 euros charge for a few minutes ride). Keep reading for a more affordable solution.

How to get from Marghera Cruise Port into Venice?

If Venice is one of the ports of call on your itinerary and you want to go into Venice independently on this day, here's how to reach it from Marghera cruise port/industrial area:

1st STEP: Get on one of the free shuttle buses (could be boats as well) provided by your cruise line. When onboard, ask about what time the first shuttle leaves and if there are any tickets needed to get on the shuttle (although the shuttle is free, the cruise line may distribute tickets to control the traffic). The shuttle bus will leave you inside the Stazione Marittima cruise terminal, by the dock previously used by that cruise line. I travelled on MSC cruiseline and they left us next to cruise terminal building 109.

Shuttle Bus Tickets

Tent 'terminal' at Marghera

Exit to the free shuttle bus at Marghera

2nd STEP: Walk from the Stazione Marittima shuttle drop off to the port's central area. There you will see a cafe, a few cruise terminal buildings, a taxi stand, the area where shuttle buses to Piazzale Roma stop and a ticket booth for Alilaguna Linea Blu waterbuses into San Marco and signs that direct you to People Mover train. Here you will decide about your next step. In the past, Alilaguna waterbuses used to run from inside the Stazione Marittima, but in July 2023, the ticket booth was closed and the line wasn't operating - checking the latest Linea Blu maps online, I see they now moved the stop to Tronchetto area, where the car park is.

Quite a walk to the central area of Stazione Marittima

So your only options are to either follow the signs to the port exit and walk to Piazzale Roma (it's a 15 minute walk) or catch the People Mover (a little train that covers this short distance).
From Piazzale Roma you can either walk another 30-40 minutes into Venice (it's a scenic walk as this is where historical Venice starts), take a Venice vaporetto/water bus at Piazzale Roma waterbus station to get you into Piazza San Marco or any other stop along the Grand Canal.

How do I embark a cruise ship in Marghera?

If you are embarking the ship in Venice, don't go straight to Marghera! There is no cruise ship terminal/ check-in/customs there! It's just where your cruise ship is parked.

The terminal is still in the Stazione Marittima cruise port area, where you will leave your luggage in hands of the cruiseline, go through customs and after that you will be shuttled to the ship in Marghera either on a free cruiseline provided bus or a special water bus.

Coming back/embarking the ship in Marghera on a water bus shuttle from Stazione Marittima

How do I get on a tour of Venice from Marghera?

If you purchased your Venice shore excursion through the cruiseline, follow the instructions you will be given onboard the ship.

If you purchased a private shore excursion via one of the trusted platforms like Viator, check what the meeting point is.

If it's in historical Venice, make sure you get to the meeting point in time, having in mind all the above listed factors involved in getting from Marghera to central Venice.

Some shore excursions will have a meeting point at Stazione Marittima and are much more convenient for cruisers. I found a few with the best price/review ratio: