train from venice to ravenna

[L Rowe]

My husband and I are going on explorer of the seas on June 4 out of ravenna. We are arriving in Venice on June 2nd at 11am. We would like to take the train from Venice to Ravenna as we are staying in Ravenna until the cruise leaves. Has anyone done this? Are they any tips on how to get about from the airport to the train station? Do we need to purchase tickets for the train before we get to Italy? This portion of the trip is causing me stress trying to figure out how to get from Marco Polo airport to Ravenna ahead of time. Any help would be appreciated.

[teddy]

Disclaimer:  I haven’t done it yet, but I have done a literal truckload of research and talked to people who have taken the train.
 

We will be landing at Marco Polo Airport on October 19th for a cruise departing on October 22nd. 
 

First, you could book a shuttle through Royal.  There are a lot of threads here discussing the way to do this.  Since we are not using this method, I don’t have any info specific to the shuttle through Royal.  In addition, I have seen threads discussing using private shuttle services, but again, we aren’t doing this, either. 

We are taking the train to Ravenna after spending two nights in Venice. 

There are two stations in the Venice area.  The closer one to the airport is Venezia Mestre.  The other one is in Venice proper, Venezia Santa Lucia.   The easiest way to get to the closer station would most likely be a taxi.  You could probably take a bus, but with luggage and potential jet lag, a taxi would  cause the least stress.  To me, it would make no sense to go past Mestre Station to board at Santa Lucia, but I guess it’s an option.   
 

The train from Venice to Ravenna is a Regional train and involves one change (ie. there is no direct train between the cities).  The change can be in Ferrara or Bologna.  It can be a 2 to 3+ hour ride depending on exactly which trains you take.  I would have a plan to get from Ravenna Station to your lodging.  Your best resource for this would be to contact your hotel/B&B/etc.

You can purchase train tickets ahead of time online at https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html  If the website opens in a language other than English (assuming English is your native tongue), you can change to English in the upper right.  You’ll have to click or touch the British flag.  The website is pretty user friendly compared to some US transit websites I’ve used.  Buying a ticket this way lets you use your phone to show the conductor the QR code.  He will scan the code onboard just like they do on Amtrak here in the States. 
 

You can also buy physical tickets using self service machines at the train station .   If you do this, you must validate your tickets when you board. Failure to do so can result in a fine if you are checked. There are validating machines on the platform or by the entrance to it. 
 

The regional trains are mostly second class, so there aren’t assigned seats.  I would avoid traveling during local commuting hours to avoid standing room only. 
 

I would encourage you to read some websites or watch some YouTube videos on using Italian trains.  There are so many videos that share excellent information.   Looking at Google Maps and seeing where the two train stations are in relation to the airport is helpful, too. 
 

Unasked for randomness.:  Signs in most of the train stations will have English on them in addition to Italian.  This being said, it would be good to know some very basic Italian like yes (sì), no (no), please (per favore), thank you (grazie), platform/track (binari or just bin), etc.  Translation apps are great, too.  Our iPhones came with one, but I’m guessing there are others available for Android phones. 
 

 

[Leventisra]

Your trip from Venice to Ravenna sounds like a great adventure! Taking the train is a convenient option. To get from Marco Polo Airport to the train station in Venice (Santa Lucia), you can use the Venice People Mover, a convenient shuttle service. You don't necessarily need to purchase train tickets in advance, as you can buy them at the station, but it might save you time and hassle to do so online or at the airport.

[cedricmr]

Train Venice to Bologne and Bologne Ravenna