Although not nearly as famous as Venice, Trieste is another coastal city in Northern Italy that’s only about two hours east of its popular neighbor.
With many low-cost flights landing at Trieste airport, Trieste has become a popular starting point for people visiting Italy.
On top of that, Trieste is a growing cruise ship hub and is easily accessible overland from both Croatia and Slovenia. So it’s really no surprise that many people are trying to get from Trieste to Venice. Luckily, since it’s so close, you can make the ride as a day trip or stay a few days in one of Italy’s gems.
Now that I live in Trieste, I’ve made the trip to Venice a number of times, both as a day trip and as a final destination for a few nights.
I’ve tried different routes to get to Venice and definitely have my preference. While I urge you to explore Trieste before leaving, a lot of fun awaits you in Venice.
From getting there as quickly as possible to taking the scenic route and making stops along the way, here are the best travel routes to take from Trieste to Venice (and vice versa).
How to Get From Trieste to Venice (and Back)
Transport Hubs
Before I dive into the best ways to travel from Trieste to Venice or from Venice to Trieste, it’s important you know where exactly you’re starting and ending your journey and the different transportation options in Italy.
In Trieste
Since Trieste is such a small city, there’s only one transport hub: Trieste Centrale. This serves as the train station and right next door is the bus station, or autostazione.
No matter which route you choose to get to Venice, you’ll need to start your trip from Trieste here if you’re using public transportation.
If you’re flying into Trieste Airport, note that this is about 30 minutes north of the city center. In this case, if you want to go directly to Venice, I wouldn’t recommend coming south to the city but instead hop on a train at the tracks that are connected to the airport.
You can also take a bus from both the airport and the city center to the Venice Mestre train station, the Venice airport, or to Venice Tronchetto (the name of the bus station on the island). But I’ll explain that in more detail later.
In Venice
While Trieste is pretty straightforward, in Venice you could arrive at a couple of different locations. Most travelers don’t realize there are two big train stations in Venice: Venezia Mestre and Venezia Santa Lucia.
Venice Mestre is the first stop you’ll get to coming from Trieste. This stop is on the mainland. You’ll likely only use this stop if you’re going to the Venice airport or are transferring to another city, like Florence or Milan. If you want to get to the islands of Venice, stay onboard for Venice Santa Lucia.
Note that unlike in Trieste, the Venice airport is not connected to a train station. If Venice airport is your final destination, you’ll either need to arrive at Venice Mestre and take a local bus or a taxi to the airport, or you can take a Flixbus directly from Trieste to Venice airport.
For the rest of this article, I’ll assume you want to travel from the Trieste city center to the islands of Venice (aka Venice Santa Lucia).
Trains from Trieste to Venice
My preferred way to get from Trieste to Venice is definitely by train. Although driving or even a Flixbus can be faster, in my opinion, trains are more comfortable and a more enjoyable way to get from Point A to Point B.
Trains from Trieste Centrale to Venice Santa Lucia leave quite regularly. The most common train route takes 2 hours and departs every hour, sometimes more often, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. There is typically another train that’s even faster at both 4:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. but you’ll want to confirm that it’s running on the day you’re traveling.
These are all direct trains and don’t require you to make any transfers. Currently all trains to Venice make stops along the route but they do change in number and exactly where depending on the line and time of day.
I recommend checking the train schedule and booking your tickets on the app, Trainline.
If you’re traveling with a dog that is too big for a carrier, you’ll need to book directly with the train company in order to add a pet to your booking. Most often the Frecciarossa trains from Trenitalia make this trip. Both Trainline and Trenitalia have a website and an app for easy bookings.
As far as I’m aware, there aren’t any typical night trains that run this route since it’s such a short trip. You can’t book a cabin on any train, just a regular seat.
Depending on the train you choose, you’ll likely be able to choose from:
- Economy
- Premium
- Business
Premium and Business class both give you extra space for your feet and your luggage. The amenities tend to end there though, so you shouldn’t expect much more than a food and beverage car on board.
The ticket prices don’t usually vary much but the exact price will depend on the day, time, and connection.
Busses from Trieste to Venice
The next most convenient option to get from Trieste to Venice is by taking the bus, well, more specifically a Flixbus.
You can catch this bus right next door to the train station in Trieste at the bus station. You won’t see the buses from outside the bus station, which can be confusing. But once you walk in you’ll see the bus departures and arrivals.
The Flixbus to Venice Tronchetto bus station takes about 2 and a half hours on average. The night bus is the fastest at 2 hours. There is typically also a bus that runs at 2:40 a.m. that’ll get you to Venice around 5:20 a.m. I would only recommend taking this bus if you have no other options. Trieste is a safe city but at that time you can expect very few people to be awake. If you must take it, I recommend calling a cab to get to the bus station instead of walking.
Note: I do recommend booking tickets for Flixbus online in advance.
Driving from Trieste to Venice
If you’re not interested in either taking a train or a bus to Venice, you also have the option to drive. Driving is a little bit quicker and will get you there in about 1 hour and 40 minutes, if you don’t hit any traffic.
The biggest perk of driving from Trieste to Venice is the complete control over your schedule. You can leave whenever you’d like and make any stops along the way.
The biggest issue with driving to Venice is parking. I’ve personally never driven to the island but according to local friends, if you’re visiting on a weekend, it’s advisable to park around Venice Mestre and take the train onto the island instead of finding a parking spot when you arrive.
If you decide to try your luck, you’ll need to park around the Tronchetto bus station because you can’t drive any farther onto the island. While that might seem inconvenient now, you’ll love that the islands are car-free when you’re out exploring!
To not worry about parking, renting a car in Trieste, at either the bus station or the airport and driving to Venice, dropping your rental car off at an office there is also possible. The rental prices are typically higher if you do a one-way rental but might be worth it, depending on your plans.
Note: you can of course also get a taxi to go from Trieste to Venice. It will be your most expensive option, but also the most convenient one. You can book a taxi online here.
Bonus: Stops Along the Route
The options I highlighted above are the best routes to take if you want to go directly to Venice from Trieste but if you have some extra time, you might be interested in turning your trip into a scenic one.
While it’s possible to add in stops if you travel by Flixbus, the connections to the smaller towns aren’t as common so you might have a tough time coordinating your trip.
Therefore I recommend adding in stops along the way only if you decide to travel by train or by car.
Although there are a lot of great places to explore in the Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto regions that you’ll be traveling through, these are the most convenient and most recommended stops to make:
1. Udine
Udine is a small city that sits almost directly north of Trieste. There are direct trains that run from Trieste Centrale to Udine’s train station about every 30 minutes. There are also often trains from Udine to Santa Lucia.
Just know the train trip will take you in total closer to 3 hours since going north to Udine is a slight detour. Driving will be slightly faster at about 2.5 hours of total travel time.
From Udine’s train station, you can easily walk to their old town to explore for a few hours. If you choose to visit Udine, I recommend you:
- Walk along Via Mercatovecchio, one of the main streets in Udine’s old town.
- Have a coffee or a spritz at Piazza Matterotti.
- Try San Daniele prosciutto – personally I think it’s better than the prosciutto from Parma!
2. Treviso
Treviso is home to tiramisu…need I say more?
Although you can definitely enjoy this delicious dessert all throughout Italy, if you want the best in the world, you need to go to its birthplace. Trust me, it really is better here!
A direct train from Trieste to Treviso actually goes through Udine. While it is tempting to do both of the stops in one day, it might be too much to actually enjoy. I recommend only choosing one. Treviso is only about half an hour from Venice and trains run between the two cities very regularly.
The trip via Treviso will also take about 3 hours in total. Just like when going to Udine, if you decide to drive yourself, the entire trip will take about 2.5 hours.
Other than eating tiramisu, when in Treviso, I recommend:
- Admire the canals – yep, they have those here, too!
- Drink DOCG Prosecco from the surrounding hills.
- Shop at United Colors of Benetton, where the famous brand is from.
How Will You Get From Trieste to Venice?
Personally, I’m a fan of going from Trieste to Venice by train. I like the comfort and security it offers. Unlike on buses or in a car where you can hit traffic, the arrival time usually doesn’t change, except for a rare occurrence.
But, the final decision is yours if you prefer to travel by train, bus, or car. Which will you choose?
Also Read:
- The Most Beautiful Small Towns in Italy to Visit
- 24 Hours in Rome – What to See & Do
- Visiting The Vatican – Things You Need to Know
- What Not to Miss in Milan
- Things to Do in Pavia, Italy
- The Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Sicily
- A Practical Guide for Visiting Puglia
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