Venezia Santa Lucia station, opening directly onto the Grand Canal at the end of the line from Milan.
Photo: Stefano Stabile / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)Milan to Venice by Train
A domestic route within Italy.
Reviewed by Eurotraintrip on 2026-07-30
- Duration
- 2h 27m – 3h 05m
- Price from
- 14.9 EUR
- Distance
- 260 km
- Operators
- Trenitalia FrecciarossaItalo
- Frequency
- Up to 31 direct high-speed trains per day combining Frecciarossa and Italo
Compare and book Milan–Venice tickets
Check pricesWhat makes Milan to Venice different
- The dedicated Milan-Verona high-speed line is still incomplete — only the Milan-Brescia section (opened December 2016) is finished, so Milan-Venice trains still run part of the journey on the historic 1846 Milan-Venice line rather than a fully dedicated high-speed track, one reason the trip still takes over 2 hours on a flagship corridor.
- Frecciarossa and Italo together run up to 31 direct departures a day on this corridor, making it one of the busiest short high-speed routes in Italy.
- Some Frecciarossa/Italo services call at Brescia, Verona Porta Nuova, Vicenza and Padova rather than running nonstop, adding roughly 30-40 minutes versus the fastest 2h27m nonstop run.
Milan station
Departs from Milano Centrale at Piazza Duca d'Aosta, connected to Milan Metro lines M2 and M3 (M3 reaches the Duomo in about 5 minutes) — track access is behind ticket-gated barriers, but there's no full airport-style security screening.
Venice station
Arrives at Venezia Santa Lucia, a dead-end terminus that opens directly onto the Grand Canal — Venice has no metro, so onward travel is by vaporetto (with a stop right outside) or the People Mover monorail to the Tronchetto parking island.
Train vs. other options
Flying lands at Venice's Marco Polo Airport on the mainland at Tessera, requiring roughly an hour by Alilaguna waterbus or bus-plus-walk to reach the historic center, whereas the train terminates a two-minute walk from the Grand Canal — which often makes the ~2.5-hour train competitive door-to-door despite the shorter ~1-hour flight time. Driving the roughly 260km via the A4 typically takes about 2h45m-3h without traffic, and you still can't drive into the car-free historic center.
Booking tips
- Book Frecciarossa Super Economy or Italo Low fares as early as possible — the cheapest allotments are released around 4 months ahead and can go under €15.
- Compare Italo against Trenitalia for the same departure window — Italo is sometimes €5-10 cheaper on the same day.
- Double-check your ticket says Venezia Santa Lucia, not Venezia Mestre — see the booking quirk below.
Good to know: Trains routinely call at Venezia Mestre (on the mainland) a few minutes before terminating at Venezia Santa Lucia (the island station on the Grand Canal) — a ticket booked only to Mestre is not valid to continue on to Santa Lucia, so travelers heading into central Venice must book to Santa Lucia specifically, not just 'Venice'.
While you're in Venice
The Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal, the oldest of the four bridges crossing it.
Photo: Saffron Blaze / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)There's no metro, no cars and no bikes in Venice's historic center — just canals, bridges and vaporetti — and since 2024 the city has also charged day-trippers a separate access fee on its busiest dates.
Full Venice travel guide →Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Milan to Venice?
The fastest Frecciarossa and Italo trains take about 2 hours 27 minutes nonstop. Trains with more stops (Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, Padova) can take up to around 3 hours.
How much does the train from Milan to Venice cost?
Advance Super Economy (Trenitalia) or Low (Italo) fares start from around €14.90 in standard class, though prices rise quickly as the cheapest allotments sell out.
Should I book to Venezia Santa Lucia or Venezia Mestre?
Book Venezia Santa Lucia if you're visiting central Venice — it's the island terminus right on the Grand Canal. Mestre is a separate mainland station several kilometers away.