By Rental Car
Most of the major rental car companies have outlets at Piazzale Roma, at the edge of the city. These are on the ground floor of one of the major parking stations. When you are dropping off your car, you need to find street parking and then walk to the rental car outlet and hand in the keys. Do not park in the parking station! There is a vaporetto stop across the road from the parking station.
By car
Cars arrive on the far western edge of Venice, but remain parked at the entrance to the city Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto - Europe's largest car park. There are no roads past this point -- and never were, even before cars. Car parking is very very expensive here 26 â¬/12h, 30 â¬/24h and the tailbacks can be quite large. An alternative is to use the car parks on the mainland terra ferma and catch a train or bus or vaporetto into Venice. Park near the Mestre railway station, and catch a train to Venezia St.Lucia; there are many trains, it is very near 8-10 minutes and quite cheap ⬠1,20. Don't bother searching for free parking near Mestre train station - there are no free parking spots near, except on sunday free parking is on the other side of the station, in Marghera. Free and safe parkings are also near Mogliano Veneto and Oriago railway stations. Besides, Venezia St. Lucia is a good starting point to visit Venice. However drivers going to the Lido can use the car ferry from Tronchetto vaporetto 17 - frequencies vary, right hand lane off the Ponte della Libertà into the city.