In short
Venice is the shorter trip: about 1 hour 45 minutes flying and 20–30 minutes to the berths, but large ships use Marghera or Fusina, not St Mark's. In Trieste the terminal is right in the centre, by the main square, but it is another 1.5–2 hours from Venice airport. Venice has more summer sailings; Trieste's season runs into November.
Sailings by month
- Busiest months
- May, Jun, Jul, Aug
- Where ships go
- Greece, Turkey and the Adriatic
- Usual length
- 6–9 / 10–14 nights
- Round trips
- most
Which port suits you
You want a short trip and a day or two in Venice
A direct flight from Amsterdam or Brussels takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, and the berths are 20–30 minutes from the airport. The season runs from April to October, busiest from May to August. Bear in mind that large ships berth at Marghera or Fusina on the mainland, and check-in and the ship may not be in the same place.
Venice port guide →You want the ship right in the city centre
The Stazione Marittima is a couple of minutes' walk from Piazza Unità d'Italia, so you can walk from your hotel to the gangway. The season runs from April to November, busiest in May, August and October, with plenty of longer voyages. The journey is longer: a flight to Venice, then another 1.5–2 hours.
Trieste port guide →Point by point
| What we compare | Venice | Trieste |
|---|---|---|
| Getting there from the Netherlands and Belgium | Direct flights from Amsterdam and Brussels to Marco Polo airport take about 1 hour 45 minutes. Low-cost airlines sometimes use Treviso, around an hour away by bus. | Usually a flight to Venice, then about 150 km more: 1.5–2 hours by car or transfer, or a bus to Mestre and the train to Trieste Centrale, about two hours. A low-cost airline flies straight to Trieste from Brussels Charleroi; a seasonal route from Amsterdam has been announced from April 2027. |
| Where the ship berths | Large ships use Marghera (check-in usually at the Marittima terminal, then a bus to the ship) or Fusina. By the historic centre, at Marittima and San Basilio, only small ships under 25,000 tonnes. | The Stazione Marittima on Molo dei Bersaglieri, in the city centre. Occasionally a ship is given a berth further out in the commercial port — then a taxi is easiest. |
| Airport to ship | A taxi to Marittima takes 20–25 minutes, to Fusina about half an hour. Cheaper: a bus to Piazzale Roma, then the People Mover to Marittima. | From Venice airport, 1.5–2 hours. From Trieste airport (40 km from the city), 40–45 minutes by taxi, or 30–40 minutes by train to Trieste Centrale. |
| Terminal to the centre | From Marittima, the People Mover reaches Piazzale Roma, the gateway to the historic centre, in three minutes. From Fusina, the line 16 boat goes to the Zattere in 25–30 minutes. | Piazza Unità d'Italia is a couple of minutes on foot. Trieste Centrale station is about 1.2 km away — 15–20 minutes along the waterfront. |
| Season | April to October, busiest from May to August. A handful of longer voyages in November and December; practically no cruises in January and February. | April to November, busiest in May, August and October. Almost no cruises from December to March; in winter the bora blows, a strong, cold wind. |
| Typical itineraries | 7 nights: Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor and the Greek islands — for example Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, Olympia or Athens. From October to December, voyages of 10–14 nights or more, sometimes including Turkey. | 7 nights: Croatia, Montenegro, the Greek islands, sometimes southern Italy. Quite often 10–14 nights and grand voyages of 15 nights or more; some sailings end in another port. |
| The city before and after | The Grand Canal by vaporetto, St Mark's, the Rialto. Around 400 bridges with steps — awkward with a big case. On certain days, day visitors pay a fee to enter the centre. | Piazza Unità d'Italia and Molo Audace, the Grand Canal and Borgo Teresiano, San Giusto hill, historic cafés. Miramare Castle is 8 km from the centre. |
| Where to stay | Piazzale Roma and Santa Croce are closest to the port; Cannaregio by the station; Mestre on the mainland is usually cheaper and closer to Marghera and Fusina. | Piazza Unità and the waterfront — 2–5 minutes to the terminal; Borgo Teresiano — 10–15 minutes on foot; near the station if you arrive late. |
One sea, two places to board
From both ports, ships head down the Adriatic into the Eastern Mediterranean: Croatia, Montenegro and the Greek islands, mostly on week-long cruises. So the difference lies less in the route than in the journey, the berth and the season.
- Where your cruise really starts. "Venice" on an itinerary does not mean the historic centre: large ships berth at Marghera or Fusina, and check-in and the ship may not be in the same place. Trieste is simpler — the maritime station is in town. Still, check your boarding documents: now and then a ship is given a berth further out.
- Why departures moved. After the 2021 ban, some cruise lines moved sailings from Venice to Trieste, Monfalcone or Ravenna. The port is sometimes labelled "Trieste (Venice)" in the description, and Monfalcone is about 30 km from Trieste. Check the boarding port on your booking before you buy tickets or book a hotel.
- More choice in Venice in summer; Trieste holds its own in autumn. From May to August there are noticeably more sailings from Venice. Trieste peaks in May, August and October: in October almost as many ships leave as in August, and the last week-long sailings still go in November. From Venice, November and December bring only a handful of longer voyages.
- Longer and one-way voyages. Trieste has quite a few 10–14-night cruises and grand voyages of 15 nights or more, and some of them end in another port. These are one-way sailings: check the final port and plan your journey home straight away.
Torn between the Adriatic and the Aegean? See our comparison of Venice and Athens (Piraeus).
Venice before the cruise, Trieste to board
You can have the best of both. Fly into Venice, spend a day or two there, then take the train to Trieste in about two hours. Spend the last night before the cruise in Trieste: the morning train takes two hours, and any delay eats into your margin. On the way back, guests leave the ship until around 9 or 10 a.m., and Venice airport is about two hours from Trieste — so an evening flight is safer.
Common questions
Do large ships still sail from Venice itself?
Not from the historic centre. Since August 2021, ships over 25,000 tonnes or longer than 180 metres have been banned from the St Mark's Basin and the Giudecca Canal, so large ships berth at Marghera or Fusina on the mainland. For Marghera departures, check-in usually takes place at the Marittima terminal and a bus takes you to the ship. Only small ships berth by the centre, at Marittima and San Basilio.
Why do some cruises "from Venice" now leave from Trieste?
After the 2021 ban, some cruise lines start their sailings at Marghera or Fusina, and others moved departures to Trieste, Monfalcone or Ravenna. The port is sometimes labelled "Trieste (Venice)" in the cruise description, even though the two cities are about two hours apart. Go by the boarding port on your booking and boarding documents.
Which is easier to reach from the Netherlands and Belgium?
Venice: direct flights from Amsterdam and Brussels take about 1 hour 45 minutes, and the berths are 20–30 minutes from Marco Polo airport by taxi. For Trieste, most people take the same flight to Venice and travel on for 1.5–2 hours by car, or about two hours by train from Mestre. Direct flights to Trieste are few: a low-cost airline flies from Brussels Charleroi, and a seasonal route from Amsterdam has been announced from April 2027.
Which port is better in autumn?
Both work, but Trieste has the edge: October is one of its busiest months, with almost as many sailings as August, and the last sailings of the season still leave in November. From Venice, October has fewer sailings than summer, and in November and December only a handful of longer voyages remain.
How the club fits in
Cruises from Venice and Trieste that are available in the club work on the same terms as any other route. You choose one way to pay per booking: the member price (INsider Pricing), roughly 17% below the listed price, or your Reward Points, which can cover up to half of the cruise price. They do not add up. To pay up to 100% with points, you need to have accumulated enough points and book 270 days or more before departure.
Not every cruise line can be booked through the club: check the specific sailing in the club's search, or ask us and we will tell you which Venice and Trieste dates are available in the month you have in mind.
How booking with points works →
Seasons and destinations are summarised from cruise line schedules for 2026–2027 and may change; check the current itinerary and terminal information before you travel. Percentages describe the club's rules and are indicative. Reislite is an independent information site run by partners, not a website of inCruises.