Carnival in Venice for Small Groups
This time the Carnival starts on 23 January 2027 and ends with Martedì Grasso, Shrove Tuesday, on 9 February. Masks, music and crowds fill the historic centre, where the only ways to travel are your own two feet and the boats.
Your vehicle stops at the edge
Coaches, minibuses and cars all halt at Piazzale Roma, the one corner of the historic city a road reaches, or at Tronchetto, where buses may stop for short spells of up to an hour. Then you walk, or hop on a vaporetto, to San Marco. Bicycles are banned in the centre, even pushed, so leave them at home.
That makes the minibus a shuttle rather than a tour bus. Families and groups of friends often sleep on the mainland in Mestre or Marghera, ride in each morning, and are collected at an agreed time in the evening. Fix the pick-up point and hour before everyone scatters into the crowds.
Finding your way inside
Look for the yellow signs painted on walls: they point you towards Rialto, San Marco, the station and Piazzale Roma, and following that last one brings you back to the vehicle. Gondola ferries called traghetti cross the Grand Canal, and water taxis are there for those who prefer not to walk.
If the water rises, raised walkways keep the main routes on foot open. On certain days the city also asks day visitors to pay an access fee, and the 2027 calendar was not yet out in early October 2026, so check the city's site before you travel.
Dates and places
- The historic centre of Venice, with the main events around Piazza San Marco and on the canals
- 23 January - 9 February 2027
Quieter days around the lagoon
Carnival weeks are long, and a day away does everyone good. Treviso is about 50 minutes from Piazzale Roma, Padova around 50 minutes and Vicenza, with its Palladian villas, a little over an hour.
What travellers ask us
How far is the airport from Piazzale Roma?
Venice Marco Polo is about 15 km away, roughly 25 minutes in light traffic, so an arrival-day transfer straight to your hotel is short.
Is the minibus allowed into Venice during Carnival?
It drives as far as Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto, as on any other day. The operator arranges the bus pass that most of the municipality requires.
Where does the Carnival actually happen?
Across the historic centre, the biggest moments centring on Piazza San Marco and the canals. The official Carnival site publishes the dates and the details.