Use the train. Italy has an extensive rail network that is easy for visitors to use. Reservations are required so purchase tickets at least a day in advance. There are many daily trains between Rome and Venice. Most trains leave from Rome's Termini station. Most are part of the Eurostar line, Italy's high speed transit system. Non-stop service takes approximately five hours to complete. Service that isn't non-stop may stop at cities along the way such as Bologna and Florence. A layover in the either city can allow time to explore either one. Train stations in Bologna and Florence are located in the center of the city.
Make sure the train you are using stops in Venice rather than Mestre. Mestre is an industrial city thirty minutes from Venice by additional train. The train station in Venice brings one to the northern part of the city. Visitors can get to their hotel rooms by local boats called vaporetto or even by walking there.
Driving lets you control when you depart. Rome is roughly 350 miles from Venice. The trip should take about five to six hours. The main highway from Rome to Venice is called the A1-DIR. The highway is well marked and easy to follow. The A1 will take you around Florence and Bologna. Once past Bologna, take the A14 to circle around the city. Once this has been completed, you can take the A13 towards the exit labeled Padova -- Interporto. This exit will bring you to Padova's ring road and then to the A4 and then to E55 and SS11. The SS11 will lead to the outskirts of Venice in an area called the Piazzale Roma. Drop off the car here if you are staying in the city. Most of Venice can only be traveled by boat or on foot.
Take a cruise ship. Cruise ships cannot dock in Rome. They can dock, however, in the port of Civitavecchia, roughly an hour away from the city by bus. Visitors can explore Rome. Then they can take a cruise ship around the coast of Italy to see Venice. Travel by cruise ship can allow visitors to see sights along the coastline of Italy such as the island of Capri and medieval city of Ravenna. Cruise ships dock off the coast of Venice. Passengers are then ferried to the city in small boats. A cruise ship can be a useful way to see Italy for travelers who have time and wish to avoid adhering to train schedules and confusing Italian roadways.
