Airline tickets from Chisinau to Venice

Who flies from Chisinau to Venice and how much a ticket costs

There are no connecting flights between Chisinau and Venice. Tickets on the Chisinau - Venice route are sold by two airlines: Wizz Air and the Moldovan carrier HiSky, both operating direct, non-stop flights. The flight takes about 2 hours 10-15 minutes, making it one of the shortest flights from Chisinau airport to Italy.

Flights operate several times a week, on average 3 departures. Tickets on this route can be found from €30, but the price depends heavily on the month: it's cheapest in autumn and winter, and most expensive, as expected, in May-August. If your plans are flexible, check the monthly prices further up this page and book your ticket 2-4 months before departure — with low-cost carriers, that's usually the best time to buy.

Marco Polo Airport: what to know before you fly

The flight from Chisinau lands at Marco Polo Airport (code VCE), Venice's main air gateway. The airport isn't in the city itself but on the mainland, in the Tessera area, about 8-13 km from the historic centre. It's worth knowing this in advance: stepping out of the terminal doesn't mean you're in Venice yet — you'll still need to get into the city separately, by bus or by water.

The second thing to keep in mind: cars aren't allowed into Venice's historic centre. Taxis and buses only go as far as Piazzale Roma; beyond that, you get around the city on foot, by vaporetto (water bus) or by boat. If you're travelling with a large wheeled suitcase, be prepared to carry it by hand over the bridges and cobblestones — Venice has more than four hundred bridges.

How to get from the airport to central Venice

There are several options, and they differ a lot in price and convenience.

Method	Travel time	Cost	Detail
ATVO / ACTV bus to Piazzale Roma	20-30 minutes	€8-10	The cheapest and most predictable option; the ticket can be bought from a machine at the airport
Alilaguna water bus	60-75 minutes	€15-17	Goes straight to Piazza San Marco or the Rialto bridge — slower, but with lagoon views
Taxi to Piazzale Roma	15-20 minutes	from €40	You'll still need to switch to a vaporetto or walk from there
Private water taxi	about 30 minutes	from €110	Drops you right at the dock by your hotel, with no transfers

For most travellers, the ATVO bus offers the best balance of price and convenience, or, if you'd like a scenic arrival by water, Alilaguna. Round-trip tickets are better bought in advance — buying online works out slightly cheaper than at the counter on site.

Passport and visa: what you need for the trip

Citizens of Moldova holding a biometric passport don't need a visa for Italy. The visa-free regime with the Schengen countries has been in effect since 2014 and allows a stay in the Schengen area of up to 90 days within any 180-day period, which is more than enough for a few days in Venice.

An important detail: the rule only applies to biometric passports. Travellers with an older, non-biometric document won't be allowed across the border without a visa, so it's worth checking which type of passport you hold before buying tickets.

One more thing that will come into play toward the end of 2026: the European Union is launching ETIAS, an electronic travel authorisation costing €20, which will need to be obtained online in advance and will be linked to your passport for three years. It doesn't replace or cancel the visa requirement — it's an additional requirement on top of the visa-free regime. The exact start date hasn't been announced yet; the EU has said it will give a few months' notice, so if you're planning a trip toward the end of the year, it's worth watching the news before buying your ticket.

How much money to bring to Venice

You pay in euros in Venice — Moldovan lei won't be accepted, and it will be hard to exchange them even at currency exchange offices. The simplest approach is to withdraw euros from an ATM on the spot or exchange a small amount in advance in Chisinau, then use a card, which is accepted almost everywhere except the smallest market stalls.

Expense category	Rough cost per person
Cicchetti (Venetian snacks) at a bar	from €2
Lunch at a cheap pizzeria or trattoria	€15-20
Dinner at a restaurant with wine	from €30-40
Museum ticket (Doge's Palace, Gallerie dell'Accademia)	€8-16
Vaporetto ride (single ticket)	about €9.5
Gondola ride (boat for up to 5 people, daytime)	€90

An evening gondola ride after 7pm costs more — the city's official rate is €110 per boat. Group gondola tours with a guide are cheaper, from €37-40 per person, if you'd like a ride without paying for a private boat.

When to fly: unusual but beautiful dates for a trip

Venice is interesting beyond the peak season too. Here are a few dates worth keeping in mind when planning:

• Carnival. Ten days before the start of Lent, usually in February. Costumes, masks and water all at once — the most spectacular and most crowded time in the city.
• Festa del Redentore. The third weekend of July. On Saturday night into Sunday, fireworks are launched over the Giudecca Canal, and hundreds of boats full of guests turn into floating dinner tables.
• Historical Regatta. The first Sunday of September. Races in traditional boats along the Grand Canal — a spectacle without the crowds of Carnival.
• Off-season, November-January. Fewer tourists, lower ticket prices (as shown in the table above), but a higher risk of acqua alta, high water that can flood Piazza San Marco. If that's part of the experience for you rather than a nuisance, this is the most atmospheric time to visit.

If you want to avoid queues and the day-tripper tourist tax, which in 2026 applies on specific dates in April-July, the simplest option is to fly outside those periods or book overnight accommodation — the tax doesn't apply to those staying overnight in the city.

A few more things worth knowing about Venice before your first trip

A few practical details that will come in handy on the ground. The Rialto Market, the city's oldest trading hub, operates in the mornings; the fish stalls are closed on Mondays and Sundays, while the vegetable section, the Erberia, is open every day except Sunday. It's cheaper and livelier here than at the tourist cafés near Piazza San Marco.

Among the things genuinely worth bringing home: Murano glass — but it's better to buy it on Murano island itself rather than from street vendors in the centre, where cheap copies are often sold as the real thing. The same goes for lace from Burano island: look for the authentic version in workshops there, not in souvenir shops along the waterfront.

And finally: comfortable shoes here aren't a suggestion, they're a necessity. Cobblestones, bridges with steps, and distances that are easier to walk than to queue for a vaporetto add up fast over just a couple of days in Venice.