To Venice carnival from Zagreb: travel notes

I found myself travelling to the Carnival of Venice from Zagreb by accident… but a lucky accident for that matter)))
In this post, I will summarize the tips for travelling to the Venice Carnival from my personal experience:

First,

Croatia-Italy border

Because the borders between Croatia and the Schengen Zone have been fully opened since the 1st of January 2023, it’s gotten a lot easier to get to Venice through Slovenia.
In other words, make sure your GPS is leading you through Ljubljana while planning your route. The distance between Zagreb and Venice needs to amount to 370 km.

Despite the opened borders, it is MANDATORY to have your travelling passport with you, as well as your biometric card or any other form of EU ID

On the border between Croatia and Slovenia, you will have to pass the face-control interview; such is the current reality.
On the border between Slovenia and Italy, you aren’t likely to be interviewed or stopped at all ;)

Second,

About the paid highways in Slovenia and Italy

Depending on the duration of your trip it might be more comfortable to pay for driving on the roads of Slovenia on the official website of the Slovenian highways – evinjeta.dars.si

You don’t have to pay for the paid segment of the Italian roads in advance; most of the Italian paid roads function on a “pay as you go” basis and therefore you’d be paying when you exit the highway. The total sum to pay is calculated according to the card that you get at the entry to the highway.

Travelling through the paid segment of the Slovenian-Italian road segment leading to Venice costs exactly 10,40 Euro

Third,

How much gasoline you need to get from Zagreb to Venice

I had the full tank (about 40-45 litres) when leaving Zagreb, and I added 20 litres more on the way back; as a result, the trip from Zagreb to Venice and back took about 60-65 litres of fuel to cover. However, please note that every car model has a different fuel expenditure. The speed of your driving may also affect how much gasoline you end up burning.
Now, in numbers:

1 litre of 95 gasoline in Italy costs about 1,92 Euro
1 litre of 95 gasoline in Slovenia costs about 1,62 Euro
1 litre of 95 gasoline in Croatia costs about 1,42 Euro

Four,

The cost of parking in Venice

Below, I am attaching the exact address of the parking in Venice where we found vacant spaces with no queue, even on the days of Carnival of Venice

Venezia – Tronchetto parking
https://maps.app.goo.gl/aKyjDZPZJsAF9Trd6
Адрес Isola Nuova del Tronchetto, 33/M – 30135 Venezia

On the website of the parking you may look up the available vacant spaces in real time
Venezia – Tronchetto parking tronchettoparking.it

Parking in the Tronchetto Parking for 24 hours costs 26 euro

The rest of the prices are indicated on the parking website.

Five,

How to get from the parking to centre of Venice?

You may travel from the Tronchetto Parking to the centre of Venice by

big passenger ferries – the ticket costs about 10 Euro and needs to be pre-arranged
private boats or water taxis – that option would cost about 70 euro, but you may attempt to bargain
the electric train – unfortunately, I haven’t opted for that option so I haven’t got any personal tips. I will make my research out of interest. All I can say is that the train stop is located near the parking
as a pedestrian – people passing by have promised us that one can get to the centre of Venice on foot in just 20 minutes. Again, I haven’t had a chance to check it for myself as I travelled with a ferry; if anyone has managed to travel there by foot, please do let us know :)

Six,

Hotels and apartments in Venice not expensive

Venice is full of hotels and apartments, so it’s safe to say everyone will be able to find accommodation even in anticipation of the Carnival; right before arrival, you’d be able to claim a discount from booking.com

Look and find at the prices of the hotels and apartments in Venice online

Booking.com

Seven,

The tour in Venice with a local guide

Very often, we are interested in finding out about a new place from the local guide.
A truly professional guide knows all the exciting history and all the most interesting places, that one won’t find in the tourist guides.
And of course, only a person living locally will know all the best restaurants and cafes.
A local guide will be able to navigate the tour considering your tastes and wishes, as well as spare your wallet from unnecessary spending ;) ;)

P.S. Venice Carnival 2024 runs from January 27 to February 13, 2024

Have a good holiday in Venice and loads of unforgettable memories!