The Italian port of Ravenna – Porto Corsini – is now home to many cruise ships that used to start their cruise itineraries to the Mediterranean or the Greek Isles from the ports in Venice.
Why?
Venice is known as a floating city. Much has been reported about rising water levels and the ancient streets at risk of crumbling. Therefore, congestion in port traffic has resulted in some cruise ships being banned from docking in Venice.
And that has given Ravennas port, Porto Corsini, time to shine.
Previously unfamiliar to cruise guests, Ravenna recently gained a lot of attention when the port authority awarded Royal Caribbean a contract to build a brand new terminal there.
The plan is that the new cruise port terminal will be in operation from 2024.
Until then, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises are using the existing terminals in Ravenna to dock their ships bound for the Mediterranean, the Greek Isles, and beyond.
The port’s name is Port Corsini, and it is located about 13km northeast of Ravenna city center.
Visit Venice before your cruise from Ravenna
You must check with your cruise line which ports to head to before booking your flight and transport arrangements. Have you booked a cruise from Venice, or are you now leaving from Ravenna? Most cruise guests are eager to spend time in Venice before they transfer to Ravenna.
And so you should. Find out about visiting Venice, where to stay, and what to do on our Venice information page.
The good news is that getting to Ravenna from Venice is not difficult, but allow travel time. Of course, there will be a transport cost; you should plan for this in your vacation budget. There are a few different options at different price points that we list in this article.
Historic and charming Ravenna
Ravenna, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, is a beautiful, historic city 150 km south of Venice on the Adriatic Sea. It takes about 2.5 to 3 hours to travel from Venice.
Proudly home to eight UNESCO World Heritage monuments, Ravenna is a treasure trove to explore. It is famous for its stunning Early Christian and Byzantine mosaics. And the historical center of Ravenna is a charming maze of tiny streets packed with museums, parks, cafes, restaurants, and boutiques. Shop the main streets of Via Cavour, Via Diaz, and Via Cairoli to find small artisan shops, local wines, and food.
Ravenna is the old capital of the Roman Empire, and to appreciate the history of your surroundings, it is worth booking a guided tour before you leave home. Or you can contact the official tourism board for more information and prices here.
With 35 km of coastline along the Adriatic seas, Ravenna’s best beaches and lidos include Papeete Beach and Lido Adriano, but they are quite a drive from the city, at least 30 minutes by car.
How to get there
The best way to get to Ravenna from Venice is by train. If you are staying on Venice island, purchase train tickets from Venezia S. Lucia train station to Ravenna, changing trains at Ferrara or Bologna.
Trenitalia and Italotreno are the primary train operators in Italy. They have high-speed trains connecting you to major cities and numerous regional trains.
We recommend that you search, compare, and book train tickets in Italy before you leave home. Omio, which offers train tickets with both these carriers, is an easy-to-navigate price comparison website in English. It provides all available options for your journey and allows you to compare prices to ensure you get the best deal. And bookings can be made in your local currency. Just change the currency on the upper right corner of the website if you need to.
Alternatively, you can book tickets directly with Trenitalia or Italotreno on their website for about three months within your travel date.
You can also wait until you get there to purchase train tickets directly at the train station. The cost of a single journey between Venice island and Ravenna for an adult is around 25 euros per person. However, note that if you want a specific train time and a guaranteed seat onboard, we recommend booking before you leave home.
Outside the train station in Ravenna, taxis take you to the port. The price is about 21 euros, and the journey is about 15 minutes. If it’s a national holiday or an evening/night journey, the price will be around 26 euros. If you are staying at a hotel in the city, the train station is very central, and some hotels are within walking distance.
Where to stay in Ravenna
We recommend at least one hotel night in Ravenna before your cruise starts to ensure you do not miss your embarkation time. Ideally, you will arrive in time to spend at least one day in Ravenna before your cruise.
If you plan to book hotels in Ravenna, here are our top 3 choices:
Palazzo Bezzi Ravenna
Situated on Via de Roma in the historic heart of Ravenna, Hotel Palazzo Bezzi is an elegant 4-star hotel with nicely designed rooms, an excellent restaurant, and a large roof terrace. Choose between standard, superior, and executive-class rooms. Or a junior suite that offers an additional sofabed if you are more than two guests traveling together. This intimate hotel has only 32 rooms, so book early if you visit in peak season to avoid disappointment.
Hotel NH Ravenna
Another great NH hotel in the NH chain of hotels you find across Europe. This cosmopolitan hotel is a great choice between the historic district and Ravenna railway station.
If you plan to book train tickets, the hotel is a short 5-minute walk away. Expect a 4-star standard and excellent, friendly concierge service. We recommend that you sign up for the NH Rewards Program. Signing up is free, and you can earn points for every night you stay at an NH Hotel. The more points you have, the more significant the discounts and free upgrades.
Exclusive Hotel Residence La Reunion
This private hotel opened its doors to guests in 2003 and offers well-priced suites with fully equipped kitchens. The high standard of accommodation is perfect for families who want to self-cater but enjoy a hotel’s convenience.
Include breakfast in your booking, and enjoy the hotel’s organically grown local produce. You are right in the city’s heart and within walking distance of the UNESCO Byzantine Monuments.
Airports close to Ravenna
If you prefer to skip visiting Venice and fly straight to Ravenna, the closest airports are Rimini (60km) and Bologna International (80km). Book a private transfer from the airport to your hotel in Ravenna in advance for a seamless door-to-door journey.
Alternatively, you can hop into a taxi at one of the official taxis outside the arrival terminal. The journey time is around 1hr and 20 minutes and will cost you about 150-180 euros.
A much more cost-effective way to travel is by train from Bologna to Ravenna. You must get the airport shuttle train (Marconi Express) or a taxi to Bologna central train station, 6km from the airport. From the train station, there is a direct train to Ravenna. The journey time by train is a little over one hour and costs around 8 euros per person.
If flying into Rimini airport, take a taxi to the main central station. From there, you can get a direct train to Ravenna. Journey time is just under one hour, and a one-way ticket costs around 5 euros per person.
How to get to the port of Ravenna from the historical center
Taxi
Once you are checked into your hotel, ask the hotel concierge to arrange a taxi to take you from your hotel to the port on the morning of your cruise.
The journey time is around 15 minutes. Check your cruise ticket, but you will most likely be starting your cruise from the cruise terminal located in Porto Corsini. Porto Corsini is a small seaside resort located about 12km from the center of Ravenna. There are local buses from the central train station in Ravenna if you prefer, and you can find more information and a pdf of bus times on our page here.
Check the price with the concierge and confirm this with your driver before you leave the hotel. We really wouldn’t recommend any other way. Remember you have your cruise packing and luggage with you, so the quickest and easiest route from A to B makes sense.
Private Transfer
A private car costs around 50 euros to take you from Ravenna center to the port. Book before you leave home. You can search and book the option that suits you best before by comparing prices with a trusted supplier such as Omio or a local transfer service such as Scaioli.
Bus
There are local buses from the central train station in Ravenna to Porto Corsini. Take bus number 90 from via Maroncelli, near the train station. The ticket is available at Punto Bus, outside the station on the right (current price € 2,10)
Click for the current schedule that is valid until June 7. You can also find more information and a pdf of bus times on our page here.
In addition, between 14th May to 22nd October, each Sunday mornin, a shuttle bus runs from the center of Ravenna to port Corsini. For departure times and booking information, see Ravenna’s tourism website. The journey time is about 30 minutes and costs 15 euros per person.
Car
Are you renting a car during your trip to Italy and want to drive to the port?
Unfortunately, Porto Corsini has no guarded nor dedicated parking areas, only free parking on the street.
The tourist board in Ravenna instead lists places where you can park your car in garages here. To get to the cruise terminal from the parking garages, use a taxi (tel. +39 0544 33888).
Are you finishing your cruise in Ravenna?
For more information and tips about getting from the port to central Ravenna after your cruise, where to store your luggage, what to see and do, or where to get a rental car, read our One day in Ravenna article. And if you have more questions, you are welcome to email us at info@cruisetrail.com.
very helpful and informative
We had sailed from Venice in 2016 and found it so convenient. So when we booked a RCL from Venice we did so because of convenience. My husband is now handicapped, so you can imagine our surprise when we found out that Ravenna is 3 hrs. from Venice. RCL did not make this clear at all. Venice (Ravenna), Italy. We though Ravenna was the Pier we would leave from. RCL did not make clear that they would have a shuttle bus leaving that morning to Ravenna. We found out on a blog! We had planned to rent a car and drive to Lake Como and then leave from Milan, only learning to find out that the Car Rental Offices are closed on Sundays.
Would be nice if this site gave information about if you are arriving in the port instead of departing from the port.
Hello!
Many thanks for your feedback. This article indeed focuses on information for travelers departing from the port of Ravenna on a cruise.
You will find the information you are looking for in another of our articles entitled: How to spend one day in Ravenna (https://cruisetrail.com/one-day-in-ravenna/).
Here you find information on how to get from the port to central Ravenna, where to store your luggage, sightseeing tips for the day, and even hotel suggestions if you want to stay in Ravenna.
In saying that, we should have linked to this page so you could easily find this information. We have now done this.
Many thanks for your feedback. It is comments like this that ensure we keep improving our website.