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 much 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, located about 15km northeast of Ravenna city center.
Visit Venice before your cruise from Ravenna
You must check which ports to head to with your cruise line 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. We list a few different options at different price points 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 at least 30 minutes by car from the city.
How to get there
The best way to get to Ravenna from Venice is by train. If you are staying on Venice island, purchase 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 we recommend booking before you leave home if you want a specific train time and a guaranteed seat onboard.
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 (longer if the traffic is heavy). 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.
Click to search, compare, and book hotel accommodation in Ravenna.
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.
How to get from Bologna Airport to central Ravenna by train
A cost-effective way to travel from Bologna Airport to central Ravenna is by train. You must first get the airport shuttle train (Marconi Express) or a taxi to Bologna central train station, 6km from the airport.
Marconi Express tickets from Bologne Airport to Bologne can be purchased in advance using your credit card on their website. Alternatively, if you have a contactless credit card, you can just touch your card on the validator machine at the station and touch the same card again as you exit. It automatically calculates the price of your fare.
Note that if you buy tickets there using your contactless credit card, you must each use your own credit card. You cannot touch the same card for the whole family. There is a helpful video here to watch which shows you how it works.
From the central Bologna train station, you can book a direct train to Ravenna. The journey time by train is a little over one hour and costs around 8 euros per person.
How to get from Rimini Airport to central Ravenna by train
If flying into Rimini airport, take a taxi to the main train station first. From there, you can book 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 20 minutes. Check your cruise ticket, but you will most likely be starting your cruise from the cruise terminal in Porto Corsini. Porto Corsini is a small seaside resort located about 15km from the center of Ravenna.
Check the price with the concierge and confirm this with your driver before you leave the hotel. Remember you have your cruise luggage, so the quickest and easiest route from A to B makes sense.
If you prefer to arrange a taxi yourself, you will find the number of the local taxi company in Ravenna on their website.
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.
Local Buses and Shuttlebuses
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).
The bus takes between 20 to 30 minutes to get to the port. Click here for the current schedule. The bus stop closest to the cruise port is the Porto Corsini Traghetto stop.
In addition, between the 14th of May and to 22nd of October, shuttle buses and minivans run from the center of Ravenna to Port Corsini. See Ravenna’s tourism website for departure times, dates, and booking information. The journey time is about 50 minutes and costs 20 euros per person.
Car
Are you renting a car during your trip to Italy and want to drive to the port?
Porto Corsini has no guarded nor dedicated parking areas, only free parking on the street. Ravenna tourist information 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).
Note! Always check carefully regarding the pick-up and drop-off of your rental car, as many car rental offices are closed on Sundays.
FAQ
Here are the answers to the most common questions about Ravenna! If you cannot find the help you are looking for, email us at info@cruisetrail.com!
How far is Ravenna from the cruise port?
Central Ravenna is approximately 13 km from the cruise port, Port Corsini. It takes about 15 minutes from the cruise port to reach central Ravenna in a taxi and 30 minutes using a local bus.
Which port does Royal Caribbean use in Ravenna?
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines uses Port Corsini (Porto Corsini). As cruise lines can change itineraries at any time, we always advise that you check your cruise ticket for the exact name of the port for your departure.
Is Ravenna Cruise Port in Venice?
No, Ravenna Cruise Port is not in Venice. Ravenna is a separate town located about 2.5 hours south of Venice. The cruise port is actually located 11km outside of Ravenna and is called Port Corsini.
How long is the transfer from Venice to Ravenna cruise port?
The transfer time from Venice to Ravenna cruise port is around 3 hours by road. If you take the train, the journey takes under 3 hours. Be prepared to change trains once during the journey, often in Ferrera. You can take the train from Venice island, the train station’s name is Venice Santa Lucia, to central Ravenna. From central Ravenna, there are buses and taxis to the cruise port.
Is there a boat transfer from Venice to Ravenna?
There is no boat transfer that can take you from Venice to Ravenna.
Does Royal Caribbean have a shuttle bus transfer from the airport in Venice to the port?
Royal Caribbean offer a shuttle bus transfer from Marco Polo Airport in Venice to the port near Ravenna. Note there are no bathrooms onboard the bus. However, they stop during the 3-hour journey for a comfort break. The total travel time often ends up being closer to 3.5 hours. Expect to pay around USD $ 45 per person for a transfer. Book your transfer with Royal Caribbean in advance by calling Air2Sea at Royal Caribbean using the number local to your region on their website.
Royal Caribbean only offers a transfer from the airport to the cruise port if you book flights with them arriving the same day as the cruise departs. This may change, so always check with the cruise line.
Are you ending your cruise in Ravenna?
Read our One Day in Ravenna article 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. And if you have more questions, you are welcome to email us at info@cruisetrail.com.
We were due to sail into Ravenna on Royal Caribbean on 24th September but were diverted into Trieste supposedly due to bad weather which resulted in us having to take a 4 hour coach journey at 3am. However the Marella cruise ship docked successfully in Ravenna. I wondered if you had any insight into why Royal decided to divert and Marella went ahead?
Hi Laura
Thank you for contacting us at CruiseTrail.
Unfortunately it is difficult to get exact reasons from the cruise line as to why they made an itinerary change at short notice, and another cruise ship was able to go ahead and dock.
We recommend that you contact your cruise line and also your insurance company to see if any form of compensation is offered for the change.
I understand how frustrating it must have been to have to endure a long coach journey in the middle of the night. Explain to Royal how this affected your travel plans, and if they are prepared to offer a voucher or discount for a future sailing.
Hi Sarah,
After sending you my initial comments, I clicked on more links and found the answers to my questions regarding my cruise ending at Porto Corsini and ways to travel to Venice afterwards. I’ve decided to take a taxi from Porto Corsini to the main railway station in Ravenna then buy a train ticket to Venezia Mestre. I have one question for you….I’ll buy the train ticket in advance but if I arrive at the railway station in time to catch an earlier train to Venezia Mestre, will it be possible for me to exchange my ticket for the earlier train provided that seats are available? Your website has a wealth of information for your readers which is so much appreciated! Thank you!
Hello Tony
Many thanks for contacting us at CruiseTrail. Firstly, I apologize for the late reply, your comment had slipped by us and I missed answering you promptly.
Your plans sound good. Regarding the purchase of regional train tickets, they are good to use if you want to take a train following the time booked, according the the terms of Trenitalia, which you can read here. Click on the section called “The regional electronic ticket”.
I hope you have a great cruise vacation and good luck with your train journey to Venezia Mestre. Bear in mind the Mestre is on the mainland, and Santa Lucia train station is on Venice island itself. So depending where your hotel is located, do disembark at the correct station.
Hi Sarah,
Your article is very informative! My Celebrity Cruises ends at Port Corsini and I plan to visit Venice for a few days before departing Venice Marco Polo airport. I understand the most economical way to travel to Venice is by train.
Celebrity Cruises offer a Ravenna Rail Station transfer from Port Corsini departing at 7am. It drops us off at Piazza Luigi Carlo Farini 13, Ravenna. I assume that Piazza Luigi Carlo Farini is located close to the rail station. The duration says 3 hrs but I thought you mentioned the journey time would only take about 50 minutes.
Departure times from Ravenna Rail Station to Venice are at 08:44, 09:44, 10:44, etc. Which departure time do you suggest I should reserve? Thanks in advance!
Hi
we are party of 8 joining a cruise in Ravenna Corsini Cruise port
17Aug boarding
18Aug departure at 5pm
we would like to go to Venice on 18Aug to leave corsini terminal between 6-6:30 AM so we can be back by 3:30PM to the ship
is this doable? any recommendation for round trip transportation? corsini cruise port-venice-corsini cruise port? any idea how much it will cost? any tour operator who offers half day city tour to Venice from Ravenna? any help or assistance from you will be greatly appreciated.
thanks
Hi Jay, and many thanks for contacting us at CruiseTrail! How exciting you have a Mediterranean cruise to look forward to soon!
Many standard tours for day trips to Venice require at least 10 hours. The journey time each way is around 3 hours, depending on traffic. You will have very limited time to explore Venice once there, and I would be very concerned about making it back to the ship on time.
I would doubt that an independent tour company would or could guarantee to get you back to your ship on time. Have you contacted your cruise line to ask if they offer a shore excursion to Venice you can join? That way, they would have to get you and all other passengers back to the ship on time.
If the cruise line does not offer a shore excursion, I strongly advise you to visit Venice BEFORE embarking on your cruise or after you have returned from your cruise. To stay some nights at a hotel and enjoy the city stress-free is a much nicer way to experience Venice as it can be extremely crowded this time of year, so it takes much longer to get around.
I wish you a fantastic cruise vacation!
Hello!
Does royal carribean have an own shuttle between Marco polo and Cruise terminal? Cost for that?
Do you know? Thanks
Hello Karin!
Thank you for your question! Royal Caribbean do offer shuttle bus transfers between Marco Polo airport and the cruise terminal. The latest information we have received from the cruise line is that you need to book the shuttle bus on the phone with them if you have booked your cruise directly with them. If you booked your cruise using a travel agent, then your travel agent will need to book the shuttle bus for you.
Expect to pay from around $50 per person, prices are subject to change. The journey time is between 2 to 3 hours depending on time of day and traffic.
Ensure that you receive updated cruise documents with your shuttle bus booking included on the documents, together with instructions on where to go upon arrival to find your shuttle bus.
Good luck with your booking and have a great cruise vacation!
We have booked a transfer from the train station to the port. Can you advise the closest parking area to the station, as we will be leaving our car for the i Ravenna for the duration of the cruise.
Hello Mary and thank you for contacting us.
We have received information from the tourism board in Ravenna regarding parking.
Unfortunately there isn’t a private parking garage in Porto Corsini, but you can park your car in one of those in Ravenna.
There closest garages in Via Maroncelli near the the train station are:
Garage Mariani
Garage Navoni
Garage La Torre
There is also some more information here with address and contact telephone numbers:
https://www.turismo.ra.it/en/getting-around-ravenna/parking-in-ravenna/
We hope this information is of help to you and wish you a wonderful cruise vacation.
Thanks Sarah.. after reading your Ravenna article I am more excited to visit the city, how ever I am little bit confused and need help.
I will be landing in Bologna around 1600 hrs 16 July and my plan is to travel straight to Ravenna, stay one night in Ravenna and take the cruise in the evening from Porto Corsini.
But I am having difficulty to find the way to travel to Ravenna….I am getting mixed and confusing information about the train from Bologna to Ravenna.
I hope you will be able to help me?
Hello!
Thank you for contacting us at Cruise Trail!
How exciting that you have an upcoming cruise from Ravenna!
The journey from Bologna airport to central Ravenna is best done in two stages:
1) travel from the airport to Bologna central station
2) travel from Bologna central station to Ravenna
To get from Bologna airport to Bologna central train station, you can take a taxi (the journey is about 6 km), or you can take the Marconi Express train which goes from the airport and is clearly signposted. Buy a ticket for the Marconi Express at the ticket machines.
Once you reach Bologna central train station, check the information board for the track number of your train to Ravenna.
There are trains every hour from Bologna central train station to central Ravenna until the late evening. We recommend that you purchase a ticket in advance from Omio and choose the time that suits you best.
We hope this information helps you and wish you a fantastic cruise vacation!
Hello,
Thank you for your excellent article. So informative. I do have a question if possible? How long would the local bus take from Ravenna to the port. We wouldn’t be meeting the cruise on a Sunday, would be a Thursday. You have mentioned above a bus no:90 from the train station @€2, however would it take forever to get there in this one?
Again, thank you for such good information.
Hayley
Hello Hayley!
Thank you for contacting us at CruiseTrail!
We think the local bus is a great way to reach the port, but it will take longer than a taxi so be sure to plan well so you check in for your cruise in good time. The journey is around 20 to 30 minutes and the latest bus timetable for the route from central Ravenna to Port Corsini is linked in our article above under “Local Buses and Shuttle Buses”. Please note travel times may vary depending on traffic and timetables may change depending on National holidays etc. We recommend that you also have the contact telephone number to the local taxi service (linked in our article under “Taxi”) should you have an transportation problems.
I hope this information helps! We wish you a fantastic cruise vacation!
Hi,
We are arriving in Venice 3 days before our cruise in September and thinking about renting a car at the airport then leisurely driving down to Ravenna. Is there any car rental office at Port Corsini where we can drop off a car or do we have to do it downtown and transfer? (Was looking at booking.com and did not see if that was possible)
Hi Joseph!
Thank you for contacting us! There is an Avis, Europcar and Hertz in Ravenna, and other more locals car rental companies, however we do not know of any close to the port. You will need to return the car to the same rental company as you use in Venice, so do check with them if they have a depot in Ravenna and they will provide address details to you for drop off. I recommend that you also enquire if there is an additional “one-way” fee to pay on top of the rental cost, as you are picking up from one location and dropping off at another.
From the train station, there are taxis available to take you to the cruise port.
I hope this answers your question – enjoy your vacation!
Hello,
I plan on booking a private group transfer after our cruise on Explorer Of The Seas at Ravenna.
What would you recommend for a pick-up time?
Hi Keith!
Thank you for your message. Often cruise ships are scheduled to arrive quite early into Ravenna port, around 6am. You can see the estimated time on your cruise itinerary.
If weather conditions (such as fog, not unusual around this region) affect the docking then it could be a little later. I would certainly do the following:
1. Check with the cruise line for advice before booking, but I would probably arrange a pick-up time around 9.30am (assuming you do not have a planned flight/train time).
2. Talk to your transfer company to find out their recommendation, as they will most likely be used to meeting disembarking passengers at the cruise port.
3. Ask your transfer company for a contact phone number to your driver, they sometimes use WhatsApp to stay in touch with passengers in case of delay. Also check that you will not incur any waiting charges if you are delayed.
4. Once you are onboard, speak to guest services and inform them of your plans, so you can request the disembarkation time that suits you. You may find it quicker to take your luggage yourselves off the ship, rather than have the cruise line handle this for you.
Good luck! I hope you enjoy your cruise vacation!
thanks for your detailed information, now i would like to know the safety if taking a taxi or train from the airport to the hotel and then from the hotel to the port also can you give other option for the hotel you recommend a lesser in price.
Hello!
Thank you for contacting us! As with all forms of public transport, be aware of your belongings when traveling. We recommend that you only accept taxi rides from the official taxis and not from anyone approaching you at the airport. Italy is generally considered a safe destination, and I have never felt unsafe. Beyond that, it isn’t possible to offer any assurances.
Regarding transportation from Ravenna to the port, there are various options to choose from, such as shuttle buses, local buses, private transfers, and taxis. More information can be found on our Ravenna page, including a link to booking a shuttle bus.
Regarding hotel accommodation, there are many hotels to choose from in Ravenna. Prices will depend on the type of room you choose and when you travel. We recommend that you compare prices for all the hotels in Ravenna that have availability for your date of travel using our travel partner Booking.com where you can compare prices and read more about the hotel on their website to choose the best one to suit your needs.
We hope this helps you with your booking of transport and hotels in Ravenna and wish you a wonderful stay!
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.
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.
hi , i also booked a cruise with Royal Caribbean and thought Ravenna was the pier!! Thank god i stumbled across this article and figured it out. But what shuttle are you talking about? We are staying in Venice 2 nights then decided to go to Ravenna on a train and spend the night there before the cruise. But is there a bus shuttle that we can get?
Hello!
Thank you for contacting us at CruiseTrail!
Between the 14th of May until the 22nd of October, each Sunday a shuttle bus runs from the center of Ravenna to Port Corsini. For departure times and booking information, please refer to the section above with the headline Local Buses and Shuttlebuses. The journey time is about 50 minutes and costs from 20 euros per person. You can book your seat online and choose the date, time, and place of departure when you book.
If you need to get to the port on any other day of the week, there are local buses that run from the train station to the port; Using the same link, you can find more information and a pdf of bus times.
If you prefer the quickest route from Ravenna to the port, I recommend asking your hotel to book you a taxi, which will take about 20 minutes. You should expect to pay around 30 – 40 euros, but please confirm the price with the taxi company or hotel before you confirm your booking and then again when you start your journey. If you are two people or more, this may be worth doing as you can share the cost.
We hope this information is of help to you and wish you a great cruise vacation!