Venice-Mantua - MS Ave Maria Italia

From Venice to Mantua - along the banks of the river Po and numerous canals, the fascinating Po Delta and the famous lagoon. There are countless UNESCO world cultural heritage sites: the Renaissance city of Mantua, the medieval town Ferrara and the Doge city Venice. Enjoy cycling on excellent flat paths. This tour is also suitable for inexperienced cyclists. The tour starts in Venice.
Here you can find further information on the MS Ave Maria Italia.

Day 1 Arrival in Venice
Embarkation from 6.00 pm. In the evening, explore the city, which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Day 2 Explore Venice
In the morning you’ll take part in a guided tour of the ‘Serenissima’, then you can explore the city or the islands of the lagoon by yourself.

Day 3 Venice - Pellestrina Island, approx. 25 km/16 mi
Between the lagoon and the Adriatic you will go past the Lido, where the film festival takes part, further to the island of Pellestrina.

Day 4 Pellestrina Island - Adria, 40 km/25 mi + boat trip
Be sure not to miss the fish market at sunrise. Then you will cycle through the nature park in the Po Delta. Constantly changing streams create a number of different eco systems with countless plant and animal species. Your destination is Adria city.

Day 5 Adria - Ferrara - Zelo, 35 km/22 mi + bus transfer
Enjoy a beautiful bike tour to Ferrara, a town dating from the 14th century, which is also a UNESCO world cultural heritage site. Afterwards you will take the bus to Zelo.

Day 6 Zelo - Mantua, 50 km/31 mi + boat trip
You’ll cycle on easy paths along the river Po and the Canal Biano to Manuta. Visit a museum and a cheese factory.

Day 7 Round trip, approx. 35 km/22 mi
The tour will take you through the surroundings of Mantua. In the afternoon there is a guided tour of Manuta’s countless Renaissance monuments.

Day 8 Departure
After breakfast your boat & bike tour in northern Italy on MS Ave Maria Italia comes to an end.

Here are the details on MS Ave Maria Italia.

Included in "Venice-Mantua on MS Ave Maria Italia":

• 7 nights aboard in your chosen category
• full board (7x breakfast, 6x packed lunches, 6x dinner excl. beverages; only 1x dinner in Venice)
• afternoon coffee and cake served daily
• 1x cabin cleaning
• bed linen and towels supplied
• welcome drink
• guided city tour in Mantua
• several short guided city tours
• tasting of grappa and spirits in a local distillery
• visit to a Grana Padano cheese dairy
• visit "Museum of the Carousel + Folk Theater"
• visit glass blowing factory, Murano
• transfers by bus Ferrarra-Adria
• guided cycle tours in english
• digital travel documents in english
• rental bike included!

Accomodation:

• outside cabins, approx. 7-8 sqm (75-86 sq ft), with ensuite WC and shower
• upper deck cabins with openable bull eyes
• level-access beds which can be moved
• lower deck cabins for 3 guests too
• upper deck cabins for 3+4 guests too

Rental bicyles:

• We offer comfortable unisex-bikes with 21-speed gearboxes, equipped with a bike bag and a bike lock. We also offer e-bikes if desired.
• If you choose to wear a helmet, we recommend using your own due to the variety of head sizes and shapes and for hygienic reasons.

Bookable dates 2027:

• Arrival on saturdays
  27.03. + 10.04. + 24.04. + 08.05. + 22.05.
  05.06. + 19.06.
  03.07. + 17.07. + 31.07. + 14.08. + 28.08.
  11.09. + 25.09. + 09.10. + 23.10.

Prices:

All prices are per person.

• Booking code "Venice-Mantua on MS Ave Maria Italia":
  RS-IVAI-7M
• how you can save some money
• costs of cancellation

Additional costs:

• eventually Venice city entrance fee: approx. 5 - 15 €/person, payable on site
• ACTV ticket for public transport in Venice and the lagoon
  We recommend purchasing a 48-hour ticket, which costs around 35 €

The booking process

Arrival to "Venice-Mantua on MS Ave Maria Italia":

• The MS Ave Maria Italia is berthed on the island of Giudecca.
  We recommend purchasing a 48-hour ACTV ticket, which costs around 35 €

• Arrival by car:
  Secure car park "Tronchetto" at the entrance to the lagoon city, cost approx. 35 € per day.
  Secure car parks at Mestre railway station, cost approx. 25 € per day. Take the train to Venezia Santa Lucia station; for further details, see below.
   
• Arrival by train:
  Train station Venezia Santa Lucia, take water bus to the pier.
  Arrival by plane:
  Airport Venedig Marco Polo:
  Water bus to the pier,  (stop: “Redentore”); for details, see www.alilaguna.itAirport Verona:
  Shuttle bus to Verona main station, every 20 mins
  Train to Venice Santa Lucia, journey time approx. 1.5–2 hours, then change to the water bus to the “Redentore” stop
   
• Embarkation from 5 pm, luggage can be left from 1 pm.

Return transfer:

• under your own steam by train from Mantova to Venezia S. Lucia, every hour, duration approx. 2,5 hours, 1 x change, standard fare approx. 15 €
  trenitalia.com is a helpful on-line resource (DE/EN/FR)

Personal bikes:
As space is limited, it will not be possible for you to bring your own bike on this tour.

Perfectly looked after:
During your tour, we are available between 8 am and 8 pm, 7 days a week. We are happy to help with any kind of problems you might be having. You will find this emergency number in your travel documents.

Please note:

• As is the case with all boat trips, changes in travel itineraries due to the weather, high or low water levels, technical issues or regulatory requirements can be undertaken at any time.