Venice is a city that, for a first-time visitor, feels impossible to navigate. There are no streets, house numbers follow their own logic (they reach 6828 in a single sestiere), and the yellow arrow signs — the ones marked Rialto, San Marco, Ferrovia — sometimes contradict each other. The good news is that reaching Terrazza Sommariva on the Riva del Vin is simpler than it seems, once you know two or three things. We are right beneath the Rialto Bridge, on the San Polo side, overlooking the Grand Canal.
If you arrive by train at Santa Lucia station, the finest way is vaporetto line 1. Take it from the 'Ferrovia' pier — the one facing the main exit — heading San Marco. It is the slow vaporetto, the one that stops all along the Grand Canal, and it is by far the best possible introduction to Venice. About twenty minutes later, get off at Rialto (not San Silvestro): once ashore you are right under the bridge, on the Rialto Mercato side. Cross the Rialto Bridge — fifty-six steps — and as you come down, on your right, the Riva del Vin begins. We are at number 731, about two hundred metres further.
If you prefer to walk from the station, it is about twenty-five pleasant minutes. Leaving Santa Lucia cross the Scalzi bridge, then follow the yellow Rialto signs: you will pass through Campo San Simeone Grande, then San Giacomo dell'Orio, Campo San Polo (one of the largest in Venice). From San Polo it is five more minutes straight ahead following Rialto: you will come out right onto the Riva del Vin, on the Grand Canal side. A tip: download an offline map to your phone, because GPS in Venice does what it likes between the calli.
If you come by car, remember that historical Venice is pedestrian: you drive as far as Piazzale Roma or the Tronchetto and continue only on foot or by vaporetto. The Tronchetto is cheaper for a long stay; Piazzale Roma is closer, fifteen minutes on foot from the station. If you arrive by plane at Marco Polo, the most comfortable option is the Alilaguna orange line, stopping at Rialto in about fifty minutes. Otherwise, the ATVO bus to Piazzale Roma and then vaporetto or a walk. Call us the same day if in doubt: we are here to help you get here without stress.
