Venice Marco Polo Airport — Venezia (VE), Italy

Venice Marco Polo Airport, identified by the code VCE, occupies the edge of the Venetian Lagoon in Tessera, a short distance north of the historic city it serves. Named for the Venetian merchant traveler whose travels shaped early European accounts of Asia, the airport grew from a modest postwar airfield into one of Italy's busiest gateways, welcoming visitors bound for the canals, bridges, and museums of central Venice. Passengers typically continue their journey by direct boat service across the lagoon or by bus to Piazzale Roma, since no road links the airport to the old city itself. VCE hosts a mix of full-service and low-cost carriers, with traffic swelling heavily each summer as tourists arrive from across Europe and beyond. Nearby Treviso airport absorbs some overflow low-cost traffic during peak months.