passportplus

Well, Im 72, senior lady traveling alone...I like to travel alone. I've been to 5-6 large cities, each time for a week or so. I'd love to see Venice, but getting from the airport to the Venice Hotel overwhelms me after reading about it. Any advice?

Mimar

The easiest but much the priciest way is by water taxi from the airport to your hotel or as close as you can get. As scenic but much cheaper is the Alilaguna water shuttle leaving from the same area but only stopping at certain locations. (See routes at www.alilaguna.it/index.en.html. There are 2 routes; you probably want the Arancio or Orange one.) Both of these options require a bit of a walk from the airport. The third and cheapest option is to take a bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma near the train station. From there you can take the vaporetto (water bus) or a water taxi.

Your hotel web site should give detailed instructions on how to get there. Pack light, especially if you have to walk a short distance to your hotel. While it may seem complicated, it's not, and it's more fun than the usual arrival at a city.

Venice is a small city and is easy to walk around as long as you can handle the low steps on the bridges over the canals. You're on an island (or series of islands); you can't get lost.

I love Venice. It's unique and incredibly scenic. You will never forget it.

nytraveler

I have no idea where your hotel is - and the easiest way to get there depends very much on the exact location. As you know, Venice has many canals and bridges over them. If your hotel doesn;t have a private dock (we always get one that does) or is not right next to a public dock you are going to have to tote or drag you luggage some distance to get to it.

Look at the hotel website or send them an email and find out exactly where they are in relation to the nearest dock.

A water taxi is a wonderful experience- but very expensive for one person - and may not get you anywhere near your hotel. There is a bus to the train station and can take a vaporetto (water bus) from there to one of many different stops (again - where in relation to your hotel.)

ellenem

Really truly, your hotel will be able to offer you very specific directions for how to travel between its location and the airport. As others have said, the "best" option varies by hotel location. Do you have a particular hotel in mind?

passportplus

I have no hotel in mind yet. Im planning next Oct so I have a lot of time to plan this trip. Now, with the knowledge I've received from your replies, I'll see what hotel has a private dock. I use Expedia to plan my trips.

qwovadis

eurocheapo.com/venice review getting around

Alilaguna shuttle fron the airport cheap easy.

Bus even cheaper not far at all.

You do not need a hotel with a private dock

but Hilton is a cheap 5 star I just booked for next

april bidding priceline.com $120-189 usually

betterbidding.com private dock right there.

ellenem

Getting from the airport to your Venice hotel and back again is really no different than traveling to other cities. You have option for private taxis, public express buses, and a combination of one local bus connecting to another local bus. It just seems tricker, because some of these are buses and taxis on water instead of on wheels, and that might take a slight adjustment. But if you have navigated in other cities, it is really no problem.

Rather than concentrate on hotels with docks for private water taxis, you might also look at hotels located near Alilaguna stops. If your hotel is near an Alilaguna stop, you can still arrive by water and save a tremendous amount of money and have just a short walk to your hotel.

In more than 20 trips to Italy, I've never used Expedia. I do research here on Fodor's and elsewhere, and book my own hotels at their websites. A great hotel website for Italy is venere.com. I would not limit myself to Expedia, since I think many of the best options for me may not be available through Expedia, nor offer the same guarantees. But if you are satisfied, that's fine for you.

Peter_S_Aus

There's also a shared water taxi that might be useful. It is about a ten minute walk from the air terminal to the taxi dock, level going on good pavement.

http://www.venicelink.com/index.php?...1&lang=english

nytraveler

Perhaps I should add a caveat: those hotels with private docks are usually upscale and not inexpensive. If budget is important to you - better to find a hotel right near a vaporetto stop (one you can get to without hauling your luggage over a canal/bridge).