Estram

Here is my final Itinerary for our quick stay in Venice. I would appreciate any feedback as I do not have a strong grasp on the layout of Venice or the distance between locations.

Day 1: (Friday)
11:30 AM arrive at Marco Polo Airport from the US
12:30 (is this enough time to collect luggage and get to where we need to board?) Either water bus or water taxi (there are 3 children and 3 adults ) recommendations here are welcome, I am not sure how or where to reserve these services.
1:30 arrive at our apartment (Castello area)
4:00 Skip the line tickets to the Bell Tower
Explore some neighborhoods (suggestions welcome) , eat dinner (what area, slightly off the beaten path, should I look for a restaurant) and head back to St. Mark's to hear the bands battle.

Day 2: (Saturday)
Rialto Market
Rialto Bridge
Hop on a vaporetto and head to Burano and then Torcello (thinking that in the order we may encounter less crowds)
Head back and rest in the apartment before heading out for dinner (location suggestions please) and exploring, possibly visit St. Marks again.

Day 3: (Sunday)
Pre buy tickets to Doge's Palace
Head over to Jewish Ghetto and explore Cannaregio area
Shop and wonder around Dorsoduro
Sunset cruise up the Grand Canal on a vaparetto

Day4: (Monday)
11:30 Skip the line tickets to St. Mark's Basilica and join an English Speaking tour ( which I am struggling to book because the website to do so is in Italian and I can't seem to switch it to English).
Possibly tour the museum and treasury.

Catch a train to Venice (What website should we use to book our 6 tickets and how much time should we allow for the tour (which should be an hour) treasury, museum, lunch, back to our apartment to grab our suit cases and I guess vaparetto to train station.

Thanks everyone!!

Estram

We will be visiting at the end of June, 2017.

elnap29

Marco Polo Airport is not very big. We have flown into it twice, and both times it was fairly quick to collect luggage. However, we are unable to fly directly and do not enter Customs in Venice. I don't think it will take very long though. Don't bother booking a water taxi until you arrive. Just go to the private water taxi desk across from baggage claim to order it. By the time you make the 5 minute walk to the dock, the taxi will be there. With 6 passengers, it might be worth it to take the private water taxi vs the water bus. It certainly is faster.

We had no problem booking any of our English-speaking tours once we arrived in Venice.

There are also some free walking tours of various neighborhoods, led by university students. Gratuities are welcomed at the end of the tour. These tours are excellent and can be booked online when you arrive. Ours was a tour of the Castillo and Cannaregio.

PalenQ

Catch a train to Venice>

where are you going by train? You will be in Venice, right?

Florence, Rome?

Anyway for long-distance Italian trains use www.trenitalia.com or easier to use with similar prices www.thetrainline.eu-booking early can save a ton of money but tickets are train-specific and non-changeable I believe. Sometimes first class ain't much more than cheapest available 2nd class ticket and if so go first as it is significantly more roomy and more room for luggage.

italotreno.it/en is a low-cost competitor to Trenitalia on main lines. The Venice main station is Venezia Santa Lucia - Venezia-Mestre is a main station on the mainland. Water taxis or vaporettos takes you right to the steps of Santa Lucia.

For lots about Italian trains check www.seat61.com - great practical advice about discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Estram

We will be taking a train from Venice to Florence.