TexasAggie

Hello,
We will be ending our 18-day trip with 3 days in beautiful Venice this coming June, exciting for DH and I as our trip will be exactly 10 years from our lovely honeymoon there .

As we will have been touring for a couple weeks, we will have a rental car with us upon arrival in the Veneto. We will also have...GULP... our 3.5 yr old son and our 16 month old son. Our older son is a special needs child, has traveled with us quite a bit previously, and is an excellent traveler. Due to his needs, we travel with more luggage and there is no way to reduce it. It's not so extensive that we require a porter, but DH and I are extremely weighted down when we have to transfer with luggage. So the less distance while carrying everything, the better.

Looking at AutoEurope, it appears we can return the car to either the airport (VCE) or to Piazzale Roma. Our apartment is in the same building as Hotel Guerrato (near Rialto Mercato vaporetto stop).

Given the luggage and two small children, we would appreciate advice on where to return the car and how to make the" transfer to the apartment process" as easy as possible.

Many Thanks,
TA

MmePerdu

Either location would work, depending on your budget. Piazzale Roma is the closest you'll get to your apartment with your car under any circumstances and you can take the #1 vaporetto from there to Rialto Mercato. But if your budget will accommodate it, a water taxi from the airport could also get you close to your apartment and ease the luggage & child handling.

michelhuebeli

Piazzale Roma is where everything comes to a halt, it's as far as surface transportation can go when coming off the mainland. It is in Venice proper, not far from where all the boat buses (vaporetti) pull up just outside the train station, so at least you're IN VENICE as opposed to out by the distant airport.

However, about that hotel location - that's not going to be easy for you. A water taxi (a motorboat) costs a lot and would be necessary since the staff on the vaporetti puts (often seemingly arbitrary) limits on how much they let you take on, and it's an unwieldy situation, wrestling it on and off. Then you have the schlep from the dock to the hotel... totally killer and unnecessary.

I would suggest changing to a hotel along the easily walkable stretch of level street by the train station (no need to climb over bridges that really are stairs...). The area is called Cannareggio, the street is Lista di Spagna, and there are a bunch of hotels in varying price classes.

For the one nearest to where you'll surrender the car, look at this website: www.b4bellinivenezia.com/en

Then go to Google maps and input
> Lista di Spagna, 116 Venice, Italy <
zoom in and look at all the other hotel names that pop up. I'm sure one of them will suit your needs, and your life will be much easier, coming and going.

The boat buses are right there, the trains are right there if you want to make a day excursion (to Padua for example), there are a few restaurants etc., and all of Venice is within easy reach.

Cannareggio doesn't get such a good rap among forum contributors because the hotels don't have views of the open lagoon, not like some of those nearer to the waterfront by San Marco etc., but don't let that deter you, I've stayed in Lista di Spagna repeatedly (because it is so handy), mostly at the Rossi Hotel (www.hotelrossi.ve.it).

Hope this helps.

MmePerdu

It is, indeed, an unwieldy situation if you feel you must stay in Venice proper, even with an apartment near the train station. If you're open to changing locations I'd suggest you stay on Lido where you can drive right up to your hotel and park to unload then return the car afterward at the most convenient location. The vaporetti will still get you into Venice easily & quickly and there's the possibility of a beach for the children. I think it might be a good compromise.

michelhuebeli

If you wish to take MmePerdu (why is not MmePerdue - the correct conjugation for the feminine gender?) up on her excellent suggestion, you need to know that you can't drive onto the Lido, it is an island.

You still drive to Venice, Piazzale Roma on what is called the "Tronchetto" - then you take a special vaporetto that is also serving as a car ferry from Venice to the Lido - ACTV Line 17 - see this website: http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/..._car_ferry.htm

MmePerdu

"(why is not MmePerdue - the correct conjugation for the feminine gender?)"

Just because. Names are not conjugated. Verbs are conjugated. Inflection of nouns & adjectives is declension. Neither necessarily applies to names. Let's move on.

Thanks for the additional explanation for cars on Lido. I've never driven there but have taken the vaporetti there and buses while there.

I think you'd likely find Lido less crowded and more relaxing than Venice proper. And I suspect larger accommodation but that's a guess because most are newer.

rialtogrl

Drop off the car and take a water taxi from Piazzale Roma to as close as you can get to the Guerrato. Once the taxi lets you off it is not that terrible to get to the Guerrato. I am not sure how much it would cost for this taxi, but I am thinking about 50 euros.

Maybe your apartment folks can get you a more accurate quote.

MmePerdu

I suppose 1 factor would be how far the water taxis are from the AutoEurope drop-off at Piazzale Roma. At the airport the taxis were right beside the terminal (when I took one some time ago). It would be something to research.

rialtogrl

Water taxis are a 10 minute walk from the terminal. I think it would be 6 of one half a dozen of the other in this case. The advantage of dropping at the airport (and it is a big one) is they do not close for lunch

TexasAggie

Hello,
Thank you all for the helpful replies. We have already booked and paid a deposit on our apartment. It's not part of a hotel, however it is in the same building as Hotel Guerrato and is owned by that family. We can cancel if the logistics prove too difficult, although that's a last resort.
A water taxi sounds as though it will be the best option. My guess is there would be quite a schlep from the car rental area of VCE to the water taxi dock. Would the distance be shorter at Piazzale Roma?

michelhuebeli

From Piazzale Roma where Avis and Autoeurope and all those are, you will more than likely need to get over the Constitution Bridge to the water taxi stand outside the train station, and that's a brutal haul up over those stairs (the bridge is nothing but a set of stairs up and over and down).

I wish Fodors would let me post the picture I'm looking at, of people heaving single bags up and over. Let alone the kind of haul that you are hinting at, with your stuff plus the kids themselves...

If you want to google the address of > Piazzale Roma 496, Venezia, Italy < then zoom in on the roundabout where Ponte della Libertà meets Piazzale Roma, switch to street view and point the arrow towards the Constitution Bridge, you'll see what I mean.

Past the bridge it will be a long haul to the Taxi Acqueo No 1 stand.

I wonder if you shouldn't check out the hotel that saves you all that schlep - www.hotelsantachiara.it/en - it is right by the canal before that bridge? Its claim "it is the only part of the historic centre that can be reached by car" looks tempting, doesn't it?

rialtogrl

You just have to leave the car park and cross the road to the Grand Canal, then find a taxi stand with a taxi in it. If you do drop at Piazzale Roma make sure not to get too close to their lunch hours, and check the closing hours carefully.

Tell the taxi to drop you at Rialto Mercato stop, then one of you hang with kids and luggage while the other finds the place so you can proceed (it is not too hard to find.)

You can write to the water taxi guys to get a quote if you want.
http://motoscafivenezia.it/

rialtogrl

michelhuebeli you do not need to go over to the train station to get a water taxi. You can get one on the Piazzale Roma side. There are some stairs (and a ramp for ease with luggage) but no bridges to cross.

michelhuebeli

rialtogrl - which side of the bridge (still on the Piazzale Roma side of course)? Outside the Santa Chiara Hotel? Or on the other side, near where the ACTV vaporetti pull up? I see the stairs and ramp down from the HelloVenezia to the level of the ACTV stop, but where are the taxis in relation to that?
Thanks.

rialtogrl

There are taxi stands on both sides of the bridge.You can walk to the canal and go right, or left. Just look for the kiosk that says TAXI.

nytraveler

When we dropped out car at Piazzale Roma there were a number of porters with carts that took our luggage to the water taxi for a very modest fee. They and the driver loaded the luggage onto the taxi. The key difference is that our hotel had a private dock (we only stay in places with a private dock just to avoid having to haul luggage all over Venice and multiple bridges