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Venice - airport, cruise ship terminal, hotel, & airport taxi question

Venice - airport, cruise ship terminal, hotel, & airport taxi question

Old Jul 27th, 2015, 11:30 AM
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yk
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Venice - airport, cruise ship terminal, hotel, & airport taxi question

I'm researching for my parents, who plan to visit Venice in October for 2 nights, before boarding a trans-atlantic cruise back to the US. We have all been to Venice before, but it's been many years for them. They are now older (70s & 80s) + luggage for the cruise, so Alilaguna & the water buses are not an option for them.

Here are my questions:
1) When they arrive at Marco Polo airport, do they just follow the signs to the water taxi pier and wait for the next taxi? Is there usually a long line? Or is there a "better" way, say, pre-arranging a taxi in advance (though in the event of flight delay, that can be a problem).

2) One of our relatives are flying separately and won't get into Marco Polo airport until close to midnight. Will they have trouble finding water taxis at that hour? Any other alternatives?

3) I'm pretty sure they will board the cruise ship from the main Marittima terminal. I'll ask them if the cruise line offers to arrange pick-up for them. If not, I assume water taxi is the best option for them to get there?

4) I haven't looked at hotels for them yet. I'm just wondering if I end up booking a hotel for them right next to the Santa Lucia train station, is it even a possibility for them to WALK to the cruise ship terminal? I know they'll have luggage with them, but it's something my dad WANTS to know.

What other things I haven't thought of/considered? They have entertained the idea of staying on the mainland instead of the island, which I suppose will be cheaper (both hotel & taxis - they can do land taxi instead of water taxi, right)? I've never stayed on the mainland so I don't know if it's worth doing that, ie, the trouble of getting INTO Venice for sightseeing for 2 days.

Thanks in advance for any input.
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Old Jul 27th, 2015, 03:08 PM
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It is a less than ten minute walk from the air terminal to the water taxi dock. It is OK to use an air terminal baggage cart, rather than dragging wheeled luggage. You need a one or two euro coin to get a trolley in the baggage reclaim.

Water taxi to Venice is about 100 euro. But google "shared water taxi Venice" and you will find the shared water taxi service. It is about 25 euro, Marco Polo to Venice. We have used it three times, including one time with my 80 year old mother-in-law.

Not sure about the transport for the late arrival at Marco Polo. But land buses would still be running, as would the Alilaguna water ferry service. Where the party is staying would drive the Alilaguna vs. land bus choice.

Easiest way to get to a cruise liner is land taxi from Piazzle Roma. I would not suggest walking to the ship. Taxi would be say ten euro.

Better for the party to stay in Venice, rather than Mestre, because then it is easier for them to take an aternoon rest at the hotel.
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Old Jul 27th, 2015, 04:21 PM
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Water taxi is most useful if they are staying in a hotel with a private dock. Otherwise the water taxi will drop them at the nearest dock (per their hotel) and they will have to trek to it with their luggage. If the water taxi takes them right to the hotel dock the driver of the boat and the hotel bellman will deal with the luggage - which sounds like what your parent need.

Quite a few hotels have private docks - but naturally many of them are in the upper price ranges.

(We have always done this - not just to avoid dealing with luggage but for the fun of approaching via water taxi.)
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Old Jul 27th, 2015, 04:49 PM
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As an alternative to looking for a hotel next to the train station, you might want to look at hotels next to the Piazzale Roma, just on the other side of the canal. Then, your parents could both walk to the maritime terminal AND take a land taxi to the hotel (or very close to the hotel). The advantages of a land taxi from Marco Polo include much shorter walk, more comfortable ride, easier to get in/out, and lower cost.

There used to be a Sofitel next to Piazzale Roma, but it looks like it's been rebranded to Papadopoli. I didn't stay there, but did pop inside once and it seemed like a nice place.
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Old Jul 27th, 2015, 06:20 PM
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Thanks for all your input - I just found out about the VeniceLink (shared water taxi service) - that would work for my parents' flight, but not the relatives' flight that arrives around midnight.

My parents are older but they can still manage their own (lightweight) luggage and walk a good amount. But my experience on Alilaguna and water buses are that they tend to be really PACKED so it's just not ideal for them to do so with luggage.

Don, I haven't considered that but worth looking into, as it may be a good compromise for them. In terms of getting INTO Venice proper for sightseeing from Piazzale Roma, how easy/difficult is it? Without luggage, they certainly can navigate the water buses, I think. And sorry for being dumb - just to be clear - if they stay at a hotel near Piazzale Roma, they can:
1) take land taxi from Marco Polo to the hotel, and
2) walk from hotel TO the cruise ship terminal?

Thanks again to all!
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Old Jul 27th, 2015, 06:34 PM
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yk, Piazzale Roma is the point where roads meet canal -- it's the stopping point for cars/buses, and it's the starting point for the main vaporetto line, so it's perfectly fine for sightseeing. And yes, if staying at a Piazzale Roma hotel, you take a land taxi to (or very close to) the hotel entrance. And the maritime terminal is also at Piazzale Roma, though I've never actually walked over to it.
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Old Jul 27th, 2015, 07:57 PM
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There is a hotel immediately at Piazzale Roma. It's not fancy but is an easy walk to the tram to the cruise pier and a short bridge from Santa Lucia. I also stayed at a hotel last year just over a short bridge from Piazzale Roma. It's called the Papadopoli and is quite nice albeit expensive. They could take either a land taxi or airport bus to Piazzale Roma for either of these. Then no need for water taxis at all and much faster from the airport. Maestro might also make sense for them but I prefer to stay in Venice.
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Old Jul 28th, 2015, 04:29 AM
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Thanks Don.

Doug, do you recall the name of the hotel right at Piazzale Roma? They don't need fancy. Also, is the airport bus to Piazzale Roma like a coach bus (with space for luggage in the belly, and seats for each passenger, ie, no standing room)? It's an option for my parents as long as it's not just a regular city bus that can get packed like a sardine can.
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Old Jul 28th, 2015, 05:30 AM
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The ATVO [blue] bus is the comfy coach -type bus from the airport to P. Roma.

the bus stop is right outside the terminal and you can pay on the bus [or buy tickets inside the airport if you prefer - the ticket office is on the left as you go towards the exit].

there is luggage space under the bus - [you have to put it in and out yourselves] and then just get a seat and sit down. were it to be full, there would be another once along in about 20 mins.

no stopping, no standing, seats for all, no luggage in the aisles.

The ACTV bus is more like an ordinary bus, has no luggage room so there are cases in the aisles, stops several times between the airport and P. Roma and is, I believe €3 as opposed to €5 for the ATVO one. [it used to be free with a vaporetto card which is why people used it. I don't know why they do now unless they want to get off before the bus gets to Venice].

The only hotel right on P. Roma is the Santa Clara:

http://www.hotelsantachiara.it

if you look at a map of Venice you'll see that the Papadopoli is over a bridge, so it rather defeats the object.

I've not stayed at either so i can't help with what they are like.

In February I stayed near the Sant'angelo vaporetto stop and right next to it [5 metres] is this hotel:

http://www.palazzosantangelo.com

it is directly on an alilaguna line, has a water dock, and the Line 1 vaporetto stops there.

your parents could get the alilaguna or water taxi there, and then a water taxi to the cruise dock, and they would be in a beautiful hotel right in the middle of Venice. And it's very quiet, though very central.
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Old Jul 28th, 2015, 05:40 AM
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yk - [didn't see it was you, sorry!]

this hotel has all the same advantages as the posh one above, but is cheaper, being set back from the Grand canal by about 50 metres. it is diagonally opposite the apartment block where I spent a week in February so I can testify for its convenience and quiet.

http://www.alborohotel.it

no bridges between it and the water/vaporetto dock.
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Old Jul 28th, 2015, 06:52 AM
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Piazzale Roma - Cruise port:
easiest way: land taxi
cheapest way: people mover plus either shuttle bus of the cruise line or walk
A walk from Piazzale Roma up to the cruise port is possible but strenuous.
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Old Jul 28th, 2015, 05:19 PM
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Thanks for the additional information!
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Old Jul 28th, 2015, 05:40 PM
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I can't comment about pricing for the Hotel Papadoli, and there is indeed a bridge to cross to get there from P. Roma.

The bridge is one of the easier bridges in Venice, as it has had ramps installed on it, making it less of a drag to haul luggage over it.
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Old Jul 28th, 2015, 05:53 PM
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The Hotel Arlecchino is also very convenient to Piazzale Roma - http://www.hotelarlecchino.com/

For a longer stay I would not recommend staying in that area but for 2 days, going to the cruise terminal after, its a no brainer.
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Old Jul 29th, 2015, 11:25 AM
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Thank you, peter & rialtogrl!
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Old Jul 29th, 2015, 12:21 PM
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A very nice hotel near Santa Lucia Station is Hotel Abbazia. This hotel is legendary.

Can your parents manage trolley luggage over the Calatrava Bridge to Piazzale Roma?

Keith and I usually take the #5 bus from Marco Polo to Piazzale Roma and walk over the Calatrava Bridge and up the Lista di Spagna to our hotel.

If they can not manage, they could always take the vaporetto from Ferrovia Stop (at Scalzi Bridge) to Piazzale Roma.

It would probably take 5 minutes.

Thin
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Old Jul 30th, 2015, 01:27 AM
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Most models of trolley luggage are forbidden in Venice anyway (unless you bear them).
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Old Jul 30th, 2015, 04:01 AM
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> Most models of trolley luggage are forbidden in Venice anyway

Nonsense.

A story came out a year ago that wheelies will be banned in Venice. The city government responded immediately, saying that the proposed new law applied only to commercial trolleys (to reduce noise) and not to tourists and their wheeled suitcases: http://www.thelocal.it/20141121/veni...y-suitcase-ban
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Old Jul 30th, 2015, 04:58 AM
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Trolley luggage is not banned in Venice.

That is an absolutely absurd notion in such a city.

Thin
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