underradar

Greetings to the best travel advisory service out there.

Traveling in May with a family of four (including adult children) from NY to Venice and then Rome. We are looking to fly premium economy. After many hours of lost productivity searching, it appears (at least today) that I could get premium economy into Verona but not into Venice, even though both flights share the same first flight leg (the long one, which matters more). Verona looks to be about 1-1/4 hours from Venice by car.

Does anyone have a sense of how difficult it would be to get from Verona to a hotel in Venice (not sure which one yet)? It looks like I could hire a driver for about $200, which I would probably do unless the logistics don't make sense. Is there a train that would work as well?

Thanks in advance for your help.

nytraveler

There is no driver that can take you to a hotel in Venice - since there are NO STREETS and NO CARS. In Venice yuo travel either by foot or by boat.

From Verona you can easily take a train to Venice train station and nearby pick up a vaporetto - or a water taxi if you prefer.

If you don;t want to train you can get a car to drive you to the end of the causeway to Venice (piazzale Roma) and again, there pick up a water taxi (100 euros or so?) or vaporetto (cheaper but a PIA with luggage).

It is most convenient to have a hotel with a private dock - so you don;t have to haul your luggage through the streets and over a number of bridges. But those with private docks tend to be the more upscale hotels.

underradar

Thanks, nytraveler. I figured that the car would have to drop us someplace.

So how much more of a PIA is it to get into Venice via train from Verona than whatever the typical means of transportation from Marco Polo? I found an Alitalia flight into Venice that might work on Premium Economy but the out-of-pocket difference between that and the flight into Verona would be around $1,500 all-in.

ellenem

There seems to be a shuttle bus (I would also expect taxis) from the Verona airport to the train station.

http://www.aeroportoverona.it/en/aerobus_t2

sandralist

Have you also checked out flying into Treviso airport? It's a bit closer than Verona.

With four of you, a private car transfer to Venice might be attractively priced once you tote up either the cost of shuttle bus + train tickets or taxi to Verona station + train tickets. Once you are in Venice you will need to take a water bus or water taxi or walk to your hotel, but you'd need to do that taking the train as well.

Here is a weblink for a company that does transfers from Verona airport. I would expect 200e one way, but I'm just guessing

http://www.destination-venice.com/tr...na-lake-garda/

sandralist

Also, the time, hassle and expense involved in taking a taxi or bus to Verona train station and train from there to Venice is about the same as flying into Bologna airport (Marconi only), so you might check out those flights.

But if you want a private car transfer, I am not sure how easy it would be to find a company that does them from Bologna to Venice.

Ackislander

I admire your cleverness in getting premium seats most of the way. I never even thought of that!

I wouldn't overthink this.

Everyone in your party can handle his own bags, so just take the train. The expressway to Venice has all the charm of the New Jersey Turnpike around Elizabeth, N.j. The view from the train is no different but it happens quickly, and the view coming across the causeway is magical.

The only change I might make is to spend a night and day recovering in Verona. It is a wonderful town.

I have flown into Treviso when Venice was socked in. It's a great little airport, or was. One harried immigration officer, one baggage carousel, not too far from Venice. But I wouldn't disturb my upstream arrangements to arrive in Venice half an hour early.

neckervd

There are up to 4 trains every hr between Verona and Venice.
Fares: 9 EUR for regional trains (1 1/2 hrs journey, no reservation needed) and 23 EUR for fast trains (1 1/4 hrs journey, reservation compulsory).
In order to avoid any local transport problem within Venice, Europeans usually book a hotel in the quiet part of Cannaregio Ovest quarter, just a few steps from the railway station (hotels like Dolomiti, Stella Alpina, etc.)

Rubicund

A train from Verona will take you to the next stop up on a vaporetto from Piazzale Roma. If you walk out of the front of the station and down the shallow steps, you'll find the vaporetto stop in front of you. Depending on which hotel you settle on, the hotel will give you directions to reach them.

Treviso is one of those airports that low cost airlines love to call "Venice", when it isn't. It has a small terminal building and the bus to Venice is directly outside. Buy tickets from inside the terminal. The bus takes you to Piazzale Roma, where again, you catch the waterbus.

Dukey1

I'd be interested in knowing which airline you are flying into VRN. Could it be British? Regardless, what I think you SHOULD do is this:

Land at VRN

Take a taxi to the Porta Nouva rail station

Take a train to Venice.

This is about as SIMPLE as it gets.

But even simpler would have BEEN to fly into VCE (Marco Polo) and grit your teeth in regular economy. People do it all the time and live to tell about it.

vincenzo32951

The suggestion about staying in Verona overnight isn't a bad one. You could tour the city and then take a the train to Venice. And I think you have all the info you need about the train, whether you stay overnight or go direct to Venice.

Another idea, depending on your budget: A private driver will take you to Venice (near the train station) for about 200 euros. That might not be too bad a deal, all things considered.

First, you'll save a lot of time and hassle, especially on your first day when things are a bit hectic and you're jet-lagged.

Second (I'm estimating), a taxi from the Verona airport to train station will run about 15 euros, and you may need two of them for four people and baggage. The train to Venice is about 10 euros each, 40 euros for four people.

So let's say you're going to spend about 75 euros to get the four of you from Verona to Venice. Is it worth another 125 euros to be able to hop into a waiting vehicle that takes you direct to Venice in about 90 minutes? Only you can answer that.

sandralist

I was talking to someone yesterday who no longer flies economy. Just won't do it. That's what he lived to "tell about." It sucks!

I don't see how flying economy is "simpler" if it hurts your body. Some people fly economy and live to tell about it. Some people fly economy and get deep vein thrombosis and live to tell about their hospital stays -- or they don't even live to tell about it.

Why does it bother other peope so much to find out other people have different values, especially when they are not asking you to pay for them?

underradar

Sandralist,

Thank you for replying to Dukey1's comments much more succinctly (and diplomatically) than I would have. Count me among those who just can't stomach the thought of flying economy for long-haul flights. I am about 6'3" and my memory of a recent 4.5 hour flight to Texas in the back of coach (the last row, in fact, with the associated limited recline) is very fresh in my mind. I have a modest chance of getting some sleep in premium economy; I'll have no chance of it in economy and I'd rather pay the extra $300 or so per ticket than being incredibly miserable not only for the length of the flight but likely the next day.

We inadvertently found a simple solution to our problem. As we were working through our itinerary, we realized that our trip worked better if we started in Rome and ended in Venice. By reversing the itinerary, we were able to find more suitable flights. In the process, however, we learned that, as Sandralist suggested, Bologna was a viable (perhaps even more viable) alternative - more flights and more fast trains.

I may come back to get further advice as we progress further in our planning. Thanks again.

jangita

Spend the night in lovely Verona. Take the train the next day.
Easy and fun.

Rubicund

jangita, the thread is a year old.