> Are you saying that if you exit the station and go down to the vap stop,

Tarquin, why "the station - Ferrovia"? With a bus, OP would arrive at Piazzale Roma, not Ferrovia.

Also I would not argue with what you wrote :
> The most stunning way to experience arrival in Venice ...

I have done all the 3 ways to get to Venice many times, 1.Train and 2. Bus Piazzale Roma more than 10 times each and 3) Alilaguna fewer times so I see all the pros and cons of all of them. In the particular case of OP (hotel location, etc), I do think 3) is better for all the reasons I already wrote above. If OP does not consider them hassles, then it's fine to do Bus + Vaporetto. However, as I wrote, even with those hassles, easy vaporetto ride to enjoy the view on the Grand Canal is far from garanteed.

If you are at Santa Lucia Train Station, the Ferovia Stop is just to your LEFT as you come out the front doors.

If you are at P. Roma (which is across the Ponte Calatrava to the right of S. Lucia Station), the vaporetto would go to the right, past the train station and the Ferovia Stop, to go down the Grand Canal.

This is where you are all getting mixed up.

Thin

I don't think the confusion has to do with the actual locations of the vaporetto stops. It has to do with being "on opposite sides of the street" so to speak.

Since Ferrovia (the train station) and Piazzale Roma (the bus station) are on opposite sides of the Grand Canal, the direction of the vaporetto will seem to differ even though it is headed to the same location.

The vaporttos are labeled with their destinations. If you consult the route map for the final destination of the route, you should have no troble choosing correctly.

Wow! The money discussion is making my head spin. I usually arrive with no money and get some whenever I spot a working ATM -- but I guess I must be courting disaster with my credit card. Re: San Giorgio, we visited on a crystal clear day (one of few during our one-week stay two weeks ago) and discovered that lunch hour (maybe 12:30 - 2:00) worked great. By the time we left the lines for the elevator to the top were long, maybe because the day had begun as overcast and most people waited till after lunch to head to the island.

Also, have you ordered a timed ticket for the Secret Itineraries tour of the Doge's Palace? It's terrific and allowed us to skip an hour-long wait in line (in the rain). We also paid just one Euro each for a timed entry to the Basilica San Marco, again avoiding an hour-long wait.

But my biggest tip: bring a little compass!!! We were happily meandering about in the general direction of wherever we wanted to go as fellow tourists puzzled over their maps. It was so much more fun. No getting turned around; no wondering what to do when we hit streets and bridges that didn't appear on our map.

Good luck!!

Thank you all for your help and perspectives. It sounds like the Ailiguana is the less stressful option and the bus/vaporetto is the more scenic choice.

It helped me to decide to go with the mood once we get off the plane. If we're sleep deprived and overwhelmed, Ailiguana it is. If the excitement has taken over, I'll always opt for scenic.

At least now I know both options and how to proceed. For an option #3, I know private water boat is super expensive . If for some reason, we find fellow plane mates to split cost ( how many can you ride with ?), how do we proceed. If it's a beautiful day, I'd love to enter with the best chance of "soaking" in the atmosphere. Or, am I over romantizing it ?

Thanks of the help with the money choice. I feel more comfortable bringing some with me, just in case.

Abbydog - where did you book your timed tickets?

Compass is an interesting idea,hadn't thought of that.

Hi! I bought tickets for the secret itineraries tour on one of the websites I found by googling "Doge's Palace." Not sure I got the best deal, so you may want to peruse some options. For the basilica, I just went to the San Marco site at http://www.venetoinside.com/en/saint_mark_s_basilica/. After purchasing reservations, you just print out your pass with a bar code and swipe it at a turn-style at St. Peter's gate.

I like when you said, "...simply wander." We were in Venice in May, 2009. My fondest memories are getting lost and getting up early one morning to go to the fish market. It was all wonderful. Enjoy!