I will be taking my granddaughter (19) to Rome and Venice in May for 6 nights. She has never traveled before. I am so excited, but I have never been to Italy. I am wondering about transfers to and from hotel and your recommendations.

We will fly into Rome and be there 3 nights and then we will train to Venice and be there three nights and then fly out of Venice to home. Venice concerns me the most, but would also like some advice on Rome. How to get from train station in Venice to hotel (best way) and then How to get from Venice hotel to Airport.

We will be staying on Venice island and leaving from the airport on mainland. Any suggestions, tips that won't break the budget nor the back of the 61 year old grandma (me)? Thank you for any help!!

The train station in Venice goes to the north side of the island (on a long causeway). How to get to your hotel depends on where your hotel is. Your options are:

1. Walk -- its not so big a city. If it is along walk, there will be lots of little up/down staircases over the canals, which can be a pain if you are dragging luggage along. There are porters outside the station who will take your luggage to hotel on a cart, for a fee.

2. Water taxi. There will be some power-boat taxis just outside the station. The taxi will take you to the boat dock closest to your hotel, sometimes right to the hotel. Kinda expensive, but very cool.

3. Vaporetto. This is the bus system, only its a boat, of course. There is a vaporetto dock right outside the train station -- it is easy buy a ticket and roll your luggage on and off the boat. This will just cost a couple euros. You may have to change boats, depending on your destination, but the vaporetto system can get you to the v. dock closest to your hotel.

To get to the airport, your options are: (1) water taxi (your hotel can pre-book for you); (2) travel (taxi, vaporetto, walk) to Piazalle Roma, which is near the train station, then take a land bus to the airport. The land bus is around 5 euros, the the water taxi could be closer to 90 euros, depending on where your hotel is.

If you do decide to take a water taxi to the airport, be very careful if you have your hotel prebook for you. I have seen some hotels add on outrageous markups for providing this "service." You can contact the water taxi group directly on the internet to make a reservation.

Last time I looked it was around 90-100 euros from most locations in "historic" Venice to the airport--for up to six people with luggage.

There's a third option for getting to Venice's airport, the Alilaguna. It's a vaporetto-like boat that stops at several main locations in Venice and then goes to the airport. Here's a link, with schedule and price: www.alilaguna.it. This would be a nice, not-too-expensive way to say goodbye to Venice.

Arriving in Venice by train, you come out of the train station and, wow, there's the wide vista of the Grand Canal hitting you in the eye. Down at the water's edge is a vaporetto stop. Your hotel in Venice should be able to tell you how to get to it via the vaporetto. (I hope when you say Venice Island, you don't mean the Lido.)

And, in Rome, there's a train from the main airport, daVinci/Fiumicino, to the center of Rome. From the main Stazione Termini, go out front and to the right for the official taxi line.

For your arrival in Rome, for about €45 you can take a taxi from the airport directly to your hotel. This is very reasonable when you consider that you will each spend about €11 on the train (Leonardo Express) from the airport, and then may need to pay another €15-20 for a taxi to your hotel. If you are staying near the main train station in Rome (Roma Termini), then the train is a good value.

Wonderful suggestions, thank you. I will print this and then check back later for more correspondence.

For Venice to airport, let us know which hotel (provide the website) and the time of your flight departure and we can narrow down the best option.

I like to take the 3 euro direct express bus from Piazza Roma to the airport. The bus ride is only 15-20 minutes. Very quick, cheap and easy. But, much depends on your hotel location and departure time.

Zoecat, This is where we are staying - thank you!

www.vecellio.hotelinvenice.com/ and 11:35 AM flight

Your hotel is right on Fondamenta Nuova (also called Fondamente Nove). You'll be quite close to the Alilaguna (fast public boat to airport) blue line stop at Fondamente Nove.
Se schedules here:

http://www.alilaguna.it/?funzione=1&...alore=8&modo=6

Thank you Ellenem, I went to the website and printed everything.
Thanks to all for your answers, I am feeling a bit more confident now and very anxious to get there! I am now reading on food for good, less expensive places to eat - I find very expensive doesn't settle well - it might be great but gives me indigestion, lol !