caze17

I know there have been a million threads about Venice airport arrivals, so I apologize for adding to the heap. But here goes...

My husband and I will be arriving from the US into Marco Polo airport about 1:30pm in late April. We are staying at Ai Tagliapetra B&B (closest bus stop is San Zaccaria). I would love to start our 2-week trip with a "wow" arrival into Venice - a great view from a boat that really makes us know that our trip has begun. I was thinking of the Alilaguna because it is direct and seems stress-free, and you go straight to a boat from the airport which seems like the Venice I imagine. We are young, fit, and will only have carry-on rollerbags so won't mind the walk to the departure area. But not having been to Venice before, I have visions of entering down the Grand Canal, which is not the route of the Alilaguna. Will the "exterior" island route of the Alilaguna still be great to look at? Is it worth the hassle of transferring from bus to vaporetto to go down the Grand Canal? Do my visions not match with reality? The price difference between the two options isn't too worrisome; mostly looking for the best way to start our trip. Except a private water taxi IS overbudget, so not an option!

Thanks for your help!

worldinabag

Hi

We took the Alilaguna to the airport and can vouch for a stress free and scenic trip. If you wish you can take the vaporetto service down the Canal afterwards but you then have a fair walk to your B&B as far as I can tell. Venice is charming for amongst other things its maze of streets or calle. So finding your B&B will be another adventure! But if you really do want the Wow factor of arriving in the Grand Canal you may not care about the extra hassle.

joannyc

WOW is to arrive by boat!

You could take the alilaguna orange line from the airport to San Marco and walk from there to your hotel. Or switch at San Marco to the blue line for one stop to San Zaccaria stop. Or you could take the airport bus to P. Roma and catch the orange line there.

The orange line from the airport does go down the Grand Canal. The blue line from the airport does not.

Www.alilaguna.it/en/lines/lines-map

joannyc

Sorry... At P. Roma, you wouldn't catch the orange line... you'd catch the vaporetto 51.

kappa1

The problem is you don't see much sitting in a Alilaguna boat. Small and not clean windows. The first time I took it was 15 years or so ago, then, they let me go out on the deck so I was able to see, without obstacle, San Marco when the boat was approching Venice. It does not sound they let you do it any longer. So don't expect much view-wise when you don't have the budget for water taxi. It is a straight and stress free ride to San Zaccaria that is good. You will get more "Wow"s riding a vaporetto on the grand canal. In order to do this, take a land bus (20 minutes) to Piazalle Roma and change to vapotretto no2 ( or slower No1). However it's a lot more time consuming doing all the way down Grand Canal to San Zaccaria. And when you have lots of luggage, maybe not easy to enjoy and this line can be very crowded. Ideally I would do Grand Canal when you are free of luggage, easier to find your place, to stand or sit comfortably for view.

> Or switch at San Marco to the blue line for one stop to San Zaccaria stop.

Would they get you on, for this 1 stop, and with the same ticket? Alilaguna is not like Vaporetto ...

> Or you could take the airport bus to P. Roma and catch the orange line there.

Careful, Alilaguna Arancio does not go to Piazzale Roma. It enters Venice via Canaregio Canal and goes down toward Rialto. P.Roma is on the opposite direction.

kappa1

Ok, sorry Joanny you corrected before I posted. BUT still No. 51 does not go down the canal. It does go to San Zaccaria but via Giudecca, counter-clockwise ....

kappa1

> BUT still No. 51 does not go down the canal.

I meant to say - does not go down the GRAND Canal.

joannyc

Oops...kappa1 is correct, I believe. #1 or 2 goes down the Grand Canal, not the 51.

I'd take the orange line and walk from San Marco.

tdk320n

TTT

DonTopaz

There's absolutely no substitute for taking a private taxi from the airport to the city, standing, with your jaw dropped in awe, as the city of Venice unfolds before your eyes over the water.

I know it's expensive. I also know that it's one of those memories that are priceless, that you can replay in your mind forever. If you can find a way to rearrange your budget to include the taxi from the airport, I'm sure you'll be glad you did.

That said, I would have a backup plan if the weather is poor when you arrive. If it's raining, you're probably just as well in the alilaguna or other lower-cost transport.

steviegene

Alilaguna is slow, claustrophopic and slow. Not a WOW arrival in any way.
For the sake of budget, we took it instead of a speedboat and were very sorry. The speedboats whipped past us - romantic, fast and WOW. I would go with boat all the way.

steviegene

oops just read watertaxi out of budget. I would still go with water taxi.

ellenem

I agree with the others who have said that the Alilaguna is not a particularly special experience. As mentioned, the view through the windows is poor, and I find the trip to be very long, especially the blue line that circles the entire island.

For a true WOW, it has to be a private water taxi--pricey I know but you might meet someone at the airport going to your same hotel area and split the cost.

The next best choice for view in my opinion is a land bus to Piazzale Roma and then a vaporetto along the Grand Canal.

The Alilaguna is great if your hotel is right near a stop and you are more concerned about hauling luggage or getting lost than about the view.

nytraveler

Take a water taxi at the airport and arrive by crossing the bacino and then heading past San Marco and down the Grand Canal.

(You asked for WOW - not cheap.)

TPAYT

bookmarking

TPAYT

Now that I've bookmarked this, I'm curious----what does a water taxi cost? And, are they all the same, or some better?

After spending thousands to get there and enduring the rigors of airports and flights I'm sure we wouldn't mind spending more for a WOW, comfortable way into the city.

ellenem

Current official rate for a private water taxi rates between the airport and the centro storico is €110. You can see the full rate chart here.

http://www.comune.venezia.it/flex/cm...IDPagina/19521

AlessandraZoe

I am Ms Frugal. I took the public bus into Venice and was happy to do so.

But if I needed the wow...

Water taxi or bust! Negotiate it and love it.

caze17

Thanks for all of the replies! Sounds like either go the cheapest route with the bus/vaporetto transport or blow the budget for the water taxi. Thanks for setting me straight on any ideas I had about views from the Alilaguna.

As I nail down the rest of the trip, I will see if there is room in the budget. I will write a trip report when I return to let you know where I ended up on the millions of questions that I have asked.

Perhaps there is another Fodorite looking to share a water taxi on April 26? Long shot I know...

Peter_S_Aus

You could try the shared water taxi.

http://www.venicelink.com/index.php?...3&lang=english

We have used it and it is good. 25 euro per person.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm