italy2005

My friends and I will be in Venice this coming August. We are planning to take the water taxi from the airport to our hotel. I was just wondering if the water taxi's in Venice are closed roof or is it open that we can see the view coming to the Grand Canal?

Do you also know what time the water taxi office in the airport opens? Thanks in advance.

TransitBuddie

I believe that all the water taxis in Venice have an open back. At the Venice Marco Polo airport, there should be taxis running by 7AM (they probably start around 6, but I'm not sure).

nytraveler

The water taxis in Venice are actually beautiful wooden launches. There is an indoor area with seating on benches and an outdoor area in the back - I don;t recall if there are benches there too (i think so) or if you must stand.

jbee

Our taxi into Venice had a seating part, then an open section in the back. Our taxi out of Venice had no seating in the back, just covered seating. We saw others that had no seating in the back, but part of the roof was removed over the seating, allowing you to stand and see out.

You can pick your taxi, so look for one that has seating on the back - it's well worth it! Aaahhh, Venezia!

Lexma90

At least on the water taxi we took last September, there was covered seating in the front of the launch, and it was open in the back, with benches along the side/back. If you sit on the benches, however, you won't be able to see over the top of the boat to see what's ahead of you. We spent the entire (short) ride standing and admiring the views from all angles.

kelliebellie

Are you guys talking about a private water taxi (the 80 euro one) or the public water taxi (the 10 euro one)? Is the public one really that bad?

nytraveler

There are no "public" water taxis. You rent a water taxi after negotiating with the driver based on destination - and yest it will be a substantial amount.

What you are talking about is the vaporetto - the equivalent of a city bus - not the equivalent of a taxi.

italy2005

thank you all for the info. ill ask the water taxi office in the airport that we would prefer to have a taxi that has an open back there's going to be 5 of us so we figured to just split the cost of a water taxi. our hotel has a water landing.

kelliebellie

I'm asking about the water bus then. It is not called the vaporetto from the airport. It is called something else. Will it really be a nightmare to take?

LAwoman

kelliebellie you mean the alilaguna airport boat -

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/...rport_boat.htm

Eloise

Kelliebellie: You are thinking about the Alilaguna:

http://www.alilaguna.it/

I've never taken it myself, but I don't see why it would be a nightmare.
Some of the complaints I have heard: It doesn't take the Grand Canal (for the "wow!" experience of one's first view of the Grand Canal); it doesn't stop in enough places (you'll have to check the Alilaguna map against the location of your hotel). It costs 10 Euro per ride.

Another way to get from the airport to "downtown" Venice is with the ATVO bus (no stops; it's a bit more expensive than the ACTV bus, which is also included if you buy a one- or three-day vaporetto ticket) to Piazzale Roma and then a vaporetto (No. 1 or 82, again depending on the location of your hotel) along the Grand Canal. The "wow!" at Piazzale Roma is not as good as the one you get when you arrive at the Santa Lucia train station, simply because Piazzale Roma is, in effect, one great big parking lot. The Grand Canal vaporetto will cost 5 Euro per person plus luggage fees; it (and luggage fees)is included, of course, in the one- or three-day vaporetto pass.

There's also a seven-day Venice Card for vaporettos (and public tilets), if you're staying that long. It has a version that also includes the Alilaguna.

justretired

We took the alilaguna airport boat, or its equivalent five years ago. Other than a little trouble finding the dock it left from (near San Marco), it was perfectly fine (the signs weren't too obvious at the time). Why would it be a nightmare?

The only advantage of a private taxi is that it can pick you up, with all your luggage, right at the hotel. We had to drag our rolling suitcases through Venice to the alilaguna dock.

- Larry

kelliebellie

There was another forum where people were complaining that the alilaguna was slow and stinky. We bought the 3 day orange pass with the airport alilaguna ride included.

Thanks a lot for the link. I will look it up to see where our hotel is in relation. We are staying in the San Marco area.

Amart

The vaporetto were on strike when we arrived in early June, a few going only to the Rialto with "hundreds" aboard. We (4 adults) took a Taxi for 40 E to our stop D'Ora. We stood up in the back and had a great introduction into Venice! We took the free ride to Murano with the same feeling and decided to take the taxi back to the train station on our last day. Wouldn't go any other way!!! BTW-sitting inside is the pits.

geoffreylaxton

I was just in Venice and I was told by a fellow traveler that because the bus had stopped running (ACTV 5 Euros), they had to take a water taxi for 80 Euros. I would suggest catching the bus if you come into the airport during bus hours. There is a ferry system in the Grand canal that also costs 5 Euros or more depending on what kind of pass you buy. If you want to be on the water in Venice these are my suggestions. Gondolas I hear can cost 300 Euros!