lkemerson

Ok...I'm suffering major "it's almost here, gather all your notes into some cohesive notebook of good information" overload.

I cannot find where I found, or kept the information on the water taxi to Venice from the airport.

We are arriving at 7:50 at night.

Would it be better for us to take the bus, then the vaporetto...

or would it be better to take a water taxi.

What would the difference be in cost for two people?

I'm sorry, but I'm in information overload, and can't find it. As soon as one of you kind people tell me, it will magically appear, as it always does...grrrr.

2 more days til 10 days in Ireland, followed by 10 in Italy!!!

and I did it all myself, with all YOUR help.

Thank you,

Karen

Suki

Hi Karen, when you arrive at Marco Polo you walk out the front doors and follow signs for the Allilaguna. It'a a bit of a walk, but you soon arrive, get on the boat and you are on the way to Venice. It's quite easy. A water taxi is very convenient but will cost 90 euro or so. I don't remember what the vaparetto costs but it is much cheaper.

Londonres

I always use the Alilaguna and it costs €12 to get to Rialto, but no need to walk to the Alilaguna quay. A free shuttle bus stops outside the terminal building. It's quite a long walk if you have luggage, so wait for the bus.

A few Alilaguna boats go to Rialto, so ask if one is due. Otherwise, get on any boat and change to a vaporetto (ask the boatman for the best place to change for Rialto; it varies, depending on whether you are on a blue or a red route. The website is http://www.alilaguna.it/.

Another option (at €30 per person)is to get a shared boat transfer. (A private boat transfer for up to 6 people is €160.) On the Alilaguna home page there is a link to Bucintoro, and that can be used to book a shared or private transfer.

kappa

> no need to walk to the Alilaguna quay. A free shuttle bus stops outside the terminal building ..

Londores, when was the last time you took the free shuttle bus to the Quay? I did it once a few years ago. Since then there have been changes, they cancelled the bus, put it back (maybe for a fee of 1&euro but last I read says no more shuttle in September 2007.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...0-i57-k1452568

Jed

Most people can walk the way to the dock with their luggage. After all, you will have to do a lot more walking in Venice.

Unless you can team up with another couple, the water taxi is expensive.

WillTravel

If it's still possible at that hour, I would buy the 72-hour transit pass at the airport. This includes the #5 bus which goes from the airport to Piazzale Roma, and the vaporettos. So you'd take the #5 bus, and then you'd take the vaporetto to Rialto Bridge. I won't say what number vaporetto, because I'm not 100% sure. This is the cheapest option.

Just be sure you have clear directions how to get to your hotel, and preferably a cell phone and the hotel contact info in case you get lost.

willit

Willtravel is being entirely sensible. The cheapest way is to use the bus. It is however, somewhat magical to approach Venice for the first time, me, by water.

You could take the Alilaguna to Fondamente Nove, or San Marco, then get a vaporetto ticket for the onward journey (I agree about an extended pass)

Suki

Walking to the Alilaguna dock really was no problem as long as you have wheeled luggage and not too much of it. I didn't see any bus in June when we arrived around 7 PM.

annhig

Hi lkemerson,

hope this info reaches you before you leave.

it's bang up to date - we got back freom venice 2 days ago and used both the water taxi [for our arrival] and vaporetto + bus for our return.

arriving at 7.50pm, I can't see any reason why you shouldn't use the bus and vaporetto. as someone else has said, you can buy a 72 hour pass at the ticket office [turn left as you exit from the baggage coolection area] and it's on your left, or if you are stopping longer, the information desk by the water-taxi desk [just ahead of you as you exit the baggage collection area] sells the 7 day blue or orange Venice cards.

this will cover you for the orange ACTV bus [the no.5]. the only real difference between this one and the blus SITA bus is that [apart from the SITA bus costing an extra 3E]it has a proper luggage compartment underneath. otherwise it takes only a bit less time and the bus stop in the piazzale roma is further away from the water-bus.

at 7.50 at night, there is no point in getting the alilaguna because the direct one to the rialto stops at 4pm - we wanted to get it on our retunr journey but as we were leaving at 6pm that wasn't possible.

once you get to the PR, walk straight ahead down the steps to the right of the ticket office [there's a ramp if you've got luggage with wheels].

To get to the rialto you need either water-bus no 1 or 2 - the two makes fewer stops than the 1 but at that time of night that may not matter. they are both very frequent. to give you an idea of timings, we left the rialto on a no 2 bus at 6pm, and were at the airport by 7pm.

if you do decide on a water taxi, the desk is just ahead of you as you exit the customs hall. you can book your taxi there - it will be waiting for you when you get to the water dock about 10 minutes later. THERE IS NO BUS. [another reason to get the no5 or SITA bus - there's far less waking]. they give you a chit with a name on it [not, curiously, your driver] and the price - 90E - and you show that when you get to the water dock. you will then be pointed in the direction of a taxi. in 30 minutes or so you will be in Venice at the rialto.

we exited the customs hall at about 10.15pm, and arrived at the rialto at about 11pm. so 90E saves you about 15 minutes! there were four of us so it wasn't such a bad deal but for one it's prohibitive and it's not that more convenient if you take the walk to the water-dock into a/c.

where are you staying the other end?

have a great trip.

regards, ann