Ouch! Flights from Vienna to Venice are very expensive. Anyone have a recommendation for an airline for a flight from Vienna to Venice? We are considering the train but 8 hrs seems like a long trip and a waste of our limited time.

Recommendations are appreciated.

Knowing what date or at least time of year would make this easier to answer.

BTW, if you fly, you still have to get from central Vienna to the airport, check in an hour early and then get from the Venice airport to city center. (The train takes you from city center to city center.) Plus, cheapo airlines have luggage restrictions/fees.

During the summer Danube wings flies bratislava to Venice... Ryanair might do this route also (not far from Vienna).

Try airberlin from vienna

I know you are interested in flights, but another option to consider is the overnight train from Vienna to Venice. A double sleeper berth is €90 per person if you book early enough in advance, and you save your limited holiday time by traveling while sleeping.

Flight? Just take the train like everyone else! ;0)

The direct EuroNight sleeper train leaves central Vienna (Vienna Westbahnhof) every day at 20:48, arriving at Venice Santa Lucia at 08:33 next morning.

Approaching Venice, you'll rumble slowly across the famous causeway with your anticipation building, then walk out of the station right onto the Grand Canal itself, gondolas an' all, a 15 min walk from the Rialto bridge, 20 min walk from St Mark's Square. A sense of arrival you certainly don't get by air.

Book the sleeper train online at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at looking for the direct EN train with 0 changes and print your own ticket. Easy!

Fares start at €39 with a couchette (simple flat bunk in shared compartment) or from €79 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper with washbasin, breakfast included. Deluxe sleepers with shower & toilet are also available.

Booking opens 92 days ahead, book early for the best prices.

The couchettes and sleeping-car are very nice Austrian ones, identical to those on the Vienna-Cologne sleeper train shown in this video I took just a couple of months ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIBamnd6wkE

Oh, and a 20:33 departure from downtown Vienna arriving in central Venice itself at 08:33 actually SAVES time, and a hotel bill, compared to the 4 hours in total of otherwise useful daytime time which flying would take!

Thanks so much for all of the great comments. The trip is late September of this year, early October. It sounds as if the overnight train might be our best option.