how early do the vaparettos/taxis start? My husband and I need to get to the train station for 6:30am....

What would be our best bet? walking? water taxi? Also - how long do you think it would take to get to the St. Lucia station from San Marco?

Thanks in advance for you help... we're trying to make sure it would be possible to catch such an early train.

Lisa

We're staying right near San Marco at the Hotel Flora.... if that helps.

The vaparetto runs that early -- even earlier but on a more limited schedule. They'll have a specific schedule and you can check how long you need once there. I think our early morning vaparetto ride up the Grand Canal (about 5:30?) was one of the most beautiful moments of our stay there.

What would be the best way to get to the airport that early?

The best way is also the most expensive way to get to the airport..private water taxi from the dock nearest your hotel. I think it cost us about 100 Euro.

Scrub - To get to the airport from San Marco try the alilagua. http://www.alilaguna.it/
it's like the airport water bus- it leaves from San Marco (as you're facing the water, it's a little to the right- in front of the gardens). You can buy your ticket in advance. Double check the website for times. When you get to the airport, you walk outside along some walk ways to get to the terminal.

You can check schedules on www.actv.it.
Line 1 goes from San Zaccaria (near San Marco) to Ferrovia (Santa Lucia station) at 0451, 0511 and 0531, with a journey time of 38 minutes. The vaporetti run all through the night but are then line N. There are other routes in the early morning as well.

You should be aware that in bad (foggy) weather, water taxis may not run to the airport, at least before daylight. This can leave you hanging. The people at the hotel who book the water taxi should be asked for alternatives if fog is likely. Guess how I know this?

This past October we stayed at the Hotel Flora for three days. We had a 6:30 a.m. or so train to Florence and to be on the safe side we took a water taxi. I think at the time that it was $ 60.00-$70.00. The dock is a five minute walk from the hotel. We had a small flash light that came in handy at that hour of the morninig.The hotel will schedule the water taxi for you.

P.S. We scheduled a water taxi for 5:00a.m. - 5:15 a.m.

WOW thanks folks!!!! Great information!

ltilly - If you are not dragging too much, the walk fron San Marco to St. Lucia is under 1/2 hour. We've done it many times. If you think you may walk, take a practice run so you will know the way.
Depending on the season, there could be plenty of light.

I'll be staying in the Rialto, less than 200 meters from the Ponte and about the same from the Rialto Vaporetto stop.

First of all, I got the sense that all the walkways aren't level, so pulling a big suitcase can be a bit of work?

Alilaguna sounds good but transit times seem much greater than taking the ACTO shuttle from Piazza le Roma?

http://www.atvo.it/eng/airport.php?l...id=0&var=v

Looks like the buses run starting at 5 AM, 7 days a week:

http://www.atvo.it/orari/pdf_airport/mpolovenezia.pdf

Now I'm trying to verify if the Vaporetto line 82 will be running at 4 or 5 AM from Rialto to Piazza le Roma but it doesn't quite come up in their timetable search.

http://www.actv.it/english/navigazio...so_navigazione

Is it a safe assumption that I could get on the Vaporetto at around 4:30 on a Saturday morning and get to Piazza le Roma for the 5 AM bus from there to Marco Polo?

Also, someone mentioned flash lights so no "street" lamps around?

It's not an assumption - it's a fact, don't worry. The point is that line 82 isn't running at night; just repeat your search for line N (N like night), and it will come up with the precise departing hours. I don't understand your question about street lamps, but of course there are.

OK thanks, I searched the "N" line and it came up with Rialto Linea 82 DX and Rialto Linea 82 SX listings for between 4-5 AM on Saturdays.

http://www.actv.it/english/navigazio...c/mostra_linea

So I guess I can expect to take the 82 vaporetto and be at Piazza le Roma for the shuttle bus to Marco Polo.

Someone had said a flashlight was handy in this thread so I imagined it would be necessary in some parts. I will be about 200-300 meters from the Rialto stop of line 82.

No. You cannot take the 82 because, as said more than once on this thread, it doesn't run at night. You have to take the N, that's the only vaporetto at night. "Rialto 82DX" is the dock station; at Rialto, there are two docks, one where line 1 is stopping during the day, and the other where line 82 is stopping during the day and line N during the night.

OK but the N takes the same route or stops at all the docks that the 82 does?

So it's just a different name with a different schedule?

No. The N takes many, many more stops than the 82. Just have a look at www.actv.it

Thanks. I guess I'll just take my chances and be out there early.

And have plans to take the Alilaguna as a backup plan.