We're visiting Venice soon and were planing to use the vaporetti from Marco Polo airport to Piazzo San Marco. How practical is it for us to transport our suitcases from there thru the backstreets to the hotel (about 500m away) ? I'm concerned about crowds, narrow lanes etc. How much would it be to take a water taxi for a relatively short journey like this ? <BR>

You won't have any trouble getting to your hotel on foot (everyone else will be doing the same!) as long as you have wheels and aren't carrying too much. Judge how hard it is for you to get from the curb at your airport to the checkin counter, and you can pretty well judge how hard it will be to get to your hotel. I don't know about a water taxi from point-to-point, but, unless your hotel has its on water taxi entrance, you will be delivered to another landing like San Marco and still have to walk some distance to your hotel. Maybe you should contact your hotel and see what they suggest.

We took the Alilaguna water bus from the airport to San Marco in 1998. There was no shortage of porters bearing carts with large wheels when we got off the boat. They are very adept at going up and down the bridges with a loaded cart! If you have wheels and a good map, you can walk it.

Even though you can definately walk, get used to taking a vaperetta everywhere. You will be on them everyday, trust me. They are not very expensive - they are like buses.

Avoid the water taxis unless you want to pay a small - stirke that - a large fortune. Far cheaper to use porters nd take the vaparetto.