Lugging luggage on Venice boats
 

I'm sure some of you out there have hauled your suitcases onto the vaporettos in Venice. Is it a real hassle? We are arriving at 11 a.m. on a Saturday in May. How crowded would it be?

Hi bluenose, I have and really it is not as bad as one imagines. Venice is full of tourist and although I know at times the residents do get tired of the tourist they handle it with good grace.

Do not overpack, but that is good advise in any case. I always have had one suitcase and one carryon. My carryon has a zippered pocket where I put my wallet, tickets, passport etc. I always had my purse in my luggage and didn't use it until I arrived at the hotel. That way there is only two items to deal with versus three.

Unless you are not able to handle your own luggage you should not have any problems. Visitors to Venice with luggage use the vaporettos all the time.

Just try to be considerate and be aware of not banging your luggage into others etc. My biggest complaint is getting whacked by backpacks. Those things are dangerous, LOL.

Hi blue,

No the vapporetti are not difficult with luggage. They can be crowded at times you may have to stand in the middle section with your luggage and no great view.

Also be aware that you may have to get your bags over several small bridges with steps before arriving at your hotel.

Buon Viaggio!

Actually, I would say it is a pain to take heavy or big luggage on them. Basically you are limited to the area in the middle of the vaporetto, where everyone needs to get on and off and where the crew pass from side to side to open the side rails. Also, there is a bit of a lift (height differential) between the level of the deck and the level of the dock, so if your bags are heavy or awkward - be prepared. Oh, and a Saturday will be busy.

Thanks for all of your input. Putting your purse in your luggage is a good idea, LoveItaly! I think I'm leaning towards staying near the train station. It's only a place to sleep, right?

<It's only a place to sleep, right?>
NO! Well to me it's not anyway. I can't imagine going all the way to Venice and not staying in a nicer, more central part of the city.

Depends how big your suitcase is how hard it will be to handle on the vaporetto. Personally I wouldn't do this with more than 1 medium duffle bag or 1 small rolling suitcase. The boats can be crowded, the loading platform rocks, the boat rocks, etc. That said, the boats are easy to use, not expensive, and will quickly take you to a more interesting part of the city.

There is a charge for several suitcases on the vaporetto.

Compared to getting them on and off a train, getting them on and off a vaparetto is a snap! If you can manage the train, you can certainly manage the vaparetto.

Just returned from Venice and we had two 22 inch rolling bags and two 44 inch rolling backpacks. It was a little difficult.

We arrived on a Saturday too and the crew tried to make us go down into the cabin but luckily it was too crowded. We were not charged anything for our bags.

We are arriving in Venice on a Saturday also, however, our travel agent secured a private transfer (boat) to our hotel. We we told we could only have one suitcase and our carry-ons. Does anyone have an idea of the size of the private transport?

It can be a brief hassle depending on how full the boat is, but it's not like you're going to be doing it day after day or you'll be on the boat for days. Nothing to panic over.

If it's a water taxi (which is the only private boat service I know of that is commonly used) and you will be the only two on it, I can't imagine why you'd be limited to one suitcase each and carry ons. Water taxis carry up to six people and their luggage.

We had four people and our luggage on a water taxi a few years ago with no problem.

Maybe there's an extra charge per piece of luggage over one per person?

Maybe someone who has been to Venice in the last two years knows of some change in water taxis or the types of boats used since we were there in '02.

Hi Rufus, that is a new one to me too.
And I sure don't know of any other "private boat" except for the water taxis.

I wonder if the TA is mistaken. It happens.

Re crossing bridges with luggage. I'm assuming(like a normal bridge) there is just a slope at either end, no steps etc??? I have a 15 min. walk from train station to my accommodation and apparently I have to cross 3 bridges. I will have a 25" rolling suitcase and a 17" carryon which I can clip onto my suitcase. Experts please advise!

NZGirl: All the Venetian bridges that I can recall had steps rather than slopes. The steps are generally quite low and quite wide. If your suitcase is sufficiently sturdy, you should be able to drag it up one side and pull it down the other.

The old saw... "There are two types of travelers: those that travel light and those that wish they had"... is both a cliche and true!

Limit your luggage to 13 pounds including the weight of the bag & you should be OK.

Yes... you can do it!!!

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Michael'nA2

NZGirl, how do you manage if you have to take that amount of luggage up a flight of stairs near your home? The steps in Venice over a typical bridge will be gentler and fewer than a typical flight of stairs, but I managed my suitcase and tote by carrying them together over the stairs.

In your case, I think I would feel safe carrying one piece at a time over the bridge (and then going back for the other), but that's a personal decision of course. If at all possible, I'd try to pack less.

NZGirl--unless you are really, really weak or carrying bowling balls in your suitcases, I can't imagine that getting your luggage over 3 Venetian bridges will be a life-altering experience for you.

Can you lift your suitcase at all? If so, it should not be a big problem.

Don't worry, unless your bags are huge and heavy and don't have wheels.
I just spent a week in Venice with 4 children, 4 suitcases (one of which was really quite large), a wheelchair and an item of handbaggage per person. We had no problems on the vaporettos and weren't charged any extra. We found getting on at Piazzale Roma meant we could get our bags pushed into the corner beside the side rails, therefore relatively out-of-the-way, and not too difficult to get off (provided you are on the side you have to get off at your destination - it's worth checking that on a map first). The rest of our visit we had the wheelchair, and we had to park that pretty much in the middle of the boat every time. But people were very tolerant and helpful.

And dont even think of staying near the station...... you're in Venice for heaven's sake, go somewhere nearer the centre.

NZGirl - All the bridges have steps, but they are reasonably wide and gentle, not like a flight of stairs. If I can manage heaving a wheelchair over countless bridges each day for a week, you can almost certainly manage 3, unless you really are carrying bowling balls! But I suspect you are at least 20 years younger than me, and therefore you can expect lots of handsome young men to offer to help you if you seem to be struggling....

1. In my experience as a scion of Pictou County and Halifax, Bluenose folks are not quitters, nor fearful of hard work.

I have done the vaporetto thing and had no problem.

That said, 2. The bridges are a bit of a trial.

3. As one of the city's biggest bridges is the one opposite the train station, you may not avoid the issue by staying nearby the station.

(Though 4. there are some lovely spots near the station -- Canareggio canal, for example)

5. I would certainly avoid trying to cross the Rialto with luggage.

6. PACK LIGHT.

7. Did I mention PACK LIGHT? IE take your proposed travel-wardrobe and cut it in half. (Well actually cut it BY half) Then ask yourself if you could manage with that. Bring washables, bring things that all go together -- you get the picture.