I have my airport transfers all set up for when we arrive in Rome. Do I need to worry about transfers to the airport in Venice when we leave, or is that easy to do once we're there? Our flight is at 11:30, so time shouldn't be a problem. Thanks.

I doubt you need to arrange the Venice departure in advance. If you take a water taxi your hotel can arrange it.

We took the airport shuttle bus from Piazzale Roma. Very easy---I think it cost all of 3 euros, or something like that. Took about 25 minutes to the airport. They put our large bags in the lower compartment. We carried on a small bag.

It is easy to do once you're there. It is definitely advisable that you know ahead of time what is the preferred method. That will all depend on hotel location and your budget.

Land transportation (bus) will be fast, cheap, but take you to Piazzale Roma and nofurther. (www.atvo.it/eng/airport.php?var=v) You'd either have to walk or take vaporetto (water bus) closer to your hotel.

Alilaguna (www.alilaguna.it) will take you by water to various locations around Venice - could be close to your hotel or not.

Private Water taxi will take you basically right to your hotel (or the nearest dock. Cost will be higher - I believe the going rate is 100-120Euros.

Where is your hotel in Venice?

We are staying in an apartment, not a hotel, so there is no one to make arrangements. That's why I'm trying to do some research ahead of time. The apartment is located near the Basilica dei Frari, on S.Polo. Looks like it's not too far from the Piazzale Roma, but it's hard to tell if it's too far to walk.
I never thought about it, but we'll be arriving by train from Florence. How do you get from the train station to the apartment?
Thanks for your help.

hi niteowl,

can you give us the address? - in Venice that really matters because of the bridges which may make a short walk a real pain with luggage.

the station is other side of the grand canal from the piazzale roma and san polo, so you have to get across to the other side somehow.

probably the no 1 vaporetto from the station will be the way to go, but it's hard to say exactly without the address.

regards, ann

It looks like the address is San Polo 3080. On my map, the exact street is missing, but it is in between Calle de la Chiovere, Calle del Campazzo, and Calle Drio L'Archivio. It looks like there are bridges, but it's hard to judge distance, and walking with luggage, even backpacks and small rolling bags, makes a difference.
Thanks for your help.

Even with address it's often hard to locate a place. That's Venice. Can you point out where your apartment is on this map?

http://www.veneziasi.it/mappa_venezi...&IdMen=195

If it is closer to San Toma, take a vaporetto No.1 from there to Piazzale Roma and then change to Airport Bus.

With my usually smaller suite case, I know I can walk from Frari to Piazzale Roma or a nearest voporetto stop without much difficulty but perhaps it's not your case.

The best thing is invest a little time and do a trial walk without luggage and determine for yourself if you could make it to Piazzale Roma direct on foot or a vaporetto can help. Even such walk (without luggage) would be a fun in Venice!

I see on the map I posted the streets you mentioned are on the north-west of Frari and San Rocco.

I may be overly cautious, but we made an earlier "scouting" trip to Piazzale Roma to get our bearings, see where to buy tickets, where the bus loads, etc.

I was glad we had done it without bags in tow. On departure day we knew how long to allow to get there and everything went smoothly.

So your aparment is somewhere between Frari and Piazzale Roma but of course much, much closer to Frari. Without luggage it's a easy walk but of course it involves a few bridges (fortunately not big ones). As I said try that walk without luggage. Knowing the way beforehand would make the walk much easier when you have to it with luggage.

Oh, JeanneB I do agree with you. You are not over cautious (or I am one of you ;-) Seriously, it's a great idea.

Kappa: I think we bought our bus tickets on that scouting trip (day b/4 departure), but I may be "mis-remembering". Can tickets be purchased before the day of travel?

Oh you can buy the ticket beforehand.

To OP, when you arrive at Santa Lucia station, I would take a vaporetto No1 (Ferrovia stop just outside the station) to San Toma. From there as you can see on the map I posted above, the way is mostly pretty straightforward and frotunately without a bridge.

Kappa:
Just a little funny.

After all the trip research, I tend to develop an image in my mind of what certain spots are like. I thought Pze Roma was a grand piazza (like Siena)!

hi again, niteowl,

looking at google maps, it looks pretty close to P'zale Roma - but of course you are arriving by train!

like kappa says, just one stop on the no 1 vaporetto [direction st. marco - it's going from right to left as you stand at the vaporetto stop and there are different waiting places for the "up" and "down" so you should be ok] will get you across the grand canal.

then a short walk with possibly one bridge to cross - it's not entirely clear. can the people you are renting the apartment from give you exact directions? - sometimes they wil meet you at the vaportetto stop.

it's a definite argument for travelling light!

regards, ann

ps you can buy your vaporetto passes at the kiosk where you board the vaporetto at the station. don't forget to validate it before you use it for teh first time.

> just one stop on the no 1 ...

ann, what do you mean "one stop" ?? You are not saying Ferrovia - San Toma is one stop?

kappa- it's obviously too late for me to be playing here.

I'm going to bed.

good night.

I'm not sure what "one stop" means, but you'll know when you get to San Toma.

Here is a map I've used. I find it a little awkward, but I've found streets on it that weren't shown on other maps. (Your streets are there). You navigate this map using both arrows and the slider bars on your screen. Looks to me like it's an easy walk from San Toma. I had it pointed to the S Toma stop when I copied it, but I don't know where it will be when you open it.
http://maps.venicexplorer.net/maps_v...angs=en#right0

BTW, be prepared to "Gasp!" when you walk out of the train station. Venice lies before you...like nothing you've ever seen before. Incredible.

niteowl, don't know what map you are using but I love the Freytag & Berndt (www.freytagberndt.com) map of Venice. In our 3 visits (4th in Nov.-yeah!) to Venice with this map, we never got lost. Every little calle is on this map.

Better yet, it includes all of the vaporetto routes mapped with arrows & the vaporetto #. Easy to plan your route, your vaporetto #, & your vaporetto stops.

Can be found in bookstores like BarnesnNobles, Borders, etc. You may want to call & see if they have or can order if not - they run out quickly. I live in downtown Indianapolis & found a map store with it - $11.00.

By the way, if you want one, be sure to get one in Italian, not English - so the names on the map will match the names you see on signs.

Have a great trip.