Hi Everybody.

We just returned from Venice where we used the Venice Connected Discount Cards recommended by Fodor's "Italy 2010" (page 177). We purchased one-way Alilaguna tickets from the city center to airport, 72-hour public transportation cards for 3 days and 4 daily toilet cards.

While it allowed us to save some money while we were using services in Venice, we had a pain in the neck.

We expected the cards to be collected in the airport just after our arrival. But it turned out that we couldn't redeem our tickets for services between March 14 and March 18 when we arrived to the Venice Airport on March 13. We were told in the Alilaguna and HelloVenezia offices located in the airport that the tickets can be redeemed only on the day of service and only in special places.

It at least contradicted with the info on the Venice Connected site (http://www.veniceconnected.com/node/1507) for Alilaguna where it was said that the Alilaguna one way tickets from the City Center to the Airport must be collected in advance.

So we didn't have a peace of mind because it was necessary to think when and where to get the tickets we ordered.

Then we had two problems.

First, we needed tickets for the Alilaguna shuttle deparing at 5:50 am on March 18 while the Alilaguna offices are closed this time. So we stepped by the Alilaguna office at San Marco on March 17 and asked about our tickets in advance. Eventually we got our tickets but the agent had to call and negotiate it with somebody that took significant time.

Second, we didn't manage to collect our Daily Toilet cards for March 14 thru March 17 because while we stayed in San Marco and were spending our time in the City Center,
we couldn't make daily special trips to Piazzale Roma or other //venice>connected points to redeem these cards. Therefore, not only we lost our 4 Euros but paid separately for using toilets.

So my advise for Venice travellers is to avoid Venice Connected cards. We didn't try Travel Pass mentioned in Fodor's (page 179) but it could be probably a better choice.

It is best to buy ALL of these tickets (vaporetto, museum, church and WC passes, Alilaguna) at the information desk just outside the arrivals area.

Why complicate your arrangements unnecessarily for the sake of a few possible saved euro?

And that goes generally for train tickets too.

In my opinion.

Hi tarquin,

Now I totally agree with you. I had never been to Venice before so I relied on the info found in Fodor's.

Regards,
Lev

We bought the shared water taxi trip on-line from Venice Connected, and it worked well. No problems at all.

But I'd endorse Tarquin's comments about other passes.

There is (I think) a Venice Connected desk at the tourist info place near Harry's bar. We topped up our Imob cards there, with very pleasant staff on duty.

The 72-hrs pass, is this ACTV pass? Did you lose 24.75 Euro, and for 2 people it's 49.50 Euro? These are the passes we want to buy.

Lev, it's a fair warning, thank you, I agree about toilet card, everybody on Trip Advisor says it's not needed, every museum has a free toilet, and the restaurants too.

So if I won't start using the pass on the day of arrival, I should not bother, but if I use the pass right away for bus #5 from the airport to P.le Roma, I can get it on the same day from the Ven.Conn. desk or outside from the machine?

Do I need to validate it first time on the bus? We plan on taking ACTV right after arrival.

You can get the 72 hour pass (and any other passes) from the information desk located directly in front of you as you emerge from arrivals area to general airport area.

If you use the #5 bus to P. Roma, validate it then and your 72 hours start.

Only used a vaporetto twice the whole time we were in Venice(4 days). Once to get from train station to apartment and once to visit Murano. I am glad that we did not bother with them. We walked every where we wanted to. It was fun trying to figure out the route back to the apartment.

Thank you in advance for any information you could post answering the following questions. We are a group of 15 spending 1 week in Rome and 1 week in Venice June/July 2011. My questions are about transportation from the airport in Rome (FCO) to our apartment near the Vatican. While in Rome, is there a weekly bus/museum pass we could purchase and where should we do this.

also

Train from Rome to Venice - Mini Fare etc.- what is the best way to do get train transportation for such a large party?

also

While in Venice, what is best way to get from the train station to the place we're staying near the Jewish Ghetto? Is there also a weekly vaporetto/museum pass and where is the best place to purchase this? and finally, what is the best transportation from Venice to the airport?

<B>akgannon</B>: Welcome to Fodors. You will get lots of help here, but you've tacked your pretty specific questions on to an existing thread about other topics. Your questions may get lost in the shuffle on this one, and some will end up responding to the original post.

You will do better if you start a new thread of your own.

I would suggest you look into flying from Rome to Venice so you don't spend six plus hours traveling and lose a day. It was only $100 more total for three of us to fly in one hour then take the faster train

How do I start a thread?

akgannon,

On the upper lift of this page, under where it says Europe Forum, click on Start a New Topic.