Venice from the Airport
Jun 2nd, 2011, 10:19 AM
#1
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Venice from the Airport
I have always taken the train or driven into Venice. I'm helping someone plan their trip to Italy and they will be flying into Marco Polo. Anyone have opinions of which is better to take from the airport? Traghetto or bus to train station. Thank you
Jun 2nd, 2011, 10:32 AM
#3
Money to burn - Water taxi (but what style!) aprox €100
Economy route - bus aprox €4
Compromise - Alilaguna aprox €15
To me, it depends on if you have eve been to Venice before. I am a bit of a romantic and think that your first site of the city should be from a boat
Economy route - bus aprox €4
Compromise - Alilaguna aprox €15
To me, it depends on if you have eve been to Venice before. I am a bit of a romantic and think that your first site of the city should be from a boat
Jun 2nd, 2011, 11:00 AM
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No, they have never been to Italy before. I'm having fun writing information for them. You are correct. To view the city by water would be wonderful.They have 5 people so the water taxi may not be that bad. Thank you for your help.
Jun 2nd, 2011, 11:00 AM
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You can also take a land taxi from the airport to Piazzale Roma. That's my preference. It's not too expensive, and you don't have to wait for the bus to leave.
If you take the bus or a taxi from the airport to Piazzale Roma you still need to figure out how to get to your hotel from there -- walk, water taxi, or vaporetto. Your hotel should be able to tell you the best way. Many hotels have this info on their websites. I don't recommend vaporetto -- they are almost always crowded and wrangling luggage onboard is a pain.
If I recall correctly, the Alilaguna comes in near Piazza San Marco. Again, you will need to figure out one of the above ways to get to your hotel. Consult its website.
If you take water taxi, and your hotel has its own dock, you will be taken there. If it does not have a dock, you'll need to ask the hotel how to get there from the nearest dock. Most likely you can walk this.
Pack light -- you will see lots of people with heavy suitcases hauling them around Venice looking miserable.
If you take the bus or a taxi from the airport to Piazzale Roma you still need to figure out how to get to your hotel from there -- walk, water taxi, or vaporetto. Your hotel should be able to tell you the best way. Many hotels have this info on their websites. I don't recommend vaporetto -- they are almost always crowded and wrangling luggage onboard is a pain.
If I recall correctly, the Alilaguna comes in near Piazza San Marco. Again, you will need to figure out one of the above ways to get to your hotel. Consult its website.
If you take water taxi, and your hotel has its own dock, you will be taken there. If it does not have a dock, you'll need to ask the hotel how to get there from the nearest dock. Most likely you can walk this.
Pack light -- you will see lots of people with heavy suitcases hauling them around Venice looking miserable.
Jun 2nd, 2011, 11:35 AM
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Yes, I told them to pack light. My husband and I always do carry-on. They have 3 teens so I'm hoping they will get the message. Invariably when I tell people to pack light, they show up with multiple suitcases each....they don't get it.
Yes, I am telling them anything other than the water taxi will bring them to a spot they may need additional transportation. I am going to suggest that if it were me, I would do the easiest thing possible since they will be arriving after a long trip and never having been to Europe before. I'm trying to pace things out and have them as informed as possible to make it easier and less frustrating.
Thank you.
Yes, I am telling them anything other than the water taxi will bring them to a spot they may need additional transportation. I am going to suggest that if it were me, I would do the easiest thing possible since they will be arriving after a long trip and never having been to Europe before. I'm trying to pace things out and have them as informed as possible to make it easier and less frustrating.
Thank you.
Jun 2nd, 2011, 12:31 PM
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I suggest car to Piazzale Roma then water taxi to hotel. First sight by water sure does sound romantic until they encounter smelly lagoon. Therefore, I suggest my travelers skip the smelly lagoon, which they will have to endure on boat crossing lagoon from airport and instead grab water taxi in Piazzale Roma. I think it's distasteful to suggest first impression be a bad odor... it could leave a bad taste in their mouth;-)
Jun 2nd, 2011, 01:49 PM
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Thank you Motorino but they are planning on going in March or April. We usually go at the end of March and there is no smell...cool weather. If it were in the summer, I would agree. Thank you.
Jun 2nd, 2011, 03:18 PM
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One of the most vivid and spectacular memories of my 2 dozen or so trips to Europe is a trip into Venice from the airport on the Alilaguna on a perfect fall morning. We've been to Venice before and since but this particular arrival was memorable. Don't recommend arriving by train, it simply isn't he same.
Jun 2nd, 2011, 04:02 PM
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A watertaxi makes sense for a party of five.
My impressions from our last arrival:
So we Emirated our way across the globe, fetching up at about 45deg 15m N, 12deg 19m E, in Venice, arriving in real style per taxi, threading our way through the Rio di Santa Giustina (sound horn at the intersection with the Rio di San Francesco), the Rio di San Lorenzo which gives a good view of crumbling foundations, and the Rio dei Greci. And then that complete knock out sight, as we entered the Grand Canal, Ducal Palace and the Campanile to starboard, and the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute to port. There’s a line in “Wind in the Willows” – “There’s nothing so worthwhile as simply messing about in boats”, and Venice has taken this to heart. The Grand Canal is full of people simply messing about in boats. Gondolas, police boats, workboats, ambulances, waterbuses, water taxis, the lot.
Upstream under the temporary bridge with traffic lights erected across the Grand Canal to the Salute for the 21st November festival, and disembark at the Ca’ Rezzonico. I can’t really claim to have returned like Marco Polo, if for no other reason that we lacked his cargo of silks and spices, but it did feel pretty special.
My impressions from our last arrival:
So we Emirated our way across the globe, fetching up at about 45deg 15m N, 12deg 19m E, in Venice, arriving in real style per taxi, threading our way through the Rio di Santa Giustina (sound horn at the intersection with the Rio di San Francesco), the Rio di San Lorenzo which gives a good view of crumbling foundations, and the Rio dei Greci. And then that complete knock out sight, as we entered the Grand Canal, Ducal Palace and the Campanile to starboard, and the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute to port. There’s a line in “Wind in the Willows” – “There’s nothing so worthwhile as simply messing about in boats”, and Venice has taken this to heart. The Grand Canal is full of people simply messing about in boats. Gondolas, police boats, workboats, ambulances, waterbuses, water taxis, the lot.
Upstream under the temporary bridge with traffic lights erected across the Grand Canal to the Salute for the 21st November festival, and disembark at the Ca’ Rezzonico. I can’t really claim to have returned like Marco Polo, if for no other reason that we lacked his cargo of silks and spices, but it did feel pretty special.
Jun 2nd, 2011, 05:55 PM
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As I mentioned before we always arrive by train...I'm usually asleep 
I remember the first time we came out of the station to the vapporetto. Venice was magical. I think if I recommend the taxi to our friends and second the Alilaguana it will be even more amazing for them. I love to hear people's first impression of what I consider a magical city.
That should knock the socks off three teens. The fortunate thing is that their mom said they are really excited about going to Italy for the art. I love to hear that. Thank you everyone. You helped a lot.
I remember the first time we came out of the station to the vapporetto. Venice was magical. I think if I recommend the taxi to our friends and second the Alilaguana it will be even more amazing for them. I love to hear people's first impression of what I consider a magical city. That should knock the socks off three teens. The fortunate thing is that their mom said they are really excited about going to Italy for the art. I love to hear that. Thank you everyone. You helped a lot.
