We will be arriving at the Venice train station and need to get to our hotel off St. Mark's Square. Our hotel has offered to arrange for a water taxi for 145 euro. I'm hoping there's a less expensive option by public transportation. Can anyone advise us? Thanks.

Yes, youi can take a vaporetto (waterbus; No. 1 or 82) for 5 Euro per person. Depending on how long you are in Venice, you might consider buying a one-day (24 hours) or three-day (72 hours) pass for 12 Euro or 25 Euro, respectively.

Ask your hotel which of the two San Marco vaporetto stops - Vallaresso or San Zaccaria - is better for you.

You may have to cross a bridge or two between the vaporetto stp and your hotel.

Incidentally, 145 Euro for the trip by waterbus from the train station to San Marco is far above the norm. It would normally be about 60 Euro at most.

So sorry: That should, of course, be 145 Euro for the trip by water <b>taxi</b>.

You can get a water taxi just outside the airport, and it should definitely be less than 145E. In '01 I think we paid about $50 for a taxi, so I supposed now it would be around $75. The vaporetto is the cheapest option.

agrebe:

Unless you’re toting a lot of luggage, the vaporetto is easily the way to go. It’s just down the steps from the train station, for a handful of euros. At the current exchange rate, 145 euros would be ... what? ... around $200? To get to your hotel in the heart of the city?

When you leave the train station, you will see the vaporetto station almost directly ahead. You can't miss it. When you buy your ticket don't forget to validate it in the yellow box as you enter the vaporetto. You can use the day and multi day pass on all vaporetto lines including the one to Murano, etc.
If you contact your hotel, they should tell you which stop to use and give you walking directions. If it truly is close to St. Mark's Square, you won't have far to walk.

From the train station, I'd also take a vaporetto (assuming you mean Santa Lucia station). 145 euro from the train station is VERY overpriced unless there's been some sort of a mega-price increase in the last few weeks.

From the airport I'd take a water taxi (which would not cost anywhere near 145 euro even from that far away).