Venice Transportation..
 

I'm getting confused, what is the best/cheapest way to get from the airport to our hotel. The hotel is right off of the Canal Grande.

Cheapest way. Bus (ATVO.it) €3.00 to Piazzale Rome, then vaporetto €6.50 to your hotel.

Best versus cheapest is a matter of opinion.

Right off the Grand Canal where? Your location will also influence what is "best." If you can't name the location, name your hotel and we'll advise.

Best and cheapest are mutually exclusive.

Best is to take a water taxi and approach across the bacino and up the Grand Canal. It is an incredible experience - but big $.

The method above is probably least expensive - but it depends on exactly where your hotel is.

Venice is best approached by water. Alilaguna is a reasonably fast water bus service from Marco Polo Airport to central Venice. I always use it.

Get on the free shuttle bus from outside the terminal building to the quayside, and you can buy your ticket onboard. Check out

http://www.alilaguna.it/

It should cost about €12 per person one way.

If you want a more exclusive experience, access the Bucintoro site from the Alilaguna homepage.

ellenem,
We are staying at the hotel carlton capri which is the sister hotel and behind the carlton. Can you tell me if we take the bus to Piazzale Roma and walk, is it really difficult with luggage. We are getting on a 12 night cruise the next day and will have pretty large suitcases. Do you have a better suggestion? Thanks

heyjude,

The bus to Piazzale Roma is truly the best bet for you. The Carlton Capri is quite close to Piazzale Roma with only two small bridges to cross. The web site's estimate of 10 minutes to walk this route is accurate.

Do take the ATVO bus, which shuttles back and forth between the airport and Piazzale Roma. (Don't take the orange city bus--slightly cheaper but no luggage storage for your cruise stuff and makes local stops.)

You might opt for a land taxi, but you would still have to make the same walk from Piazzale Roma, and it would cost a lot more.

Thanks so much! Judy

I have taken the orange ACTV bus twice, and there is an open space with room for luggage on the bus. If cost is a consideration and you plan to buy a vaporetto pass, the orange bus is covered by the pass, whereas the ATVO bus is not. The few stops made by the ACTV bus really do not add much time to the trip. You can buy the pass at the airport, but keep in mind that you have to have cash, no credit cards accepted.

Just a minor thing: we took the orange ACTV bus to the airport last Nov and there were "shelves" for luggage akin to those in many airport shuttles (e.g., to off-site parking or rental cars) here in the US. I'm not saying all have this, but at least some do.

Paul

Thanks to all. think we'll opt for the ATVO.

We are back from our trip and there a couple of things I didn't know that would have been helpful in Venice, so I thought I would post them here. One thing is walking over bridges really isn't necessary if you are going on to a cruise in a day or so. Evidently there are luggage storage facilities in Piazalle Roma. I was told that by another cruiser. She said that she just goggled luggage storage venice and came up with the location. We did lug our large suitcases over two bridges. Not easy
Also using the vaporetti. We used it to go to Murano. I found out that you use the 41 or 42 from this forum, but there is one marked DM which is direct....much faster.
And lastly I think I would rest the first day and just wander on my own again because of being so tired instead of trying to fit in a walking tour and grand canal tour. We did both and enjoyed them but were so tired we ate at an awful restaurant near where we stayed instead of looking into something nicer. Then we did the Doges Palace Secret Itinerary the next day and really could have gotten that in either before or after a walking tour or grand canal tour.
Anyway we loved Venice and hope to return at a more leisurely pace.