Travel around Venice

[mac4cruise]

What is the best method of travel from the airport in Venice to the St Marco square area with all your luggage.

 

Thanks

[computerworks]

What is the best method of travel from the airport in Venice to the St Marco square area with all your luggage.

 

Thanks

 

"best" as in cheapest? ..or "best" as in most efficient?

 

Best fare = Bus to P. Roma and vaporetto to St Marks - total cost ~18 euro

 

Comfy way = Water taxi - end to end - total cost (probably) 120-200 euros

 

or, split the difference... bus to P. Roma (6 euros), then water taxi to St .Marks. (probably 80 euros)

[WyomingCruiser]

We used a water shuttle (Alilaguna?) and found it very handy, and cheaper than water taxi.

[hattack]

Don't have current info...in 2002 we flew to Venice..took the water taxi (shuutle) from the airport to the Square...did not cost that much...arrive in the Square at sunrise...priceless

[Da-Painter]

Also consider how much luggage you have. DW and I each had one roller piece of luggage, we could handle this. If we each had 2 pieces, it gets tougher to handle. You have to get it on and off the bus, and up over the bridges by yourselves. If you can not handle this, consider a taxi.

Beware of folks helping you, which may keep going with your luggage.

[euro cruiser]

The ATVO is an express bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma in Venice; it is meant for luggage (you stow your bags under the bus) as opposed to the public bus, which is not. ATVO info here: http://www.atvo.it/index.php?lang=en&area=23&menuid=35

 

Alilaguna is a water shuttle service from the airport to San Marco, which I think makes more sense for the OP rather than the land bus followed by the vaporetto. Alilaguna info here: http://alilaguna.it/

[Hlitner]

Don't have current info...in 2002 we flew to Venice..took the water taxi (shuutle) from the airport to the Square...did not cost that much...arrive in the Square at sunrise...priceless

 

Hmmm. Not sure posting decade old info will help current traveler so we will try to bring this up to date for the sake of current readers. If you were speaking of a real "water taxi" the fare from the airport into Venice will generally cost 90 - 130 Euros! The fare varies depending on exactly where you want to go in Venice. In addition, one must get from the airport terminal to the airport dock (with their luggage) and this is a bit of a hike.

 

Now there is another way to get into Venice by boat and its called the Alilaguna which is like a private water bus (not taxi) company. They charge 15 Euros per person for the ride into town and do offer multiple stopping points. However, the term "slow boat" applies to the Alilaguna since it takes more then 1 1/2 hours to get from the airport to St Marks Square on these boats. Add waiting time to get on a boat at the airport and it can easily take 2 hours to get from the airport to your destination. In addition, one has to be willing to take the long hike from the airport terminal to the dock (dragging your luggage).

 

And that is the "current" situation if one wants to use a boat to get into town from the airport. The land options (ATVO, ACTV buses) or a land taxi to the Piazale Roma are much faster (and usually less costly) options.

 

Hank

[farmaceerep]

Hank, thank you for this informative info. After a long flight, the last thing four 60 year olds want to do is hike all over with their luggage. Where do you pick up the land taxis or transportation? Any idea of the cost? How long is the ride? Once we get to San Marco Sq, we still have to take the water taxi to out hotel. Thanks again.

[euro cruiser]

A land taxi is of little use in this situation. With four of you to share the cost you should seriously consider a private water taxi, which you get from the dock at the airport. You can use trolleys to get your luggage down to the dock or pay a porter to help you.

 

If your hotel has its own dock you can pull right to the door, if not they can tell you the closest dock to use.

[CathyCruises]

Hank, thank you for this informative info. After a long flight, the last thing four 60 year olds want to do is hike all over with their luggage. Where do you pick up the land taxis or transportation? Any idea of the cost? How long is the ride? Once we get to San Marco Sq, we still have to take the water taxi to out hotel. Thanks again.

 

I'm not sure you're getting the picture. You cannot take a land taxi to St. Mark's Square. You could take a bus (or taxi) from the airport to Piazzale Roma, the last place cars are allowed in Venice. Then your options are the vaporetto, which I would not take in those locations with luggage, walking (ditto), or a water taxi. Very cumbersome making two separate trips.

 

I agree with Euro that your best bet is the water taxi from the airport. It is a flat several hundred yard walk to the dock and trolleys are available for your luggage. They will take you as close to your hotel as possible; it will cost, but it is an excellent way to 'arrive'. There is a large desk in the airport where you can book your ride.

 

The only other alternative, as Hank mentioned, is Alilaguna. You have to get to the same dock area, and then board a boat with many others. They generally charge extra per bag. Then it is a slow ride to St. Mark's, and from there you must walk with your luggage over cobbled streets and up and over the many bridges, most of which have steps rather than ramps. I have done this and it is certainly interesting. . .you have to weigh whether the amount of money you will save vs. the water taxi is worth the inconvenience to you.

[Hlitner]

Hank, thank you for this informative info. After a long flight, the last thing four 60 year olds want to do is hike all over with their luggage. Where do you pick up the land taxis or transportation? Any idea of the cost? How long is the ride? Once we get to San Marco Sq, we still have to take the water taxi to out hotel. Thanks again.

 

Am also a 60+ year old so we do "hear ya." I am going to again lay out the options...but a real key issue is the exact location of your hotel. So lets try to clear the air. For any land-based access to Venice the key transportation hub is the Piazale Roma...which is a large square that has the Venice bus (we are talking regular land buses) station and a taxi waiting area. For any land transportation into Venice this is as far as you go...and its actually the only place you go. So getting to your hotel means first going to the Piazale Roma unless you decide to use some kind of water transportation from the airport.

 

The airport layout makes it much easier to drag your luggage onto a bus or taxi then it does to get your luggage to some kind of water transportation. Once you get your luggage and clear customs you just walk outside the terminal (main doors) and most of the bus transportation leaves from the center curb. Many of us prefer to take the so-called ATVO Bus since its pretty cheap, runs quite often (I think about every 30 min) and is a direct express bus to the Piazale Roma. You can buy ATVO tickets at a vending machine next to the bus stop or inside the airport terminal at a ticket/information kiosk located not far from the doors. The fare is about 7 Euros (6 Euros if booked online). As Euro mentioned, these ATVO buses have plenty of luggage storage underneath the bus, are quite comfy, and very efficient. You can also choose to get to the Pizale Roma by taking a regular land taxi from the airport, but this will cost you a lot more money then the bus. Not sure of the current taxi fare but expect somewhere in the area of 45 - 50 Euros.

 

There is also a regular local bus route (run by the same ACTV company that operates the vaporettos) that goes between the airport and Piazale Roma (with many stops). Tickets for this bus are relatively cheap and they actually sell combination tickets that also work with the vaporettos. However (this is important) these local buses do not have luggage storage other then the small area under your seat (or on the too small overhead shelf) and the driver may refuse entry to anyone carrying a large piece of luggage.

 

Once you are at the Piazale Roma you have several transportation options. This square is the true transporation hub of Venice and has a large Vaporetto (these are the cities water buses operate by the ACTV company) pier complex. The vaporettos can get you just about anywhere in Venice and to any of the other islands in the lagoon, but they can get very crowded. It is OK to roll your luggage onto the vaporettos, but if you have more then one piece it can be difficult and they might assess an extra fee for the excess luggage. You can buy any type of vaporetto ticket (90 min, 12 hr, 24 hr etc) from the automatic vending machine or you can also get tickets at the ACTV ticket office. This is easy to find in the Square (just look for the ACTV sign) since its all over by the Grand Canal. I should add that DW and I love the vaporettos and find its the best way to get around and see Venice.

 

You also will hear about the Alilaguna boats, which look a lot like the Vaporettos...but are actually owned and operated by a private company. Tickets ARE NOT interchangeable between the vaporettos and the Alilaguna as they are two totally different companies. The Alilaguna only operates 4 routes (i.e. Red, Blue, etc) and cannot get you to nearly as many places as the vaporettos. However, the Alilaguna does have a route that includes the airport (the vaporettos do not go anywhere near the airport) as well as the cruise ship port. The Alilaguna fare from the airport to town is 15 Euros per person. Just keep in mind that the Alilaguna to or from the airport is very slow...and it can actually take you about 1 1/2 hours to go between Venice and the Airport with these boats...as opposed to less then 30 min via the ATVO bus or land taxi.

 

We should also mention the wonderful new "People Mover" which is an automated elevated train that has only 3 stops. It actually runs from the Piazale Roma (at the opposite side of the square from the vaporettos) to Tronchetto Island (a huge parking lot) with a stop at the cruise ship port. The People Mover only costs 1 Euro per trip (bought from vending machines) and is a great way to get between the Piazale Roma and the cruise port. However, it can be a relatively long walk from the People Mover station at the port to your actual ship...depending on your docking location.

 

Now the classiest and most convenient way to go anywhere around Venice or to/from the airport is to hire a water taxi. The only negative about the water taxis is that they are quite expensive (figure on 100 Euros plus or minus depending on your destination). For those willing to spend the money, taking a water taxi from the airport directly to a hotel (many hotels have their own boat dock). One big negative for some folks is that the airport dock (where you can get the water taxis and also the Alilaugna boats) is a long walk from the terminal and you cannot count on finding a porter to help. So you need to be prepared to move your own luggage a few hundred yards form the airport terminal to the boat dock...if this is your selected mode of transport.

 

One more caution about hotels in Venice. Many are not located close to a Vaporetto or Alilaguna stop. Getting from one of these boats to your hotel means having to haul your own luggage...and usually means going up and down over various foot bridges. Using the expensive water taxis can solve this problem if your hotel has its own dock.

 

So, what to do? Many frequent visitors have their own Venice strategy. Personally, when we are in Venice for a cruise (we have also been there a few times when we were just driving around Italy) we prefer to make our lives easy by staying at a hotel located right at the Piazale Roma. Our hotel of choice is the small inn-like Ca Doge. The Best Western Olimpia is also very close to the bus stop and popular with many cruisers. When you stay in these hotels its simple (and not expensive) to simply take the ATVO bus from the airport and then walk directly to your hotel.

 

Guess I need to also mention the city of Mestre....which actually is located on the Mainland across the lagoon from Venice. Mestre is very popular with tours because the town has many reasonably priced hotels. You can get between Mestre and the airport by using land taxis...and some hotels also provide shuttle service (not always free). You can get from Mestre into Venice via the regular train. And you can also get to the port from Mestre by using a land taxi (not cheap). Personally, when we are in Venice, we want to stay in Venice. But plenty of folks do stay out in Mestre.

 

Hank

P.S. Hope this little primer helps somebody :).

[fabnfortysomething]

wow what a post from Hlitner-should be a sticky!

 

I was only going to add that if you struggle with steps or balance issues it can be difficult getting down into a water taxi-Vaparettos you walk straight across via a ramp

[farmaceerep]

Wow! How very knowledgeable and kind to share your expertise. We have reservations at the Hilton Molino Stucky, which is not exactly in Venice but a separate island (I think I have a lot more research to do). Now that I understand more about getting to Venice (thank you!), I think the water taxi is the best option for us. Since we are a party of 4, we will share the expense and arrive in style. The only negative is navigating to the pier from the airport with the luggage. We are agile but I am so very clumsy. I took a good tumble walking around the Acropolis! Oh, everyone had a good laugh at my expense. You say it's only a few hundred yards walk and I can get a luggage trolley so it might not be too bad. Thank you again for this wonderful information. I forget why I love these boards. You meet some great people.

[Hlitner]

Wow! How very knowledgeable and kind to share your expertise. We have reservations at the Hilton Molino Stucky, which is not exactly in Venice but a separate island (I think I have a lot more research to do). Now that I understand more about getting to Venice (thank you!), I think the water taxi is the best option for us. Since we are a party of 4, we will share the expense and arrive in style. The only negative is navigating to the pier from the airport with the luggage. We are agile but I am so very clumsy. I took a good tumble walking around the Acropolis! Oh, everyone had a good laugh at my expense. You say it's only a few hundred yards walk and I can get a luggage trolley so it might not be too bad. Thank you again for this wonderful information. I forget why I love these boards. You meet some great people.

 

You are right that taking a water taxi is a good choice for 4 going to the Hilton. That hotel is located on Giudecca Island which is right across the canal from Venice (and St Marks Square). Riding on a water taxi is a really neat experience and something you will remember. The boats can easily handle 4 plus luggage. You might want to e-mail your hotel and find out if they have any special deals for a water taxi transfer (I have no idea...but it never hurts to ask).

[CathyCruises]

The only thing I would add to Hank's post is that taking a vaporetto on one of the busy routes (P. Roma to San Marco for ex.) would be quite difficult with luggage. We routinely take the vaporetti, but have only done so with luggage on routes we know to be less traveled. The popular routes, especially 1 and 2, are normally jammed and trying to get on with luggage, and then finding a place to stand with it, would be very tight. If it was just an overnight bag, no problem, but with 'cruise luggage' it is something I would not want to go through, nor put others through.

[mikeriv79]

I used the ATVO shuttle bus. It was very easy, and if you book online prior to arrival its 5.50 Euro per person one way. It's 6 Euro to buy at the counter in the airport.

Edited November 27, 2013 by mikeriv79
quote mistake

[Hlitner]

I used the ATVO shuttle bus. It was very easy, and if you book online prior to arrival its 5.50 Euro per person one way. It's 6 Euro to buy at the counter in the airport.

 

Ok, so you now got these 4 folks, with all their luggage, from the airport to the Piazale Roma. But they still need to get themselves (and luggage) over to Giudecca Island and the Hilton. Assuming they do not want to try and deal with getting on a Vaporetto with luggage, how would they get to their hotel?

 

Hank

P.S My only reason to post this is to get folks thinking about the transportation problems when you need to also move luggage. It is always a challenge.

[Colorado Kat]

The only negative is navigating to the pier from the airport with the luggage. You say it's only a few hundred yards walk and I can get a luggage trolley so it might not be too bad.

 

You can get a porter to help with your luggage to the water taxi.

[Tansy Mews]

Hlitner is right about hotel location. Ask your hotel or check your hotel website. Easy access to your hotel is something to consider when booking your hotel - at least, that's what I have been told. Just there a few days ago and it was magic. However I would not want to hump my luggage over the bridges and alongside the canals.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Tansy Mews

[Carolyn R]

I was in Venice this fall. We used a water taxi to get from the hotel to the ship and I noted that our water taxi was equipped with a hydrologic lift for those less mobile.

 

When I travel solo I take the bus to Piazzale Roma and leave my large luggage piece at the luggage storage facility there. I then use the vaporetto to get to my hotel with only my carry on. The location of your hotel is of the utmost importance when staying in Venice. The fewer bridges you have to cross with your luggage the better.

[farmaceerep]

We are not light packers. Therefore lugging our luggage over the beautiful bridges of Venice does not sound enticing. We (I) would not be a happy camper especially in July. Our hotel (Hilton Molino Stucky) has water taxi access (maybe private taxi). Now that I have your suggestions, we will take the water taxi from the airport (hopefully, there will be porters available at the airport to help us transport our luggage to the dock at Venice airport) and sail to our hotel. Thanks everyone.

[hsaroya]

Am also a 60+ year old so we do "hear ya." I am going to again lay out the options...but a real key issue is the exact location of your hotel. So lets try to clear the air. For any land-based access to Venice the key transportation hub is the Piazale Roma...which is a large square that has the Venice bus (we are talking regular land buses) station and a taxi waiting area. For any land transportation into Venice this is as far as you go...and its actually the only place you go. So getting to your hotel means first going to the Piazale Roma unless you decide to use some kind of water transportation from the airport.

 

The airport layout makes it much easier to drag your luggage onto a bus or taxi then it does to get your luggage to some kind of water transportation. Once you get your luggage and clear customs you just walk outside the terminal (main doors) and most of the bus transportation leaves from the center curb. Many of us prefer to take the so-called ATVO Bus since its pretty cheap, runs quite often (I think about every 30 min) and is a direct express bus to the Piazale Roma. You can buy ATVO tickets at a vending machine next to the bus stop or inside the airport terminal at a ticket/information kiosk located not far from the doors. The fare is about 7 Euros (6 Euros if booked online). As Euro mentioned, these ATVO buses have plenty of luggage storage underneath the bus, are quite comfy, and very efficient. You can also choose to get to the Pizale Roma by taking a regular land taxi from the airport, but this will cost you a lot more money then the bus. Not sure of the current taxi fare but expect somewhere in the area of 45 - 50 Euros.

 

There is also a regular local bus route (run by the same ACTV company that operates the vaporettos) that goes between the airport and Piazale Roma (with many stops). Tickets for this bus are relatively cheap and they actually sell combination tickets that also work with the vaporettos. However (this is important) these local buses do not have luggage storage other then the small area under your seat (or on the too small overhead shelf) and the driver may refuse entry to anyone carrying a large piece of luggage.

 

Once you are at the Piazale Roma you have several transportation options. This square is the true transporation hub of Venice and has a large Vaporetto (these are the cities water buses operate by the ACTV company) pier complex. The vaporettos can get you just about anywhere in Venice and to any of the other islands in the lagoon, but they can get very crowded. It is OK to roll your luggage onto the vaporettos, but if you have more then one piece it can be difficult and they might assess an extra fee for the excess luggage. You can buy any type of vaporetto ticket (90 min, 12 hr, 24 hr etc) from the automatic vending machine or you can also get tickets at the ACTV ticket office. This is easy to find in the Square (just look for the ACTV sign) since its all over by the Grand Canal. I should add that DW and I love the vaporettos and find its the best way to get around and see Venice.

 

You also will hear about the Alilaguna boats, which look a lot like the Vaporettos...but are actually owned and operated by a private company. Tickets ARE NOT interchangeable between the vaporettos and the Alilaguna as they are two totally different companies. The Alilaguna only operates 4 routes (i.e. Red, Blue, etc) and cannot get you to nearly as many places as the vaporettos. However, the Alilaguna does have a route that includes the airport (the vaporettos do not go anywhere near the airport) as well as the cruise ship port. The Alilaguna fare from the airport to town is 15 Euros per person. Just keep in mind that the Alilaguna to or from the airport is very slow...and it can actually take you about 1 1/2 hours to go between Venice and the Airport with these boats...as opposed to less then 30 min via the ATVO bus or land taxi.

 

We should also mention the wonderful new "People Mover" which is an automated elevated train that has only 3 stops. It actually runs from the Piazale Roma (at the opposite side of the square from the vaporettos) to Tronchetto Island (a huge parking lot) with a stop at the cruise ship port. The People Mover only costs 1 Euro per trip (bought from vending machines) and is a great way to get between the Piazale Roma and the cruise port. However, it can be a relatively long walk from the People Mover station at the port to your actual ship...depending on your docking location.

 

Now the classiest and most convenient way to go anywhere around Venice or to/from the airport is to hire a water taxi. The only negative about the water taxis is that they are quite expensive (figure on 100 Euros plus or minus depending on your destination). For those willing to spend the money, taking a water taxi from the airport directly to a hotel (many hotels have their own boat dock). One big negative for some folks is that the airport dock (where you can get the water taxis and also the Alilaugna boats) is a long walk from the terminal and you cannot count on finding a porter to help. So you need to be prepared to move your own luggage a few hundred yards form the airport terminal to the boat dock...if this is your selected mode of transport.

 

One more caution about hotels in Venice. Many are not located close to a Vaporetto or Alilaguna stop. Getting from one of these boats to your hotel means having to haul your own luggage...and usually means going up and down over various foot bridges. Using the expensive water taxis can solve this problem if your hotel has its own dock.

 

So, what to do? Many frequent visitors have their own Venice strategy. Personally, when we are in Venice for a cruise (we have also been there a few times when we were just driving around Italy) we prefer to make our lives easy by staying at a hotel located right at the Piazale Roma. Our hotel of choice is the small inn-like Ca Doge. The Best Western Olimpia is also very close to the bus stop and popular with many cruisers. When you stay in these hotels its simple (and not expensive) to simply take the ATVO bus from the airport and then walk directly to your hotel.

 

Guess I need to also mention the city of Mestre....which actually is located on the Mainland across the lagoon from Venice. Mestre is very popular with tours because the town has many reasonably priced hotels. You can get between Mestre and the airport by using land taxis...and some hotels also provide shuttle service (not always free). You can get from Mestre into Venice via the regular train. And you can also get to the port from Mestre by using a land taxi (not cheap). Personally, when we are in Venice, we want to stay in Venice. But plenty of folks do stay out in Mestre.

 

Hank

P.S. Hope this little primer helps somebody :).

 

Hi, Hank. Just wanted to let you know that you have been a wealth of information as I plan my family's Aug Med cruise on the Regal Princess (we're in our late 40's with two mid teens). You are always so patient and informative in all of your responses. Over the past few weeks, I've read many of your posts, some years old, as I plan our trip.

 

 

We will be doing the ACTV public bus to P.Roma. From there, we will take the vaporetto to our hotel, the Alloggi alla Scala. I would have preferred one of the ones you have previously recommended, but trying to get a quad room in Venice for under $400 was near impossible. I think we managed to get the last quad in Venice! It was $200 cdn, so I'm thinking I'll have to keep my expectations low! It is right next to the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo near the Campo Manin. Not sure how convenient the location is, but I really had little choice. What are your thoughts? Will this work for us? Also, how far will we have to lug our bags from the bus to the nearest vaporetto? Thank you so much! I have some Toulon questions for you and will post them later in the France postings with your name on the heading. Thank you!