Venice excursion Murano/Burano with airport transfer

[The Odd Couple]

Has anyone done this excursion? I see from the blurb you leave your luggage with the attendant at the pier, but what about hand luggage? I can't think there will be room to carry hand luggage on the boat to Murano and as I will be carrying passports etc in mine, how safe would it be to leave it at the pier? Any advice would be very welcome.

[OlsSalt]

Has anyone done this excursion? I see from the blurb you leave your luggage with the attendant at the pier, but what about hand luggage? I can't think there will be room to carry hand luggage on the boat to Murano and as I will be carrying passports etc in mine, how safe would it be to leave it at the pier? Any advice would be very welcome.

 

I have not don't that tour, but from past living and traveling experiences in Italy, I would not leave anything at the pier. The boats going out to the islands that I have been on are not all that small, if your carry-on is something that would also fit under the seat of a plane. If it is something you need to stow in the over-head that might be too large. Maybe you can get a small back pack for the valuables and keep them on your person?

 

Lucky you, Venice is always a delight. Hope it works out and everything is easy and safe. But tourists fair game and almost a sport to befuddle them here .... nothing new, my experience goes back to the late 1970's. Nothing sinister, but one needs to guard their things carefully and not make forced errors. Even when they keep saying No problema, Signora. An Italian would not even leave things unguarded.

[RMLincoln]

Keep you passport on your person! However you do that is up to you, but do not leave your passport in a hand bag, carry on, or other, even if you plan to carry that bag with you. You can use an under-your-shirt security pouch, or a zippered shirt or zippered pants pocket, but keep it on your person. And guard it.

 

As for your tour/transfer I'd think that HAL has it figured that your checked-luggage goes on the bus to the airport. For all valuables, you will want to have them with you on the tour/transfer, in as small a bag as possible. I would not recommend a backpack - too hard to guard. I'd use a cross-chest shoulder bag that can be guarded by your arm. Take meds, cash, electronics with you in this small bag. I use a Rick Steves shoulder bag... it's soft, can be packed in my luggage easily when I'm not touring and it holds quite a bit. Plus it's not flashy; it has outside pockets for two water bottles and they run about $25 on the Rick Steves website.

 

If you will need more stuff for your homeward flight, make sure you will be able to get those items out of the luggage "checked" on the bus from the ship to the airport before you check it onto the plane.

 

Wear waterproof shoes to Murano... the high tide can cover or lap onto some of the sidewalks, but it is a place worth visiting, loved it... didn't get to Burano to see the lace workers.

m--

[The Odd Couple]

Thanks to you both for your excellent advice. We have been to Venice on land based holidays several times so appreciate the pitfalls. The problem is that our flight timing back to UK has been changed to a 6pm departure and we don't fancy sitting around Venice airport for hours after disembarkation, especially as our airline won't allow us to check-in until around two hours before. We'll just have to look at different hand luggage options!

[mancunian]

We did this excursion a couple of years ago with mixed feelings. As far as I remember we left the luggage and one of the two hand baggages (with nothing of value in) at the pier and took the rucksack with us with laptop, cameras, kindle etc.

 

The excursion itself was a great end to the cruise and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, getting to the excursion boat and away at the end was a bit of a nightmare, particularly for me and another disabled lady. We had queried this when we booked and were told that a bus would take us to the boat and bring us back. Neither happened and we had a very, very long walk. On the way back we walked again and the whole party had to stand for over half an hour waiting for the coach to take us to the airport. Perhaps to some it might have just been an irritation but for me and the other lady life was very very tough. We just felt we try to check for difficulties before we start and think that the port bus had never been arranged.

[OlsSalt]

The train station might have storage lockers, or contact one of the hotels to see if they can offer bell service for you even if you are not a guest. As long as you keep your valuables with you. Since you know Venice, you know this is a Grand Canal vaparetto ride away - which is always a thrilling ride even if it takes up some valuable time.

 

From the Santa Lucia train station website:

Services:

Tourism office:

• Hours: 7:00am to 9:00pm
  
• Phone: 041/5298711
  
• Location: ground floor
  

Baggage consignment:

• Hours: 6:00am to midnight
  
• Rates:
  6,00 € for the first 5 hours
  0.90 € for each additional hour from the 6th-12th
  0.40 € for each additional hour from 12th and on
  
• Location: ground floor
  

Restrooms:

• Hours: 6:00am to midnight
  
• Location: ground floor
  

[The Odd Couple]

Thanks for your info and thoughts. Definitely something to think about which way to go for the best. I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure!! :D

[OlsSalt]

Maybe not so easy to get to the Venice Sta Lucia train station baggage storage after all, from the cruise port:

From online:

 

Getting to the Venice Santa Lucia train station from the cruise pier is fairly easy but requires some walking. Not all people want to do this or can deal with their luggage.

 

To get to the Venice train station from the cruise port:

1. Walk to the People Mover stop. This takes about 5 or 10 minutes. You have to walk past Royal Caribbean's pier and out to the station (it can't be missed).

2. Take People Mover for 1 euro to Piazaalle Roma.

3. Get off the People Mover and walk over the bridge to the train station (about 5 minutes, but the bridge is kind of high).

 

If you have luggage, this can be a pain, but there's really no other way. So if you can't navigate a bridge with your luggage on foot, then you should not go to the Santa Lucia train station in Venice.

However looks like transit updates are being made all the time - this is from 2017:

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-people-mover.htm

[OlsSalt]

Venice "Left Luggage" options: http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-left-luggage.htm

[RMLincoln]

Regarding the train station: There is a vaparetto that you can take from Piazzale Roma just one stop across the Grand Canal to the train station. This avoids having to walk/drag over the bridge with luggage.

 

Is Luggage Express available in Venice? That would solve a heap of problems. They would pick up your bags from outside your cabin door and you would see them again at your home airport. Priceless, if it's available!

 

If you can't get bell service for your luggage at a Piazzale Roma hotel maybe you could take a day room. Taxis will take you from the ship to the hotel, so very little walking. They you would be right by the vaporettos and could go wherever you want to, maybe to Murano, come back, pick up your luggage and take the airport bus from Piazzale Rome. It's all right there at P.R. The airport bus was a breeze, worth the price, I think about E8. If you are doing it yourself, the options in Venice are endless. Especially for the price of two of you on the transfer/tour excursion. I hope you find a solution that is fun and suits you. Love Venice! m--

[The Odd Couple]

Thanks for your priceless advice. I would willingly pay for the luggage direct service, but when we tried before, it wasn't available to us. We aren't travelling until June, so there's a bit of time to fine tune the arrangements.