Venice - vaporetto with luggage?

[AndyB]

I'll be arriving in Venice by train at Santa Lucia, and my hotel is not in the Piazzale Roma area (staying at Pensione Accademia for 2 nights pre-cruise from Ravenna).  I've seen some advice to NOT take the vaporetto if transporting luggage.  I will have just a small roller (airline overhead size) and a small backpack.  For those of you with experience on the various transportation modes in Venice, any advice on whether or not to use the vaporetto?  I'm traveling solo, which makes a water taxi kind of pricey.  I'm prepared to do that if necessary, but just wonder how the vaporetto would compare.  There looks to be an Accademia stop which is not far from the hotel.  I'm more worried about getting in and out of the boat than walking the difference to the hotel.  And of course I'll have the reverse trip a couple of days later to get my transfer to Ravenna.  This will be in late October, if that makes any difference.

 

What do the experts say? 🙂

 

[euro cruiser]

There's no reason to avoid the vaporetto.  If you were travelling with several bags, especially large ones, I could understand hesitating but not with what you'll have.  This is how the few Venetians who still live there get around, with their luggage.

[mapleleaves]

 

Getting in and out of the water bus won't be an issue.  It's not like stepping down from a dock and into a small boat that's bobbing up and down in a river.  

Might be helpful to review videos on youtube .... look for 'vaporetto in Venice Italy'

 

 

[AndyB]

Thank you both!  I will check out some videos, too, that's a great idea.  Just wanted to get a comfort level.

 

[bennybear]

I agree, with your small amount of luggage you should be fine.  If you were trying to transport several large suitcases then I’d recommend a water taxi.   We’ve done both.   

[Senga]

We're in our 70's and found the vaparetto easy to use.  The ticket kiosk is right in Santa Lucia; just make your way quickly as the lineup to buy tickets can get long.  Consider a multi-use ticket so you can explore the islands and get a good feel for Venice.

[cruisemom42]

I will agree as a solo traveler and one who travels fairly light, I have used the vaporetto a few times with luggage and it hasn't been a problem. On the larger boats there is a place you can put your luggage (larger pieces) but you can opt to keep it with you, especially if you stay on deck rather than going inside.

 

[edinburgher]

I've seen some advice to NOT take the vaporetto if transporting luggage.

 

With a smaller amount of luggage, it will be easier for you to cross whatever number of bridges you will need to cross to reach your hotel.  Some folks take the number of bridges AND the closest vaporetto stop into account when researching hotels.

 

There should also be porters at or close to the train station, and you could consider using that service.

Edited February 26, 2023 by edinburgher

[Sonata10]

Sorry to jump on the thread but I have the same question, the difference is I have 1 large suitcase, 1 small carry on and a backpack, what should I do to get to my hotel ? 

[mapleleaves]

1 hour ago, Sonata10 said:

Sorry to jump on the thread but I have the same question, the difference is I have 1 large suitcase, 1 small carry on and a backpack, what should I do to get to my hotel ? 

 

We have no idea where your hotel is .....

But if you don't think you can manage all that luggage, how will you manage it during the rest of your trip; at train stations, thru airports, over uneven surfaces,  etc ?

The easy answer is to trim down to one 22" case and the backpack.  That's all I've needed, even for a 3 week trip. Just plan on a trip to the laundromat some rainy afternoon or evening. 

But without knowing the location of your hotel, no definitive answer, other than storing your extra luggage for 10E per piece at the airport or at Piazzale Roma.

[CCJack]

4 hours ago, Sonata10 said:

Sorry to jump on the thread but I have the same question, the difference is I have 1 large suitcase, 1 small carry on and a backpack, what should I do to get to my hotel ? 

We had about that amount (1 person pulling two roller bags) and the vaporetto was fine.   If crowded you may just have to ask someone to move - no different than subway or a tram in an airport with a lot of people.    I would think the steps on the canal bridges would be a bigger issue, but all are doable, just a hassle lifting your luggage.   Some hotel websites identify the best walking path from a vaporetto stop and what to expect in terms of steps.

[AndyB]

On 3/7/2023 at 12:04 PM, mapleleaves said:

 

The easy answer is to trim down to one 22" case and the backpack.  That's all I've needed, even for a 3 week trip. Just plan on a trip to the laundromat some rainy afternoon or evening. 

But without knowing the location of your hotel, no definitive answer, other than storing your extra luggage for 10E per piece at the airport or at Piazzale Roma.

 

I can empathize with "needing" more luggage than the carry-on and small backpack.  This will be the first time I'm trying a 2 week trip without a larger suitcase.  And the reason I'm doing it is not just getting to the hotel in Venice, but because I'll be responsible for getting my luggage around in 3 cities before my cruise, plus having a connecting flight to get to Italy in the first place. 

 

Thanks for the tip on the luggage storage at Piazzale Roma.  That could be a good solution for @Sonata10.

[mapleleaves]

2 hours ago, AndyB said:

 

Thanks for the tip on the luggage storage at Piazzale Roma.  That could be a good solution for @Sonata10.

 

There's also storage at the airport and train station, depending on how you arrive to Venice.

My visit in late Sept was the most crowded I've ever experienced in Venice. I was really surprised. The #1 and #2 vaporetto were just packed solid, with people crammed in, standing shoulder to shoulder. Thankfully we had no luggage.

Edited March 11, 2023 by mapleleaves

[Sonata10]

Thanks for all your reply. 

We will travel for 2 weeks before getting on the cruise, it will be hard to have only one  carry on 

We book for 3 nights at the St. Regis 

Edited March 12, 2023 by Sonata10

[mapleleaves]

5 hours ago, Sonata10 said:

Thanks for all your reply. 

We will travel for 2 weeks before getting on the cruise, it will be hard to have only one  carry on 

We book for 3 nights at the St. Regis 

How are you arriving to Venice ... airport ? train station ?

And do you have arrangements for getting to the ship, which I assume is not in Venice ?

[seltrin]

We were a group of 4 adults with large luggage’s and carry ones. We took the vaporetto. It wasn’t a problem. After we got off our hotel was a short walk away, so it was easy to roll the luggage. 
The first time we were in Venice, we chose a hotel and did not think of how to get to the hotel as we had relatives picking us up. We did not realize there were so many steps/ bridges to get to the hotel.

We then chose a hotel in Mestre- 10 minute bus ride into Venice- made travelling into Venice so much easier.

This trip, our friend went on Google Earth and mapped the hotel location so we knew it was a quick walk from the vaporetto.

[auburngirl]

On 4/2/2023 at 7:28 AM, seltrin said:

We were a group of 4 adults with large luggage’s and carry ones. We took the vaporetto. It wasn’t a problem. After we got off our hotel was a short walk away, so it was easy to roll the luggage. 
The first time we were in Venice, we chose a hotel and did not think of how to get to the hotel as we had relatives picking us up. We did not realize there were so many steps/ bridges to get to the hotel.

We then chose a hotel in Mestre- 10 minute bus ride into Venice- made travelling into Venice so much easier.

This trip, our friend went on Google Earth and mapped the hotel location so we knew it was a quick walk from the vaporetto.

What hotel did you stay at?  Area?

[seltrin]

We stayed at hotel Le Isole.

This year we booked Carnival Palace Hotel which is also close to a stop,

[Vineyard View]

Did you take public or private Vaporetto?  I know private is more expensive but after flying from SFO it sounds like a good option. 

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Did you take public or private Vaporetto?  I know private is more expensive but after flying from SFO it sounds like a good option. 

 

The vaporetti are all public, known as "water buses". Water taxis (private) are not part of the vaporetto system. 

[Vineyard View]

30 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

The vaporetti are all public, known as "water buses". Water taxis (private) are not part of the vaporetto system. 

I did not realize that. Thank you