Venice water buses with luggage

[LHT28]

so then it is 6.50 to get on and 6.50 for a second bag..double...wow...well what can you do...

 

I would check how much a taxi would be from the hotel to the port.

Might be worth it to avoid the hassle of getting lost with your luggage.

[twoatsea]

agabbymama, I can sympathize with your packing thought pattern. I was there once. We used to each take a 32" wheelie, plus a wheelie carryon!:eek: What a sight we must have been in the airport! It is your trip & I recognize that you should pack as you see fit. However, if you travel often to Europe (anywhere actually) & if you want to make the horrible part of traveling much less stressful (& keep the attitudes of you & your partner elevated), I will suggest the following:

 

1. Forget the hair dryer - it doesn't work in Europe even with the transformer & adaptor; every ship I have been on has one in each cabin.

 

2. Forget the curling iron & travel clock (plugin type) for use in Europe. Even with the transformer & the adaptor, they will not work properly - I know that from experience.

 

3. Take only travel size of everything - makeup, lotion, soap, hair spray, etc. It is unbelievable how much space this saves.

 

4. Buy a 22" expandable (expandable is very important) wheelie with 1-2 pockets covering the entire front, & save the receipt. Try it. If it doesn't work, but is close, take it back for a refund, get a 24". After years of being told on travel message boards that I could do it, I finally tried. I could not believe how much "stuff" fits into a 22" once it is expanded. It is much deeper & roomier than I thought possible & it amazingly holds a lot. Please try it; you will be amazed.

 

5. Extensive travel or travel to Europe should not be without "travel clothes". Go to Chico's or Travel Smith; there are many others. The clothes take very little space & dry very fast. They are attractive, fashionable, & mix & match. If you only travel once in a while, I understand not wanting to buy special clothes. I save my travel clothes for traveling.

 

6. For souvenier purchases, have the merchant ship to your home or if you will not be at home in time, to a relative/friend. Small items should find room in your suitcase or carryon.

 

7. Your carryon should be a good size backpack with lots of pockets; not one of the big hiker types. This allows you to have both hands free for handling documents & carrying your checked bag over Venice bridges (!), on/off trains, up hotel/apartment stairs, and for fighting off pickpockets, etc.

 

Here's what we pack & we get it into an expandable wheelie 22" & a backpack (medium size; all soft sides; no wheelies). Amazingly, after I pack our 22", it is not crammed! There is still room to put in the raincoat & sweater we wore onto the plane!

 

We each take up to 10 pairs of slacks & tops, 1 extra pair of shoes, underpants for every day no matter how long (I will not hand wash underwear!), socks for every day up to 14 days, 2 sweatshirts or sweaters for layering (if needed plus wear one to airport), 1 nitegown (if it is cold I put on extra covers or wear something over it, which I doubt would ever be necessary since hotel rooms & cabins are climate controlled; even in Venice in November with no apartment heat, I did not need a 2nd winter gown). We also pack belts as needed & hankies (I have allergies). Our underpants are not the bulky cotton type; surprising how much room men's regular cotton jockies take! My husband (71yo) is amazed at how much he likes the new modern thinner jockies! (He's going to love that I posted that!). I group everything in 2 gallon size baggies so if our luggage comes apart in the airport.

 

Also pack into the 22" the following travel size toiletries which I double enclose in zip lock baggies & cushion between clothes -deodorant, cologne, shaving gear, comb/brush, shampoo (we each must have our own special type!), hairspray (each our own!), battery operated hair trimmer with scissors. Then split between the bags - bath soap, 2 extra small toothpaste (no box; 1 small each in our carryon), nail clippers, tweezers, manicure scissors, safety pins, sewing kit (hotel type), shower cap, cotton swabs, muscle soothing lotion, bandaids, neosporin, alka seltzer cold & stomach, earache med (me!), city/country tour books & maps (not the first city which is in carryon), tylenol, sleep aid (me), extra plastic baggies, duct tape (in case suitcase comes apart), travel clock (battery-type), power adaptors & converter (camcorder & camera batteries charging), disposable wash cloths (most European hotels do not have/Walmart grocery laundry section; very thin; cheap), extension cord with 3 way plug (charge camera & camcorder), lint brush.

 

To the airport, we layer - short sleeve shirt, sweater or sweatshirt, raincoat (London Fog type with good pockets, attached hood, no lining so will not be too hot, & can layer under it for cold days), heaviest shoes. Our carryon is a backpack. We each also take a "personal" carryon - me a good size bag with lots of pockets; he the camcorder. When we fly business or 1st class, which we do to Europe (too old for those coach seats!), we can each carryon both the backpack & 22" - no checked bags to get lost!

 

You still have lots of room left in your carryon backpacks & your personal item bag for meds, toothbrush/small paste for plane/airport, docs, camera, etc.

 

Good luck. I know you can do it & will be as thrilled as we have been since I first took the leap to give it a try!

[rebeccalouise]

that is good packing advice- except I disagree about the hairdryer. I have used one in Venice with the converter. Some converters are harder to operate than others and you do have to adjust the power setting.

 

I have used my hairdryer on every cruise. Don't rely on the incabin dryers. They are very weak usually. They are either mounted in the bathroom (these are the worst) or in the desk drawer (slightly better). My own travel dryer is lightweight and does the job.

 

As for curling irons- of course bring one unless you have packed a personal stylist in your luggage.

 

These two items are must haves for me.

 

As for the other things- you should bring an umbrella and a light jacket. You can do wash onboard the ship- so this cuts down on luggage. But you still need the dress clothes. I find it difficult to pack just one suitcase and can relate. Somehow I manage to fit everything into a carryon and large suitcase.

[amanda blake]

great advice...the ship at least celebrity they all have umbrellas in cabin...I prefer a raincoat with hood anyway...but will look into a lightweight hairdryer as you are right , it takes forever to dry hair with what they have in the cabin...I usually go into the dry sauna first and dry my hair there and then finish it in the cabin...

 

all the packing into 22" is great..but of course if you are a shopper like me then there is no room for purchases...that is why I need the second suitcase....