Venice Experts. Help Needed. First time to Venice.

[Toledosfinest]

These questions have probably been asked several times, and I'm sorry if they have been, but I'm dealing with 8 elderly people taking a cruise out of Trieste in October on the NCL Viva, and we are all staying 2 nights before the cruise on Calle Zen street in San Croce, Venice Italy in a Beautiful Apartment I found for all of us.  We took the NCL BOGO airfare, so we do not know yet what our flights are or what time we arrive at the Marco Polo Airport.( If we are all on the same flight).

1) what would be the best and affordable way to get from the airport to our Apartment? I hear there are transport vans available at the airport, but that they don't actually take us to the apartment. I also heard that once the van drops us off in the "central location" that we would have to take a water taxi which would stop close to our apartment. Keep in mind that all 8 of us will have at least 1 larger suitcase, and maybe a carryon also to lug around.

 

2) After our 2 night stay in Venice, I have decided that we should take a train from the Santa Lucia train station to Trieste, where our ship will be. Some have told me that we could walk the 5-10 minutes from our hotel to the train station (weather permitting), but others say that the bridge is very busy and that we should take transportation to the train station. What transportation is available from our apartment to the train station? Will the train have room for our luggage or are their restrictions?

 

3) If we take the train from Venice to Trieste ( 2.5hrs), what will be an economical way to get from the train station in Trieste to the ship with many bags of luggage for 8 people.

 

I 'm sure my fellow Cruise Critic people can give me some great ideas. 

Thank You.

[mapleleaves]

You indicate elderly people and possibly more luggage than they can easily manage on their own.  So why not book an apt near the train station and avoid all these transportation issues?

 

[euro cruiser]

Honestly, with that many elderly people and luggage the train isn't your best option.  You'd do better with the bus, where the luggage is stowed underneath and you don't have to deal with it.  Also with the bus you are guaranteed a seat, which is not the case with a regional train (which is most of the trains between Venice and Trieste). The bus takes the same amount of time as the train and costs the same or less, but to get everyone on the same bus you'll need to buy all of the tickets together ahead of time as they do sell out.

 

https://www.flixbus.com/

 

As for your stay in Venice, insist that everyone pack a small bag for the short stay and check everything else at Piazzale Roma (the end of the road, literally) rather than carry it with you.  That's the only way that I can see this working.

 

The golden luggage - Storage number 1 in Venice

Edited March 6 by euro cruiser

[Toledosfinest]

Thank you for your expertise. It will help a lot.

 

[Toledosfinest]

58 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

You indicate elderly people and possibly more luggage than they can easily manage on their own.  So why not book an apt near the train station and avoid all these transportation issues?

 

I had no control over the booking of the Apartment in Venice. It looks only like a 5 min walk or water taxi ( 2 min) from our apartment to the train station. The travelers that will be with us are 100 present mobile and can walk fairly good distances with their luggage. I think they can handle some walking. I just got to put out the memo on amount of luggage.

[euro cruiser]

I have been where you are, leading a group of older folks, so I can sympathize with your situation.  Pack lots of patience!

 

It's pretty rare to find an apartment in Venice at ground level due to flooding, do you know how many stairs they'll have to climb to access it and if everyone is able to do so?

 

I'm asking not to suggest you change the accommodations, but rather that I've found that managing expectations is an important part of a trip like this.

Edited March 6 by euro cruiser

[Toledosfinest]

1 hour ago, Toledosfinest said:

I had no control over the booking of the Apartment in Venice. It looks only like a 5 min walk or water taxi ( 2 min) from our apartment to the train station. The travelers that will be with us are 100 present mobile and can walk fairly good distances with their luggage. I think they can handle some walking. I just got to put out the memo on amount of luggage.

1 hour ago, euro cruiser said:

I have been where you are, leading a group of older folks, so I can sympathize with your situation.  Pack lots of patience!

 

It's pretty rare to find an apartment in Venice at ground level due to flooding, do you know how many stairs they'll have to climb to access it and if everyone is able to do so?

 

I'm asking not to suggest you change the accommodations, but rather that I've found that managing expectations is an important part of a trip like this.

 

I appreciate everyone's answers. I'm 65 yrs old, so I'm the youngster of the group, except my wife who is much younger. The 3 other guys are all in good physical condition, and shouldn't be a problem with them climbing stairs, even with bigger luggage. If they can't, I will be there to help.

[mapleleaves]

Well, if you won't change the apt location and you think they can all manage their one suitcase, I think a private water taxi from the airport would be your easiest option.  It will drop you at whichever dock is closest to your apt. The cost will be around 200E,. But it's a classy and scenic way to arrive in Venice. And would eliminate a little walking. 

 

The other options from the airport are taxi at 40-45E per car and your group would need 3 cars, OR, the ATVO express bus is 10Epp. It's a large Greyhound type bus with luggage hold beneath.  Both these options would drop you at Piazzale Roma; the last point of land travel in Venice, so it's where buses, taxis, cars must drop passengers  But then you must get from P Roma to your apt. It will be at least a 15 minute walk. 

 

To get your bearings, go to Google Maps. Search for Piazzale Roma, then ask for walking directions to B&B Vista Sul Canal Grande (a room near the entrance of CalleZen).  

 

As for how to get to S Lucia train station, you either walk 15-20 minutes, or catch a water bus to the Ferrovia stop which is right outside the station. That ride would cost 10E unless you plan on buying 48 passes for your stay.

 

 

[Toledosfinest]

28 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

Well, if you won't change the apt location and you think they can all manage their one suitcase, I think a private water taxi from the airport would be your easiest option.  It will drop you at whichever dock is closest to your apt. The cost will be around 200E,. But it's a classy and scenic way to arrive in Venice. And would eliminate a little walking. 

 

The other options from the airport are taxi at 40-45E per car and your group would need 3 cars, OR, the ATVO express bus is 10Epp. It's a large Greyhound type bus with luggage hold beneath.  Both these options would drop you at Piazzale Roma; the last point of land travel in Venice, so it's where buses, taxis, cars must drop passengers  But then you must get from P Roma to your apt. It will be at least a 15 minute walk. 

 

To get your bearings, go to Google Maps. Search for Piazzale Roma, then ask for walking directions to B&B Vista Sul Canal Grande (a room near the entrance of CalleZen).  

 

As for how to get to S Lucia train station, you either walk 15-20 minutes, or catch a water bus to the Ferrovia stop which is right outside the station. That ride would cost 10E unless you plan on buying 48 passes for your stay.

 

 

After the bus/taxi or whatever we pick drops us off at Piazzale Roma, can we easily catch a water taxi there to dropped us all off near our apartment?

[cruisemom42]

From Airport to Your Apt: One question I have is: what are you planning to do if you don't all arrive on the same flight/at the same time? Getting a water taxi may make sense IF you all arrive together, but if not, then what?

 

Anyway, I see three options:

1.  Take a private water taxi direct from the airport to the dock closest to your apartment. This will likely get you the closest with minimum hassle and least walk. Of course it's also the most expensive and won't make sense unless you're all together.

 

2.  Take the express bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma in Venice. Piazzale Roma (PR) is the closest that wheeled vehicles can get to the rest of the island. The buses are cheap and run frequently. What you need to find out is whether you should plan to walk or take a vaporetto (public water "bus" for want of a better term) to get closer to your hotel. It's not so much the walking distance as how many bridges/canals you have to cross to get there. Each bridge will require steps.

 

3. Look at the schedule for the Alilaguna service. It is a boat service from the airport to selected areas in Venice. If there is a convenient dock near your apartment where the Alilaguna runs, it is a good compromise, perhaps as it is probably more expensive than one water taxi for 8, but less expensive than two.

 

Shouldn't your apartment owner provide detailed instructions on how to get to the apartment you rented?

 

 

[mapleleaves]

1 hour ago, Toledosfinest said:

After the bus/taxi or whatever we pick drops us off at Piazzale Roma, can we easily catch a water taxi there to dropped us all off near our apartment?

Water taxis and water buses are very different.

A water taxi is a beautiful speed boat providing a private/ pricey ride for up to 10 pax. 

A water bus is a large public boat that carries over 100 pax.

 

But in response to your question, from P Roma you can walk 15-20 minutes to your apt, OR, take a water bus. An individual ticket to ride a water bus is 10E and is good for about 70 minutes. But if you plan on sightseeing after checking into your apt,  it might be worthwhile to buy a 24 or 48 hr pass so that you can have multiple trips on the Grand Canal, including that initial trip from PRoma to your apt.

The #1 bus leaves from P Roma every 10 minutes. The Riva de Biasio stop looks to be closest to your street.  The bus would leave P Roma, go to Ferrovia (the train station) then to Riva de Biasio.

 

A good resource for you: Venice Transportation and Parking | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com)

 

 

 

 

 

[Toledosfinest]

Thank You for this valuable information.

[edinburgher]

16 hours ago, Toledosfinest said:

The travelers that will be with us are 100 present mobile and can walk fairly good distances with their luggage. I think they can handle some walking.

Many first time visitors do not understand that P. Roma is, as already mentioned, the last point for vehicular traffic in Venice, with easy bus connections to the aiport also to the main train station,  and for that reason many will choose accommodation on P. Roma or very close to it, especially if they have luggage.

 

In Venice, it isn't necessarily the amount of walking with luggage which needs to be taken into account, it is the number of bridges which need to be crossed, as luggage must be carried up, across and down the other side. and most bridges are stepped. For those with luggage, after P. Roma hotel locations, hotels with private docks for private water taxis and hotels close to vaporetto stops are popular for that reason.

 

 For others, the left luggage option mentioned above is a solution, as visitors need only carry a small backpack or overnight bag with them to reach their accommodation and when they leave it.

 

And the excellent and highly recommended  Europe for Visitors/Venice website should be your first stop for all the Venice information a first timer could possibly need, also for  information you didn't even know you needed. They even have a section on "how many bridges to your hotel?". The more you look into that website, the more you find.

 

https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/bridges/

 

And the public vaporetti can be very very crowded, so do not even think about a group of 8 seniors with luggage travelling together on one of them.

Edited March 7 by edinburgher

[Toledosfinest]

12 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

From Airport to Your Apt: One question I have is: what are you planning to do if you don't all arrive on the same flight/at the same time? Getting a water taxi may make sense IF you all arrive together, but if not, then what?

 

Anyway, I see three options:

1.  Take a private water taxi direct from the airport to the dock closest to your apartment. This will likely get you the closest with minimum hassle and least walk. Of course it's also the most expensive and won't make sense unless you're all together.

 

2.  Take the express bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma in Venice. Piazzale Roma (PR) is the closest that wheeled vehicles can get to the rest of the island. The buses are cheap and run frequently. What you need to find out is whether you should plan to walk or take a vaporetto (public water "bus" for want of a better term) to get closer to your hotel. It's not so much the walking distance as how many bridges/canals you have to cross to get there. Each bridge will require steps.

 

3. Look at the schedule for the Alilaguna service. It is a boat service from the airport to selected areas in Venice. If there is a convenient dock near your apartment where the Alilaguna runs, it is a good compromise, perhaps as it is probably more expensive than one water taxi for 8, but less expensive than two.

 

Shouldn't your apartment owner provide detailed instructions on how to get to the apartment you rented?

 

 

Thank you for some great ideas. With NCL cruiseline, we won't know our flights until 30-45 days before departure. One issue is that one of the couples are flying from a different state, so we most likely won't be arriving in Venice at the same time. As far as the apartment owner giving us info. It sounds like a management company runs the Apartment. They have provided us minimal info, but we still have several months to finalize everything. 

[edinburgher]

17 minutes ago, Toledosfinest said:

They have provided us minimal info, but we still have several months to finalize everything. 

At the very least, they should inform you of the name of the closest public vaporetto stop and the number of bridges needed to cross  from there  to reach the apt. (my post #13, bridges and docks)

 

I think it unlikely, but you could ask if they either have their own private dock, or if a private water taxi has the right/permission  to access  a private one nearby which is owned by someone else.

 

I do think that, should there be no private dock access, a public vaporetto and the left luggage could be your best option.

[Toledosfinest]

In looking at the maps, there is a dock very close to apartment. It's called Riva De Biasio. It looks about 1 block away.

[mapleleaves]

30 minutes ago, Toledosfinest said:

In looking at the maps, there is a dock very close to apartment. It's called Riva De Biasio. It looks about 1 block away.

Riva de Biasio is the water bus stop I mentioned in post #11. 

You really need to have a talk with your group about the transportation issues of your apt's location to make sure everyone understands and is agreeable.

[edinburgher]

56 minutes ago, Toledosfinest said:

In looking at the maps, there is a dock very close to apartment. It's called Riva De Biasio. It looks about 1 block away.

Perhaps  it would have been good idea  to look into the Venice accommodation and luggage challenges before booking rather than after?

 

Having said that, once there, Venice is an amazing city to explore.

[bennybear]

Highly recommend the private water taxi. It’s pricey but arriving in Venice it’s magical.  Your luggage and you will be deposit as close to your hotel as possible.  Our hotel had a small dock.  
 

We have also used on two occasions, Treviso Car Service.  They have clean large vans that can take a group and pick up in Piazza Roma or airport.  They have been both reasonable and reliable.  I do believe they will provide transport to Trieste. 
 

Some things are just worth the cost.  

Edited March 7 by bennybear