Allilaguna from Airport to VRBO

The best option is to ask your lodging for your walking route from the easiest stop. They should be able to describe landmarks, the number of bridges you need to cross , etc. Have a great trip!

There are 4 docks south of the Rialto Bridge, "A", "B", "C", "D". They are ganged together in two groups, A&B and C&D. The two groups are separated by about 100 ft. "D" is closest to the bridge and thus "A" is the furthest away. It looks like the Alilaguna A (arancia or orange) stops at the "D" dock. The No 1 vaporetto going to Ferrovia (train station) goes from "A" during the day. but switches to the "C" dock after 8:15 pm.

The apartments identified by the coordinates you gave, indicates it is in the center of the island and looks to me closer to Piazza San Marco and would be an easier walk from there, but a longer ride from the airport.

The Alilaguna would be my least favorite way to get into Venice. You sit low in the boat near the water line, they can be very crowded and you don't see much of Venice from the salt-encrusted windows. I would take the No 5 bus from just outside the airport door to Piazzale Roma and change to the No 1 boat there. Since the No 1 boat originates in Piazzale Roma, you will be among the first on board and be able to get seats with perhaps a nice view of Venice along the way. I leave it to you if you want to get off at Rialto and make your way to your apartment, or stay on until San Marco Vallaresso and have an easier walk.

Thanks! We checked with our contact at the VRBO and surprisingly they were not much help. I am not sure if there may have been a slight issue with a language barrier. I appreciate the feedback on the dock situation and the additional suggestion to take the bus to Piazzale Roma in order to get the better seats. I remember reading that suggestion on another post in the forum. Silly question but is the bus loading area closer than the Allilaguna boarding area? (You sure don't make the vaporetto sound at all appealing...lol.) Regarding Rialto vs San Marco when I did a Google Map on the walk they came out to be about the same so we figured Rialto is sooner and after traveling all night we'll be eager to get to the VRBO and unwind.

The bus loading is right outside the airport door. The Alilaguna dock is about 1/4 mile away, maybe a bit more, but there is a moving walkway from the 2nd floor of the airport over a land bridge to the dock.

For the bus+boat ticket is 18 EUR per person, If you are getting a multi-day vaporetto pass, you can add a one-way airport bus ticket for an additional 7 EUR. A regular 75 minute vaporetto ticket is 9.50 EUR per person.

Latitude and longitude are a pretty hopeless way of navigating Venice. If you were to nominate the actual street address of your apartment, you would get better advice.

One really solid piece of advice, and trust me on this one, you need a PAPER map of Venice. Buy it at Marco Polo.

(You sure don't make the vaporetto sound at all appealing...lol.)

Just to clarify- Sam is describing the ALILAGUNA boats not the Vaporettos. The vaporettos are large with open and inside seating, they are quite pleasant.

I would take the bus, then get on the #1 vaporetto and probably travel as far as San Marco if your apartment is actually closer to San Marco. Dragging luggage thru Venice is not fun or easy- there will be stairs and bridges to cross. Getting lost is almost a given.
Purchase your bus ticket at the airport and add on the vaporetto pass for your length of stay- it will save you a lot of money.
Be sure to VALIDATE your vaporetto pass each and every time you board.

if you can give us a more exact address we can give better advice. I hope your landlord will provide that to you- otherwise- all bets are off on you finding the place without a lot of trouble ;)

See this thread for Aussie's super helpful post on the various types of Venice transportation
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/venice-transportation-to-hotel-ala-from-sanmarco-airport

Getting to Venice from Marco Polo Airport. [Make sure you have seats on the right/starboard side of the aircraft, for a view of Venice as you fly into Marco Polo.]
A paper map of Venice is the best three euro you will ever spend. Sure, people say that getting lost in Venice is fun. Getting lost, hauling your luggage and not being able to find your hotel is nobody’s idea of fun. Buy that map at the Tabac or bookshop at Marco Polo.
Do take a look at your hotel website – there may be info there. Otherwise,
Water taxi will get you close, maybe to, the door of your hotel. Can carry about ten people, will cost about €140 for the boat. No need to book, taxis are waiting at the Marco Polo dock.
Shared water taxi. Minimum of two people. Book in advance, wait at the desk in the terminal for the others sharing the taxi. Costs about €30 per person. Google “shared water taxi Venice”, use the venicelink dot com web site. Will get you to a vaporetto stop near your hotel.
Alilaguna ferry, as per below.
Bus to Piazale Roma, then walk to your hotel, or take vaporetto to the nearest stop. Buses leave from the outside the terminal, tickets at the machine.
Water transport in Venice.
1. Gondolas. Only for pleasure, not for transport. 90 euro for half an hour for the boat, more for evenings.
2. Traghetto – big gondolas, two oarsmen, about ten passengers, for crossing the Grand Canal. Found at Rialto, San Toma and a couple of other places. Cost 2 euro per trip, can save a heap of walking.
3. Water taxis, which are like a floating limo, costs to match.
4. Vaporettos - ACTV. Are like a floating bus, operate on a bunch of routes. Get the app Chebateo for routes and schedules. Vaps do not service the airport. Vaps are not water taxis.
5. Alilaguna ferries, service the airport, run from Marco Polo via a bunch of stops to the main part of Venice, Murano and Lido. They stop at some, but by no means all, vaporetto stops.

I agree that a paper map of Venice is useful, but make sure you get one that is big enough to have all the "street" names printed in a readable size. Google Maps is getting better, but those small lanes around the canals can still confound it.
Have a wonderful trip!

When I input those coordinates into google maps, I get something called Fabio's Apartment, Ramo de L'Anzolo, 397, 30100 Venezia.

There are also a number of YouTube videos showing the various modes of transit from the airport - they would hopefully give you a better sense of what to expect.

Many thanks! I now have this as the proper address where we are staying: - Address of the apartment: San Marco, 397 - int 14 - Ramo de L'Anzolo (corner of the Donà Palace Hotel). I am having some buyers remorse having rented a VRBO in Venice, although we love the VRBO experience in general maybe a hotel with breakfast would have been the better option since I am a big breakfast person. Thanks to all your comments I am now planning to use the San Zaccaria stop to save a few steps on the walk - still up in the air between taking the bus to Piazzale Roma or not. Priced out the water taxi on a site recommended here and not willing to pay the quoted $140. We have a current StreetSmart Venice map - is that comparable to the Marco Polo map recommended here?

One really solid piece of advice, and trust me on this one, you need a
PAPER map of Venice. Buy it at Marco Polo.

We have a current StreetSmart Venice map - is that comparable to the
Marco Polo map recommended here?

This is saying to buy one at the airport- the Marco Polo airport- not a map brand.

I have had some of those Streetwise maps and No I think you need a good paper map instead. All hotels in Venice wil have one they give out- or just get one yourself at the airport desk. You really can't rely on your phone for maps/dirctions in Venice

I am now planning to use the San Zaccaria stop to save a few steps on
the walk - still up in the air between taking the bus to Piazzale Roma
or not.

If you plan to take the vaporetto to S Zaccaria you will need to get to P Roma first. That is where the vaporetto route starts. If you don’t want to take the bus from the airport you can take a land taxi.
Make sure you understand the difference between Alilaguna boats, Vaporettos and private water taxis.

There are NO vaporettos (water bus) from the airport- only water taxis and alilagunas

The private water taxi rate for 140 euros is a private ride all the way from the airport to a dock closest to your destination,
There are also SHARED water taxis you can take from the airport for a lot less- about 30 euros I believe.

From what I can tell it looks like you will have a few bridges to cross to get to your apartment. That address is mid island so no matter which stop you use, you are going to have to figure out the best walking route so you are on the "right" side of each bridge or canal.

(It does look like apartment or at least that Dona Place hotel is right on a canal- so a private water taxi will get you the absolute closest you could be)

PS
You will have to find or make your own bkft
Italian bkft consists of sweet pastries and strong coffee, then repeat that a few hours later.
( you won’t find cafes serving scrambled eggs or pancakes!)

There is also the option for a shared shuttle from the airport to the Venice dock. More like a water taxi but shared, not private. You book in advance and meet the boat at the dock area. You may have to wait for the others sharing the boat (or they may be waiting for you).

https://www.venicelink.com/en/products/shuttle

I can understand your frustration about finding your way to the apartment and “buyer’s remorse”. This won’t help you, but for others reading here, I highly recommend using a reputable apartment rental agency for Venice apartment, instead of platforms like AirBnB or VRBO. I like Venice Red House and Views on Venice. Their agent will meet you at the nearest dock and walk you to the apartment, hand you the keys, explain the trash and recycling procedure and other matters, collect the city tax, and give you a nice paper map.

When we were in Venice for 5 days last March, there were 3 occasions when we helped arriving tourists (recognizable by their luggage they were hauling up and over bridges) find their apartment. They could not figure out the directions given them by the owner, or what they were seeing on their phones with Google maps.

(Actually Google or Apple Maps will locate a Venice address like San Marco 397 and give you walking directions, assuming you have a connection. But find the Google map display hard to understand so I use Apple Maps)

I have taken the alilaguna to and from the airport a few times, and the boat you end up on can vary. Most times, it was a boat that sat low in the water, and the inside seating was essentially benches around the outer edge, and people put their luggage on the floor at their feet. This boat sits low in the water, and you can’t really see out the window. On my last visit, the boat I took to the airport was a much larger boat that was more like a bus, and I had a nice view out the window the whole way. If you take the bus from the airport, then get on a vaporetto at the train station you will be on public transit, and it may be quite crowded so you may have to stand with your luggage the whole trip.

Just to clarify after reading Anita's post which stated taking the vaporetto from the train station...I was understanding it would be the bus station (ie Piazzale Roma) and one of the benefits is a better selection of seating as Piazzale Roma is the first boarding point. Am I understanding that is the logic? Thanks!

If they board the vaporetto at Piazzale Roma where the airport bus drops them, they will board ahead of the crowd at the train station (next stop) and have a much better chance of getting a good spot. When riding the vaporetto with luggage, I prefer to grab a spot on the railing and hold on to my luggage, riding standing for a better view. I believe if one wants a seat they have to leave their luggage in the designated area, unattended.

But we try to avoid riding the vaporetto with luggage altogether. We prefer a water taxi from Ferrovia (if arriving by train) or Piazzale Roma ( if coming by bus from the airport). It is more expensive than 2 vaporetto tickets, but much more pleasant. And they may be able to take you to a dock on a smaller canal nearer your lodging.

Sorry, I don’t know why I said train station, I meant the bus station, the train station is the next stop. If you were staying in the area of the bus station I would say take the bus, But, depending on when you arrive it can be difficult on the vaporetto with your luggage.

I appreciate all the feedback. I feel like I have a much better understanding of all the ways to navigate Venice. (I may be deluding myself!) After some discussion husband and I booked a shared water taxi and listed the Hotel Dona Palace as our endpoint as it is right next to the AirBNB. Cost was 68 euro. More than we planned but figured worth the difference after coming off a transatlantic flight.

Good decision
68 euros well spent

If you are planning to ride the vaporettos and get a length of stay pass you might want to pick that up at the airport

It activates at first use and is a true 24 hour pass
Don’t forget to validate!