Arrival in Venice

Last December we took the Alilaguna from Marco Polo to the last stop (S. Maria del Giglio) and then just walked to Saint Mark's. Even with our luggage and a bit of disorientation (this was our first time in Venice), it only took 10 minutes or so.

I'd just walk for the remainder of the journey.

I think the best way is the bus/vaporetto combi ticket. The bus picks you up right at the airport exit door, takes you to Piazzale Roma where you can board the No 1 vaporetto for a slow, but amazing tour of the Grand Canal to San Marco. It is not the fastest way to San Marco, but definitely the best view. The No 1 originates at Piazzale Roma, so you can be the first on board and have your pick of seats. You might even get lucky and get one of the ones with open deck seats in the bow of the boat. Just don't stand up to take pictures as it really annoys the captain who is trying not to run over any gondolas.

Complaints, if you will, for the Allilaguna

It is about 600 yards from the airport exit door to the Alilaguna dock, although I understand there is now a moving walkway for part of the way.

The boats sit low in the water and the windows are salt covered and you can't see much.

They can be crowded with lots of luggage lying around.

San Marco seems to be at the end of the line, and the boats make a lot of stops along the way so you end up on the boat for more than and hour.

It depends on how you define BEST :)

The very best way is by private water taxi.

The next best way (and the way we did it) is by shared water taxi (much less expensive). The views and experience are incredible. You can book ahead, or just make arrangements when you arrive at the airport. The person at the counter will then have the group wait until there is an appropriate number of people to divide the group up into two or more taxis to go the various parts of Venice. Gratuity is included in what you pay at the counter (I asked...no need to tip, and no one else did and there was absolutely no hint of expecting one).

My husband, to this day, says it was one of the most wonderful experiences he had in Venice (the shared water taxi ride).

On another day, we took open water bus thing (vapretto or however that is spelled) on the big loop, and that was also a fun highlight.

But if you are defining BEST as least expensive, then the large water bus things would cost much less.

I just got back from Venice a few days ago. We got back and forth from the airport two different ways.
- From the airport we took bus #5 to the main bus terminal, right in Venice, and then the vaparetto to the stop closest to our hotel. Super cheap...bought a round-trip ticket for 3 euros.
- The second time we entered the city from the airport we took the Alilaguna. There are 4 - 5 moving sidewalks now so getting to the water terminal is much easier! The ticket window is right there...go to gate #12 (orange line) and the water taxi takes you to the stops along the Grand Canal all the way down to St. Marks. A one-way ticket was about $12. Odd that the orange line doesn't run to St. Marks in the afternoon...maybe get off at an earlier stop and transfer to a regular vaparetto?

Super cheap...bought a round-trip ticket for 3 euros.

Wow, I'd love to hear how you got that deal, since the advertised price is 14 EUR one way for the Aerobus + Ship ticket by the ACTV, the Venice Public Transport Authority.

A one-way ticket was about $12. Odd that the orange line doesn't run to St. Marks in the afternoon...maybe get off at an earlier stop and transfer to a regular vaparetto?

Just so you know, the transfer from Alilaguna to vaporetto will cost an additional 7.50 EUR for the vaporetto ticket. Alilaguna is a private company not part of the ACTV, although their routes are shown on the ACTV transport map. Alilaguna is 15 EUR one way bought on site, or 14 EUR when bought in advance on-line. Round trip is 27 EUR and 25 EUR on-line. The Red line will take you all the way to San Marco.

If you intend to buy a vaporetto pass, either 1,2,3,7 day passes, you can include the Aerobus connection to the pass for 6 EUR each way when you buy the pass. Normally the Aerobus alone is 8 EUR each way.

I'm not sure what schedule you're looking at, but the Orange Line (Arancio) never stops at either of the two Piazza San Marco stops. The last stop on the Orange Line is Santa Maria del Giglio. This stop is in the San Marco Sestiere, but it's a bit of a distance from Piazza San Marco.

If you want to go to Piazza San Marco in September with luggage, you have two choices with Alilaguna, the Blue Line, which stops at San Zaccaria first and then second near Vallaresso, both San Marco stops, east and west respectively. You can also use the Red Line, which is seasonal and also stops near Vallaresso.

Correction: While the Orange Line is not known for making regular stops at Piazza San Marco from the airport, it does make three stops before 10 AM and four stops after 11:40 PM on the April-to-November schedule of 2017. To view this, you need to click on "timetable."

Alilaguna is super slow from the airport as you sit in your little chug-a-long boat watching all of the speed boats (water taxis) zip past you as if you weren't even moving. It seemed like it too FOREVER to finally arrive into Venice.

I was on the Alilaguna website, looking at the orange line time table when I saw that the orange line goes to San Marco the first 3 stops in the morning and the last 4 stops at night.
Thanks to everyone for your responses! Getting the pros and cons of the different options from folks with experience gives me the info I need to make my decision.

On recent trip to Venice, used Alilaguna Blu to Zattere for stay in Dorsoduro. Hotelier said this was a poor choice, being slower and less interesting than a bus-vaporetto combo. Or a private taxi. Expensive, but fastest and most scenic.

I was on the Alilaguna website, looking at the orange line time table when I saw that the orange line goes to San Marco the first 3 stops in the morning and the last 4 stops at night.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I corrected my post above.

I have a lengthy reputation for chastising Italian graphic design artists who fail at their job. Here is another reason for dismay. Customers see the route graphic first when researching, and there is no indication at all on that graphic that the Orange Line offers any stops near Piazza San Marco (which is what I've always assumed). However, when you click on "timetable," you see that seven are offered on the outer edges of a day. Nonetheless, Orange is not the line to count on for a Piazza San Marco pick-up/drop-off, unless those seven times work for your schedule.

Hotelier said this was a poor choice, being slower and less interesting than a bus-vaporetto combo.

Everyone will have an opinion. Many travelers, like myself, are in NO hurry on a travel day. Rushing after an overnight flight is not what we slow travelers call smart travel. Maybe you'll save ten or fifteen minutes. Maybe. No big deal.

The Alilaguna service is designed to handle luggage. Luggage is tolerated on the vaporetti, but it's not really loved, especially by the locals. They hate it. If you happen to get on a packed vaporetto, your luggage and your handling of it on a moving boat can turn into a serious problem. Yes, the land bus/vaporetto option is cheaper, and you possibly get to ride down the Grand Canal. IMO, the Alilaguna service is more convenient, more civil, and more courteous, if the stops work for you. A ride down the Grand Canal is much more enjoyable when you're rested and bag free.

We've used the bus/vaporetto combination many times. Really easy peasy, fairly quick, and inexpensive to boot.

Sam...literally the bus...the one with wheels not the one that floats!

Anita, on this website, http://actv.avmspa.it/en/node/775 and scroll down to this.

TICKETS FOR TRIPS STARTING AND/OR ENDING AT THE MARCO POLO AIRPORT
ROUTES 5 AEROBUS, 15, 45

8,00 € - 75 MINUTE TICKET

15,00 € - ROUND-TRIP TICKET: 75 MINUTE VALIDITY ON BOTH FORWARD AND RETURN TRIPS

14,00 € - AEROBUS + SHIP TICKET
Valid for 90 minutes, allows the use of navigation service and Aerobus route 5, to and from the Marco Polo Airport and >Venice. One piece of hand luggage is included in the cost. The sum of its three dimensions must not exceed 150 cm. 150.

I guess I'm wondering if they're fibbing, and if I should ask for some of my money back after riding that bus, You know, the one with 4 wheels.

The Alilaguna service is certainly simple. However, the queue for the ferries can be long, and you might not get on the first boat.

If it was me travelling, I would either take the shared water taxi. http://www.venicelink.com/en/venice-shuttle-airport-link Or the ATVO land bus to P. Roma and then a No 1 or No 2 vaporetto to San Marco.

The ATVO bus is like a tour bus, luggage goes underneath the floor. The ACTV bus is like a normal commuter bus, can be quite crowded and your luggage is inside.

The shared water taxi is 25 euro per person.

I'm sure it's possible: everything in Venice depends on something else. It helps to be prepared, or at least aware, of the what ifs. You discover these by reading the research. However, in all my years of visits, I have never had to wait for a second Alilaguna boat, even during Carnivale. I suppose I've been lucky. Maybe I still am. I do plan my visits with great care, and I know what days and hours to avoid. You learn these things the more you visit.

Sam...sheesh! All I know is that I bought a ticket from our hotel for the #5 public bus, round trip, for 3 euros. Not sure what more to say!