Best way to get from Venice to airport?

Since it is a late departure, the bus should work as you have plenty of time. What is the cold feet concern?

We will get lost, take too long, end up in Florence etc. Just nervous. We leave on Thursday, hoping to leave on Thursday 9/9/21. So much up in the air (ha - I crack myself up). I am sure all will go well. Thanks for the reassurance.

The bus does indeed work fine, and takes ~20 minutes. Since you’re feeling apprehensive about it, I suggest that you go scope out the Piazzale Roma the day before, see exactly where the buses leave from, what their schedule is, and maybe even buy your tickets in advance (you’ll need to validate them once on the bus).

As long as you allow enough time- the bus should be fine.

If your budget allows you could book a water taxi- about 115 euros- peace of mind. Have them pick you up at vaporetto stop by about 6:30 should get you to VCE by 7:15ish
https://www.motoscafivenezia.com/en/

Good idea to go to Piazzale Roma a day or so before to have a look, as it's very large and busy.
Get the exact vaporetto from near your accommodation that you would take on departure day, at the same time of day, and head to the area.
When you get there , find out exactly where the Airport buses leave from.
Maybe snap a photo of the bus stop, in case you get mixed up on departure day...that way you can show it to a person likely to point you in the right direction.
Good luck, and have a wonderful time in Italy!

Bus is very easy.

But if you are nervous but can’t afford a water taxi, take a regular car taxi from piazelle Roma. Just take the vaporetto to piazelle Roma then there’s a taxi stand. Should be about 40-50 euros, I don’t remember exactly. I’d bet you could instead arrange a car service from Piazelle Roma, but the regular taxis have worked fine for me.

We were just in Venice and had similarly timed departure. We had seven people and so water taxi made a lot of sense. More of a splurge with fewer people of course.
We met taxi at 8:30 am and we’re at airport dock before 9:00 am. We then walked to the airport which took another 10 minutes. So we were there more than two hours before our flight. Even with several directional mishaps (trying to find bathrooms and then right terminals) and a long line to get checked in, we had plenty of time. Waited at gate for long enough that we all got some food.

You can also see the layout of the bus lanes at Piazzale Roma on Google maps satellite view. Sorry, I do not know how to create a link to that but maybe someone can help.

We've taken that bus in the past also a vaporretto once from Murano direct .. both sufficient .... check scheduling etc.

Murano to airport - Alilaguna, not vaporetto.

At P. Roma, look for the bus with Aeroport Marco Polo on the front. It goes to Marco Polo Airport.

Another vote for the bus. It's very easy and cheapest way to go. And, it drops you right off in front of airport. Depending on how many days you are there, you could spend your last night in a hotel near the bus station. There are many nice ones. We stayed at Antiche Figure and it was an easy walk to bus station, even at 5 AM.

I have not been to Venice since 2017, but there have been reports of insufficient Vaporetto service in 2021, related to Covid service cuts not be restored. I don't consider 11AM to be a "late" plane departure if the airline requires 3-hour advance check-in so they can meet US demands for passenger data deadlines. If you have coach tickets, the line could be very long to check in at the airport, even after you get there.

The main issue is whether a higher-cost option is out of reach or not. If there are more than two of you, a water taxi could be worth the money. By discussing it with your hotel, you might avoid last-minute opportunities to be overcharged or confused about options.

It's not my intention to make you nervous, I think the previous replies are quite reasonable and accurate - except that a flight before noon is not "late".

...We will get lost, take too long, end up in Florence etc. Just nervous...... There is a solution. Some may jump on it but it is my nature as an old engineer who likes back-up and redundancy. I have been know to do a dry run by myself a day or two before just to know the lay out and the timing. That way if I have to run around because I am lost, I am not burden with luggage. And on a couple of occasions it has proven to be very useful. Drives the family nuts. But the day of departure is very smooth.

That is a great idea and I think that will be the plan. Thanks,