My husband and I are arriving at the Marco Polo airport on an August morning in 2024. We'll both be 57, so not quite seniors, but not sure how hard it will be for the two of us to manage two wheeled carry-on-size suitcases each from the San Zaccaria stop, which appears to be the closest stop for both the ACTV vaporetto and the Alilaguna Linea Rossa line to Hotel Colombina, where we will be staying. Whether we take the ferry, vaporetto or the hotel’s private water taxi, we have to walk over to the airport dock. The water taxi would save a six-minute walk from the San Zaccaria stop. I figured out the cost of the vaporetto and ferry and it's about 100 Euros total less than what the hotel quoted for both of us to take their private water taxi right up to the hotel's private dock. Can anyone tell me if the walk from the Zan Zaccaria dock to the hotel lugging suitcases would be difficult?
Posted by
Green Bay
21219 posts
If you take the airport bus and No 1 vaporetto to San Marco Giardinetta, you will have only the last bridge to the hotel to cross, if a bit longer walk. You have rolling luggage, so that should be pretty easy. You will also get to walk through the Piazza San Marco.
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
1144 posts
Hello LisaCinNC, and welcome to the forum!
The vast majority of people will take either one of two buses or a taxi to the Piazzale Roma and the vaporetto to either San Marco or San Zaccaria and walk to your hotel. Your hotel happens to be very close to a favorite BnB of many people here so many people have done almost this exact walk.
The walk is easy and about 7-9 minutes unless you get lost or take a wrong turn. This is very easily done in Venice but Google Maps works well for finding your way around. The walk is flat - except for any bridges - and pretty straightforward and the only hazard you're likely to encounter is crowds in San Marco square. I think this is easy enough for almost anyone who doesn't have any issues with walking around a city normally.
Walking (and getting lost) is one of the best things to do in Venice and while it is slightly less enjoyable with luggage unless you have money to burn a private taxi in Venice makes little sense. As my wife and I have gotten older I find we tend to take taxis into cities we don't know and public transportation back to the train station once we know what the place better, but the 140e taxi option in Venice is not one of those cities.
Venice is amazing, have a great trip!
=Tod
Posted by
Bendigo, Australia
1297 posts
The walk is pretty easy to your hotel, flat, one or two bridges. Get the Alilaguna to San Zacharia. And get a paper map at the Tabac at Marco Polo.
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.]
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.