Day trip to Venice from Rome?

Going to Venice for a day trip from Rome is just too far. I once made it a day trip from Florence, but even 150 miles made for a long day.
I've also been to Venice in February, and it's just not the best time of the year to go. The tides were high and water was lapping up on St. Marks Square. They had elevated wood sidewalks to walk on, but it was still pretty miserable.

Aside whether it is worth your time, Trenitalia is showing a one day round trip ticket 2nd class on the high speed Freccia Rome to Venice SL at 54.50 euro. A one day Venice transport pass is 20 euro. That comes to 74.50 euro per person, or about 85 USD, so 200 USD sounds a bit pricey.
http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

You could go to Bolsena, Tivoli, Frascati, or some of the other hill towns around Roma for your free day rather than go such a long distance. But if you do decide to go to Venezia, do it yourself as previously suggested.

Thank you so much for your replies. It definitely doesn't sound like a good plan now. I appreciate your comments! I will look in to something else to do for that day and wow what a difference in price if I just get my own tickets. Thank you again so much! Margaret

Perhaps a short, cheap, close in trip to Ostia Antica should be considered. You can get there on public transportation and it is totally different from the hustle and bustle of Rome. It will take from several hours to all day depending on your interest level. Google it and see what you think. As you have concluded, Venice is just too far for a day trip. You'll spend all your time in transit and have very little time for Venice itself.

The fastest trains run between Rome and Venice in 3 hours 45 minutes - while this is exceptionally fast (you would likely need 6 hours to do the same trip by car), it is still too long for a day trip. While not cheap, the run between Rome and Florence is only 1 hour 30 minutes, so it would be much more feasible for a day trip.

The RS tour includes the Ostia Antica half day trip so I will get to go there but maybe the Florence day trip would be a wise choice. I don't want to spend 7 hours round trip on a train when my time is limited plus I don't think it would be nice with the water issues like David mentioned. Thank you everyone for your suggestions, it was such a big help to make that decision on Venice.

Ooops! Did not realize the RS city tour went to Ostia Antica. Orviato isn't that far away and is a very interesting hill town that could perhaps be done as a day trip. Not sure about the travel time involved. Perhaps someone else has and idea about the time needed.

Thank you TC, I am going to look into that area now.

Orvieto is lovely. Think about it.

Orvieto is about an hour away by train.

I think this may be a wonderful choice! Would those that have been there already think this will be okay to visit in February? I don't mind the cold weather but I know many places don't have the same schedules in winter time.

Margaret, Orvieto is wonderful and if the rest of your trip will be in Rome, the ancient hill town will offer a very different experience from the big city of Rome. There are a number of distinct sites in Orvieto, so be sure to read up in advance to choose how you want to spend your time, beyond just wandering the narrow streets. The facade of the Duomo is really spectacular, especially in the late afternoon light. Good food, good wine, some excellent shopping for ceramics, olive wood products, etc. In February, you can get to know the "local's" Orvieto, unlike most of us who generally experience the "tourist's" Orvieto during the busier times of the year. Of course, it will get dark considerably earlier n February, but I would recommend staying for an early dinner, you'll have plenty of other evenings to eat in Rome.

I have been to Orvieto in January. I enjoyed the trip. It was amazing to have the cathedral almost to myself, and I enjoyed wandering around town and taking in the views. You probably will find that a number of the restaurants and shops are closed for the season. However, that didn't affect my enjoyment.

All this information is just so great to read. Thank you everyone! I believe this will be my day tip for sure!