Hello - looking for advice regarding transporting from hotels and train stations. Never been to Italy before, we have our hotels and trains booked. Should I have car service booked in advance to take me from hotel to train? Mostly concerned with Venice. We are flying into Venice and want to know how best to get from airport to hotel ( should this be booked in advance) and then from hotel to train station, we are going from Venice to Florence.
Thank you for any help.
The specific answer for Venice depends on the location of your hotel. What hotel is it?
I generally rely on cabs if I need the space and/or do not want to wrangle my bags onto public transportation. In Venice we relied on a vaporetto, but that was due to where we were staying. A lot of transportation advice in Venice will rely on the general area in which you are staying. Example - If your hotel is located on the Grand Canal, your options may be different than if you are staying elsewhere in Venice.
Hi Michelle -
It would be helpful if you could tell us how many locations in Italy you will be visiting and in what order? Also the names/addresses of your accommodations, and how many in your traveling group?
Hi Kathy,
Thank you for helping. I am traveling with my husband.
We are looking for information regarding:
- Arriving in Venice Airport to hotel Ca Gottardi
- Hotel Ca Gottardi to Venice Train Station
- Florence Train Station to hotel Il Guelfo Bianco
- Hotel IL Guelfo Bianco to Florence Train Station
Thank you for your help!
For us it's always dependent on where we're staying. If the hotel provides a shuttle we'll take it. If a taxi we'll take an official one, airport staff will direct you to official ones or if an Uber quote is good enough we'll take one.
- Florence Train Station to hotel Il Guelfo Bianco
- Hotel IL Guelfo Bianco to Florence Train Station
I'll leave the Venice details to others who know that city's transport better than I do but unless you have mobility challenges or a ton of luggage, Hotel IL Guelfo Bianco in Florence is close enough to Santa Maria Novella train station to walk to and from it. Reference the location on a google map.
Otherwise, the hotel's website states this:
https://ilguelfobianco.it/hotel-florence-centre/
From the train station to the hotel, a (taxi) ride will cost you around 12
euros, taking approximately 10 minutes time, depending on traffic.
It's the traffic complication that could have you covering ground just as fast on foot than in a cab.
Hi, Michelle! Are you flying into Marco Polo airport, then staying in Venice for your first stop?
If the answer is yes, you have a few options--
Cheapest: Take the ATVO bus. You can take a shuttle directly to the Piazzale Roma in Venice, then walk or take a vaporetto to your hotel from there.
If you find it better fits your schedule, you can shuttle from the airport to the Mestre Station on the mainland, then hop on the train for the short ride to Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia (the station in Venice proper) This is particularly useful if you are staying in Canareggio or Dorsoduro. And even though it's a 2 step process, it's quite easy, it will cost less than €11 and the whole trip will probably be 30-45 minutes, depending on connections
ATVO- http://www.atvo.it/en-venice-airport.html
Trenitalia- https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Not as cheap, but may take you closer to your hotel if your bags are heavy: Water shuttles. Depending on where you're staying, this might be a good choice
Alilaguna- https://www.alilaguna.it/en/lines/linea-arancio/orario
I used all of these methods in the 1990s. If someone has recent taxicab info, it may be worth comparing. Back then, cabs into Venice were crazy expensive & I never got in the habit of using them, but maybe the fare has changed.
EDITED TO ADD that the hotel where you're staying is convenient to both Piazzale Roma and Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia, so either the bus or the bus/train are good bets.
Florence- Google maps shows a 13 min walk. It's flat and pretty straight forward. Or just walk out of train station to taxi rank and take a taxi- probably 8-10 €-
note that if your hotel is on a pedestrian only street the cab will drop you as close as possible so you may need to walk a block or 2 anyway.
Venice- Good place to start is by asking your hotel what they recommend.
From their website:
https://www.cagottardi.com/location/
Your options would be Airport bus to Piazalle Roma- 6€ then vaporetto #1 to Ca d'Oro stop- then a short walk with 2 bridges to cross
Schedule here:
http://www.atvo.it/allegati/aeroporti/linea_35_dal_31.03.19_al_26.10.19.pdf
Or
Alilaguna from airport- to Fondamente 14€ then walk about 15 min with a couple of bridge crossings.
https://www.alilaguna.it/en
Or
a private water taxi 150 €?
We purchased our vaporetto pass at the airport, walked down to the dock and took the Alilaguna- it was very easy. Our hotel was steps from an Alilaguna stop.
Vaporetto map:
http://actv.avmspa.it/sites/default/files/attachments/MAP%20OF%20THE%20SERVICES%20ACTV.pdf
Thank you everyone.
RE Venice - the hotel recomends the Alilaguana via the orange line and then walk the 400 meters to the hotel. If that seems normal to others I think I will do that. It is cost effective and little connections are needed.
RE Florence - the hotel recomends a private car to pick us up at the train station for 35euros. They said many people do that instead of walking. On here most people said to walk, just curious on what the best option is.
Thank you,
Michelle
RE Florence - the hotel recomends a private car to pick us up at the train station for 35euros. They said many people do that instead of walking. On here most people said to walk, just curious on what the best option is.
That's a lot of euros for a less than 10 min drive!
I'd walk- or if weather is lousy take a cab. I am pretty sure we paid about 8-10 euros for a similar trip- 5 years ago.
RE Venice - the hotel recomends the Alilaguana via the orange line and then walk the 400 meters to the hotel. If that seems normal to others I think I will do that. It is cost effective and little connections are needed.
I would take whichever mode had fewer bridges to cross. Not really fun dragging luggage up steps/down steps.
RE Florence - the hotel recomends a private car to pick us up at the
train station for 35euros. They said many people do that instead of
walking. On here most people said to walk, just curious on what the
best option is.
Your hotel is closer to SM Novella than ours was and we walked the distance without a problem. If you must take transit - pouring rain, for instance - take a taxi from the train station: no need for a pricier private car.
