Getting to hotel on Venice, and getting off?

This is a useful thread: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/two-questions-best-venice-map-and-vaporetto-passes

I found google maps very good in Venice.

You go to the right vaporetto stop, validate your pass, make sure you are on the correct platform for the direction you want to go, and wait for the next vaporetto. It’s actually easier than trains or buses.

For the timing, you’ll need advice from someone else —- in 4 trips to Venice, we’ve never gone from the city to the airport.

There are multiple posts here explaining transportation in Venice
Look for posts by “Aussie”

https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&filter=Travel+Forum&query=+Venice+transportation+&utf8=%E2%9C%93

Any chance you are also planning to go to Rome? In that case, I'd suggest flying into Venice and out of Rome. SO MUCH easier to deal with schedules. Getting back to VCE early in the morning is a pain but check schedules and see if it gets you there in enough time for you to check in, go through security etc etc. And expensive way would be by water taxi (you could take that both ways). Your hotel can arrange that for you.

There are a few ways to get from the airport to Venice. I found that the easiest is the bus. It takes you to a good place to get on a vaporetto. BTW, vaporetti (notice the plural) run on schedule: 'we're coming.' But they are frequent enough. Your hotel can tell you which vaporetto number and which stop to take. There are several different routes the vaporetti take - you want to get on the correct one. There are maps at each stop to help you figure out where you are and to make sure you get on the correct boat.

Welcome to the Forum! Everyone of us will be glad to answer questions and help you sort things out. When is the trip? If it is within the next year you might want to get busy. Italy is quite crowded this year. I booked my Venice apartment back in January.
I checked yesterday to see if any other apartments were available - they were a couple, just $$$ more than I paid, or usually pay. Venice is a very special place. Be prepared for a wonderful experience! And remember: you deserve this!

Once you have hotel booked we can be more specific

Most hotels have directions “ how to reach us” on their website

Recommended
https://www.hotelala.it/

For location, service and ease of arrival and departure

Think of a vaporetto as a city bus but on water. It runs on a regular schedule and stops at its assigned stops.

You need to find the vaporetto (number) or the one you need to take you to your hotel and the closest vaporetto stop.

https://avm.avmspa.it/en/content/vaporetto

One more vote for Hotel Ala! I've stayed there many times. The breakfast buffet is a great way to start your day. In the afternoon or evening take a drink up to the rooftop. They are right at the Giglio vaporetto stop which makes it very easy to find. It's location is right in the middle between the Accademia Bridge and San Marco.

This is a great forum, thanks for all replies. Robert in Wilmington - I'm planning for 2026.

Venice is an interesting challenge in getting around, but how wonderful to have a car-less city. Looking forward to it.

Let's say my flight leaves at 10:30am. What do I need to consider in making the trip from hotel back to airport?

Where does the flight go? That determines how early you should be at the airport and what options are available to get there.

If it leaves the Schengen zone, you need to deal with passport control to exit, so need more time than if it goes to somewhere like Paris, Amsterdam or Germany for your US bound flight.

So I'll land at VCE then take public transportation to get to the
island, then a vaporetto to one of the vaporetto's stops, then walk to
my hotel -- do I understand correctly?

Yes - that is one option. Note that there are two bus lines: ATVO and ACTV.

• ATVO is faster and more like a coach,
• ACTV is more like a citybus, but you can buy a combined bus ticket and vaporetto day pass.

Others are

• Alilaguna boat. In my exprience you don't get to se much during the trip, because the windows are covered in seasalt.
• Water taxi. Too expensive for me, but others recommend it. It is possible to share a taxi, you can find numerous posts about it on this site.
• Land taxi to Piazzale Roma, Vaporetto and walk

See more on https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/arriving_in_venice_by_air.htm

Other - very personal - comments:

1. Buy a Vaporetto pass - at least for some of your days. Venice is very walkable, but Murano, Burano and other islands require a vaporetto trip and walking with luggage can be frustrating.
2. DON'T - as in ABSOLUTELY NOT - stay on the mainland (Mestre). Venice's main charm is in the morning and the evening, when the day tourists are away.
3. It's up to you if you want to try a gondola - we were a bit disappointed - but you should try a traghetto. It is a uniquely Venezian way of crossing the Grand Canal, though this kind of transport was very common 3 - 400 years ago.

There are many posts that will answer your question and provide a lot of other useful information, also. Just use the search field at the top of the page.
Both times I have been to Venice I used the Alilaguna to get to and from the airport. There are two lines, Color coded according to which vaporetto stops they stop at. I choose this mode of transport because I don’t feel like dragging my luggage onto a crowded vaporetto. Friends of mine always take the bus and then a vaporetto. You can buy a return ticket for the alilaguna at the airport if you are going to be flying out of Venice. You can also buy a vaporetto pass at the airport. Here is a link that has map and schedules https://venicepublictransport.it/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=VENICEPT&utm_term=venice%20public%20transport&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAA-zGNredBLyuihf5DxTgb6-Diyz_X&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2YfzqMy0jAMVidXCBB1UbSJiEAMYASAAEgKR0_D_BwE