How long to get through Venice airport?

There is yet another option, and that's to leave Nice on Friday, the day the South of France tour ends. The easyJet flight that day is at the same time as Sunday's flight. That would give us an extra night and day in Venice 😀, but we'd lose our extra day in Nice ☹️.

The last time I flew into Venice from a Schengen location (2015), it is was just a matter of the time to get the luggage from the carousel and we were out of there. Figure 30 minutes after your landing.

I don't understand why it would take two hours to exit the airport unless you were going through immigration. You would not be doing that since this would be a local flight. Should be whatever time is needed to walk off plane and claim luggage. We like easyJet but they are strict on luggage.

Our experience in 2018 was similar to Sam’s. We picked up our luggage and headed to the Vaporetto. This was in early afternoon. It was “Smooth Sailing.” It was great to arrive in the afternoon. We checked into our hotel and took a walk, and picked up our Museum Pass at the Correr Museum.

We stayed an extra night in Nice following the RS Tour. Some of our tour group wanted to visit Chagall & Matisse Museums. We all took the bus to Monaco for a walking tour & ended with a celebratory lunch. I can understand your “dilemma.” Enjoyed the extra day, but having more time in Venice is also wonderful!

I flew into VCE from Heathrow late on a weeknight with a checked bag. I don't think it took long to get the bag, and I remember that the Schengen entry process (which you won't have) was quick. That was close to midnight and ours was the last flight that night, the airport was kind of shutting down as I left (for a nearby hotel, not Venice till the next morning).

At the airport you can buy a bus ticket from ACTV combined with a vaporetto pass for however many days you want (strongly recommended) and save a couple of euro. The buses should be frequent when you arrive though the traffic may slow you down. I think my mid-morning bus ride was about half an hour from VCE to Piazzale Roma, yours may take longer.

Have a wonderful time in this beautiful city.

I would take an extra night in Venice over Nice any day. Go with that option.

Frank, you make a good point. The previous time we landed in Venice, we had to go through immigration, and the line was horrendous.

Thanks, everyone, for your comments. If we get through luggage and customs (usually a formality) in 30 minutes, then figure about an hour (?) to get into town, that would have us arriving at our hotel about 8:00. Hmmm. If we make dinner reservations ahead of time, that could work.

I do like the idea of an extra day, though.....

I'm in love with Nice and wouldn't want to rush somewhere else. But then I love Venice as well. We were quick to get out of the Venice Airport, and I think from deplane to hotel was 1.5 hours. Check the cruise ship schedule, Venice is the arrival/departure port for many sailings and the airport can be chaos.

If we get through luggage and customs (usually a formality) in 30 minutes

It will just be luggage. No customs for Schengen.

You may have a covid check - let's hope by then you won't

an hour on the bus? No, much less. How far is your hotel from P.Le Roma?

Nigel, our hotel is not too far from the Rialto. The hotel website says the airport bus gets to P.le Roma in 20 minutes, then a vaporetto ride to the San Stae stop. The hotel is a short walk from there.

For that vaporetto ride it is the intrepid Number 1. Four stops, 11 minutes. (P.le Roma, Ferrovia, Riva de Basio, S. Marcuola-Casino, S. Stae).

For your vaporetto info put the "CheBateo" ("what boat" if it were loosely translated into English) app on your phone... easy and fast.

Thank you, Nigel. This is looking like the best choice now. It looks like if all goes well, we can be at our hotel by 8:00 or so. Maybe even earlier.

I'm still pondering the others, but thank you for the information.