Seasick in Venice?

Are you asking if it is protected from waves? The powerboats are pretty pretty stable but they will bounce and rock some cutting across the wake of other boots. And there is some wave motion in the lagoon. Not like being in the open sea but some rocking. You can reach your hotel by other transportation than water taxi. The water taxi can be expensive.

Thanks, Frank. I meant crossing the Lagoon on the alilaguna boat.

• Steve

Can't speak for the Alilaguna, but we've been out to Murano/Burano and if it's breezy out, it can be quite the up and down motion going across the water, and especially when you are going thru the wake of the other vaporetto. She may want to take some gravol or motion sickness pills beforehand...

If your girlfriend is very susceptible to motion sickness, I do not recommend the Alilaguna. When I took it, every time it stopped to pick up passengers, it would bang into the pier super hard. It was a jolt every time. The exhaust from the engine would fill the sitting area. No way to avoid inhaling it. It was super loud, so loud I had to borrow my son's headphones to block out some of the noise as it was giving me a headache. On that particular day, the water was rather rough too, so the ride was pretty rocky. Since it stopped along the way, it was a rather lengthy ride--I was traveling from the south part of Venice to the airport-- but I don't recall how long exactly but certainly more than 45 minutes. I had no choice but to see the humor in it. If nothing else, it distracted me. It made me feel as though I was riding Smaug!

I've also taken the water taxi which is much smoother, less rocky.
Have a wonderful visit to Venice!

Thanks for the help! I do believe we will catch a bus based on your rocky experiences. Thanks!

Just my ten cents worth. You don't get to see much on the Alilaguna vessels. Closed cabin, and you are sitting very low. We have used the Alilaguna several times, but for my next trip, I will be taking the bus to P. Roma.

The one and only time, years ago, I took that boat form the airport, it was more like a crammed sardine can than a romantic excursion. I remember being jammed in a seat, lower than the window, with very little sight of the window, which anyway was all fogged over from people's breath. No seasickness, but still I could not wait to get off. Any time since, I have used the bus/vaporetto to get into Venice.

Take the bus from the airport to Piazza Roma. From there you can walk. (Not recommended with luggage unless you are very fit.) Or you can take a vaporetto. It may be crowded, but the water shouldn't be rough. It may help to stay outside on the boat rather than going to the interior and sitting. Fresh air helps. One of the boats is an "express" and makes few stops. Figure out in advance where you need to get off to reach your hotel. Hotels in Venice typically send specific instructions for reaching them.

Steve,

I was in Venice a few days ago and want to tell you that even riding the vaporetti while in the city gave me a little trouble if I rode them "too much" in one day. So, you might consider limiting her exposure to the vaporetti, too. Not a problem because with a good map and reasonable pace, Venice is a walkable city.

Sharon

Grazie, everyone, for all your helpful comments. -- Steve

If she has not tried them, Sea-Bands can help with this situation. They don't take up much space and are worth a shot over taking meds that make you way too sleepy.

Here's my take on the Alilaguna from Marco Polo to the Grand Canal. While it sounds really romantic - it really isn't. Don't get me wrong, it's really novel and I'm not disappointed we did it, it just wasn't the experience I have pre-conceived and I probably wouldn't do it again unless my hotel/apartment was right next to an Alilaguna stop.

The most disappointing thing about the Alilaguna is that you really can't see much out of the windows. The cabin is totally enclosed and the benches sit so low that you almost have to stand to see out the windows my 5-1 wife and mother couldn't see anything but the tops of buildings). Plus, the windows tend to be pretty dirty (not surprising as it's a marine environment).

The ride isn't too bad (in my opinion, but I've never been motion-sick). It's a lot of speeding up and then slowing down (repeat - repeat - repeat). I imagine this is to control their wake around other boats... There is a bit of rocking when crossing other wakes but I think the rolling action is actually worse in the canal zone.

Next time I go to Venice, I'll take the bus directly to Piazza Roma - saving a lot of time AND money.

Thanks Work2Travel and everyone!