What can we do after leaving our cruiseship with luggage in tow, for 12 hours, before our flight? Can we rent a car at the Piazzale Roma? Can we store our luggage there?
Piazzale Roma is just a bridge away from the Santa Lucia train station, where I'm sure they have luggage lockers. Get rid of the bags and go for a wonderful Venice walk or vaporetto ride for your hours of leisure. Have a great meal or two. You can return to the train station at the right time, pick up your bags, and catch the fast, cheap bus to the airport from Piazzale Roma.
For Santa Lucia station info, including left luggage: http://www.grandistazioni.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=09dd82a9ec4eb110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD Is there somewhere in particular you want to go? If so, I'd just take a train, and not a car. Personally, I'd stay on the island...
No lockers in train stations in Italy. Security issue. However, the larger stations have very nice staffed left luggage areas. The Venice train station has such a facility. Here's the info. Opening Hours 7/7 days 06.00 - 24.00 Charges 4,00 € the first 5 hours 0,60 € /hour from 6th to 12th hour
0,20 € /hour from 13th hour on You don't indicate which 12 hours you have available to be "stuck" in Venice. If during the day, stash your luggage, visit the Peggy Guggenheim museum (near Rialto) and have a nice lunch. It could be a lot worse.
You're not stuck at all!If it's your first time, get onto a vaporetto and do Rick's tour of the Grand Canal. Walk thru a couple of neighborhoods. Wander a bit around San Marco and look at the tourists. I vote for the Guggenheim too, a couple of hours there was very pleasant.
If you walk from San Marco, I think the Guggenheim is nearer Accademia Bridge.
Melissa, your right. The Peggy Guggenheim museum is near the Accademia bridge and not the Rialto bridge.