Time concern in Venice

According to Google maps, it should take less than an hour to get to the airport, but this will be heavily dependant on the time of day. Assuming you don't have to leave at the butt crack of dawn; take the vaporetto 2 to Piazzale Roma, then the bus to the airport. Venice airport isn't famous for it's efficiency. I'd want to be there 2 hours early for a European flight, 3 hours for a North American flight.

"Best" has different meanings...quickest would be water taxi, cheapest probably a vaporetto/bus combo (depending on your group size.) Unless there's a strike going on, both are reliable.

I agree with the above poster about times...if this is a flight to another European city, 2 hours ahead, if leaving the continent, 3 hours. Water taxi (plus the short walk/ride on the moving sidewalk at the airport) would take about 30 minutes. Vaporetto/bus I'd give it 90 minutes from the vaporetto dock to the airport, so add on your walking time from your hotel to the vaporetto.

You'll become more familiar with the vaporetto stops during your stay and can confirm timetables and locations while there. Line 1 service starts about 5 a.m. and takes 20 minutes from dock Rialto A to Piazzale Roma, where you can find airport buses. Line 2 or 2/ can be a little faster but starts later from dock Rialto C.

Hi emtycrystal44,
Firstly I hope you are excited about your trip to Venice, it is an absolutely amazing place!
There are a few options as have been mentioned. Here they are in order of most expensive to cheapest

1) a private water taxi costs about €120-€130 for up to 8 people. Would take around 40 minutes I reckon as long as the water isn't choppy and is only economic if there is a group of you

2) My favourite option is to take the orange line of the Alilaguna airport shuttle boat from Rialto vaporetto stop as you get one last trip by water through Cannaregio and across the lagoon rather than sitting on a bus in road traffic. Costs €15 per person one way or €27 return and takes an hour but is direct door to door with no changing or waiting for connections. The website is here https://www.alilaguna.it/en and the orange timetable is here https://www.alilaguna.it/en/lines/linea-arancio/orario

3) or take the vaporetto no. 1 or 2 (cost €8 one way per person) from Rialto to Piazzale Roma bus station (20-30 mins depending on whether you get the slow no 1 or faster no 2) and then take the bus to the airport which I think costs about €8 one way

So if you're flying outside Europe, allow at least 1-1.5hrs to get to the airport and then 3 hours for check-in.
For more info on transport in Venice check out an old post of mine - the prices need updating but the info is still valid! https://dreamdiscoveritalia.com/2014/05/07/venice-arrivals/
Hope this helps! Buona vacanza, happy holidays! Liz

The Alilaguna still takes 57 minutes to get to the airport, and its not all that comfortable sitting low in the water with salt-caked windows. Then it a few minutes to ride the moving walkway 1/4 mile to the airport.

Much prefer the vaporetto, although it can be crowded, you can't beat the view of your last look at the Grand Canal. The combined boat+bus ticket is 14 EUR, and the bus leaves right at the airport door.

It's the more expensive option, but last time I was in Venice, we took a nice water taxi from the hotel doorstep to the airport.
Yes, it was pricey (I don't remember exactly how much) but the private sunrise conveyance was a beautiful way to say goodbye to a beautiful city.

Throw in the diesel fumes on the Alilaguna and put my vote in the "vaporetto/bus" combo. It's also quite a long haul with bags from the Alilaguna dock to the airport.

If you do take the Alilaguna, the walk from dock to terminal is now very easy. There is now an airport style moving walkway, covered. A vast improvement on the old walkway; one visit it was snowing as we traversed it.

For me, Rialto to Marco Polo, it would be vaporetto plus bus. For a 12:00 flight, you need to be at Marco Polo b y 10:00 probable. Say a vaporetto from Rialto around 8:30, gets you to P. Roma a bit after 9:00, wait for a bus, and then the ride to Marco Polo is about half an hour, so you would be OK for a 10:00 arrval.