train or fly from FCO to Venice

I would take the train because Venice airport is quite a distance from the city itself while the train station drops you right on the Grand canal. There is a direct train from Fiumicino Aeroporto to Venezia Santa Lucia station that departs at 1508 and arrives at 1935. You do not have to change trains along the route. You can buy supereconomy tickets up to 120 days in advance which will save you some money but lock you into a specific, non-refundable train. If your flight is delayed and you miss the train, you will have to buy a new train ticket. Many posters on this forum will advise that you just buy a ticket when you arrive in Italy.

We flew from FCO to Venice last month, under the premise that we saved some time. In reality, we really didn't save that much time and we spend a lot more money. We didn't take into account the time it takes to get to FCO (50 euros, 30 minutes by taxi). The lines and service at FCO (specifically Air Italia) was utter chaos. We had to pay an additional 160.00 Euro for our luggage, and we (and other passengers) almost missed our flight because of a change in boarding gate that was unannounced. All told, it was about an extra 4 hours that we did not count on. If you can, take a train. It is much more relaxed, less chaotic, and less expensive. Ciao. Buona Ventura!

I much prefer to arrive in Venice by train over airplane. It is such a pleasure to walk out of the train station and find yourself right on the Grand Canal.

Train. You can get a taste of the countryside while you're travelling. I would pick up some food from the airport, and a bottle of wine, and enjoy a very relaxing, picnic lunch on board. Yes, they permit you to open and drink your own wine on the trains in Europe. It is sooooooo civilized!

BTW, I always pack a couple pieces of that rubbery, meshy shelf-liner stuff that comes in a roll. I use it on the the table surfaces of planes and trains. It serves as a placemat and, more importantly, it stops everything from sliding around!

And... there is nothing better than coming out of the train station in Venice and seeing the Grand Canal before you. Sigh!

Cheers!
Vivian

PS... Too bad you couldn't fly "open jaw", and fly right into Venice. Last October we flew direct from Toronto on Air Canada Rouge. It was a great flight. We flew home from Rome after we ended our trip there.

A train is cheaper, nicer mode of travel, and faster. When you fly you don't take off and land in the city center - you always have to get FROM the airport TO the city center at an additional cost and time.

Take the train. It's more comfortable and faster in the end (and cheaper too once you take into account the transfer from VCE to the historical center on the lagoon).

And now your other questions

If we train, do we need to book it ahead of time?
No. You can buy on the spot at the station. Trains Rome-Venice are so frequent that they never sell out. If the cheaper class (Standard=2nd class) sells out (rarely and when it does, it is usually in the early morning) you can always find seats in the higher class, or simply wait for the next train one hour later (which will almost certainly have availability, especially at midday).

Is it less expensive to pre-book?
Yes, it can be. Tickets go on sale on line 120 days prior to date of travel. There are Supereconomy and Economy fares available that have huge discounts (about 60% and 30% respectively). Those fares may go quickly. Once gone, you are left with the full price (called Base fare). One caveat. Once you book a train at the SuperEconomy or Economy fare you can't make changes. You must use that specific train or lose your money.

Or can we just buy the ticket when we get there?
Yes. At the FCO Airport station (across from terminal 3)

Do we board the train right at the airport?
Yes. However, unless you take the two Freccia trains the originate from the airport (at 11:08 and 15:08), in all other cases (departing FCO Airport station at 11:57, 12:57, 13:57, to cite three departures after your landing) you need to take a Regional Train from FCO airport to ROMA TIBURTINA station, where you catch the Freccia high speed train.

Go to www.trenitalia.com for schedules and prices.
Use Italian spelling of stations:
FIUMICINO AEROPORTO
VENEZIA SANTA LUCIA

Thank you all so much. I love this Rick Steves' forum. You all are so kind and offer a wealth of information. I think we will just buy our ticket when we arrive in case of flight delay. I love the idea of buying some food at the airport and a bottle of wine and enjoying that on the train. Can you buy wine at the airport easily? What about glasses? Or can we get a simple drinking glass on board the train? Any tips on what side of the train to sit on for better views? I would have loved to flown open jaw but we are coming from Vancouver and the prices are so high. We are flying out of Seattle via Toronto. Over half the price even with the USD exchange rate. Our Canadian airline prices are so high. Thanks again!