Trip to Venice

I’m assuming someone gets seasickness. If that’s the case, there’s no wave action in the canals. Everyone should be fine.

The water taxis are extremely expensive. Rather, you’ll probably want to travel by vaporetto (Venice’s equivalent of a city bus), for which you can buy 1, 2, 3, or 7-day passes. As stated above, seasickness shouldn’t be an issue.

The vaporettos are like water buses, bigger than buses and very stable, much less expensive than water taxis, especially with a multi-day pass for unlimited travel. The canals are generally smooth except for the wakes of other boats, and vaporettos are about the biggest ones there. The Grand Canal might be rougher in a big storm but that would be unlikely. Your friend probably should avoid the gondolas, which I think are more fun to watch than to ride anyway.

Besides that, walking is the main way to get around Venice, and you shouldn't have trouble finding a hotel within reasonable walking distance from the station, even with bags. Look in the Santa Croce or Cannaregio neighborhoods. From the station you can cross a bridge into Santa Croce or go left into Cannaregio. The Grand Canal cuts Venice into two parts, with just three bridges across it, so the vaporetto system is useful but not essential.

Don't stay on the mainland. You'll spend at least an hour each day coming and going by train, and you'll miss the early mornings and evenings when Venice is most serene and beautiful.

DON’T sweat it. If you want to be super cautious, don’t go to any of the islands.

As soon as you turn left from the Venezia Santa Lucia train station, you’ll see hotel after hotel after hotel. Even the side streets have hotels.

Very close to train station, no need to get out on the water at all although I don't think seasickness will be an issue in Venice

https://www.abbaziahotel.com

I often locate hotels by going to Google Maps and opening on a city. Then I'll hit CTL and +++ to magnify the map on a certain part of the city. There's a block at the top to click on that shows all the area's hotels. You can click on the icons and read about the hotels--including customer ratings.

Like they said, there are a bunch of hotels and restaurants directly across from the train station. And someone in good shape can cover the entire city on foot.

We stayed in June, 2022 in an apartment next to the train station on an alley--to the left. I think I found it on Booking. com.

I've been to Venice a few times. Believe it or not, it's possible to explore and enjoy Venice without ever riding in a vaporetto or water taxi! Yes, that means walking everywhere. On one visit, I walked everywhere. (Many miles, it's true.) The vaporetto are the most practical way to get around otherwise, but I used to find them frustrating sometimes especially later at night. Sometimes walking back to my hotel was just as fast as waiting for the next vaporetto.

At worst, your water-averse traveler could ride a vaporetto only a few times and walk the rest of the time. There are plenty of hotels near the train station.

Thanks so much everyone. Feel so much better about being able to include our seasick traveler. Great suggestions
CP

Check out https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/ for a description of hotels and all things Venice - or Venezia as the locals call it.

I get seasick standing on a stable dock just looking at water. I’ve never had any trouble on the vaporettos. There’s so much to see, you’re easily distracted. And the motion isn’t bumpy, like a regular boat. More if a forward-backward motion. The only time you might feel the ride is bumpy is on the longer ride to the other islands, or from the airport.

One warning for your queasy traveler - the vaporetto stops have a stationery pier and a floating pier. Wait for the boats on the stationery part. The floating piers bounce up and down a lot. I get motion sickness easily and I've never had a problem in Venice over half a dozen visits.

Are you flying to the Venice airport (VCE)? If so, looks like you’ll want to take the land bus into the city, rather than the Alilaguna boat or a water taxi. You can buy tickets for the bus from a machine in the airport arrivals hall.