We will be arriving at the airport in early March but after sunset. Was hoping to take the Alilaguna into town but since it will be dark is it worth it? Too cold at that time of year? We are staying in the middle of Venice close to a stop on the Grand Canal.
Your thoughts and advice are much appreciated.
Just take the local bus to Piazzale Roma and then vaporetto to stop nearest your hotel. Saves you a bunch of money seeing no scenery for most of the boat ride.
You might just consider catching a taxi from the airport out to the island after dark.
I would suggest you go on Google Maps and figure out exactly where your accommodations are. If you end up taking a vaporetto to close by where you're staying, figure out which stop to get off. It's also nice to know exactly which way to walk, etc.
Venice can be a pretty dark place at night. I would suggest you carry a small flashlight in case you need to see the names of the alleys, etc.
And the weather in March can be hit or miss in Italy. We were in Venice the end of a January, and about froze our tails off. There again, we were in Venice in June of this year, and it was actually pleasant.
I don’t think the Alilaguna is ever “worth it” :for the scenery. It rides low in the water and the windows can be crusted with salt from the spray. And last time we rode it the motor was very noisy.
Considering the time of year and day, take a taxi to P. Roma and take the vaporetto to the hotel. The idea about a small flashlight is a good one. You might be able to use google maps street view to "walk" from the vap. stop to the hotel before you ever leave home.
Another vote for the bus by road from the airport.
You can’t see a thing except the water from the Alilaguna boats, even on a clear sunny day.
You sit in the cabin down below and are not allowed on deck.
If you can find your hotel on https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/directions/index-alphabetical.htm, you get a step-by-step description of the way from nearest alilaguna/vaporetto stop.
We took the ATVO bus from Venice to the airport- very comfortable and reasonably priced. It was more expensive than taking the local bus, but to us it was worth it. And cheap compared to the water taxis. Then take a vaporetto to your destination. We walked or took the vaporetto while in Venice. The only caveat is that this is all easy if you have limited luggage. We each had one carryon suitcase and one backpack. If you are hefting a lot of luggage, this may not be the best option for you.
I have used the Alilaguna exactly once in all my trips to Venice and it is highly unlikely I will use it again. I found nothing redeeming on the voyage, it was smelly, hot, no visibility, and noisy.
There are others who enjoy the trip and they have posted here from time to time. Not me though...
If you are thinking of taking the alilaguna for the view you will be disappointed. I have been on it four times, and as others say most of the boats do not give you a view. You go down into an open area with a bench all the way around the outer edge and everyone piles their luggage in the middle. The windows will all be behind you, and either too high or too dirty to see out of. Plus, you have to twist around and that’s hard to do on a crowded boat. On my way to the airport last time the boat I got on was larger, and more like a bus with regular seating. This made for a nice ride, but I think they only have a few of these, and use them at the busiest times.
If you are happy to share the name of your hotel, someone here will be able to give you exact directions to it from a vaporetto stop.
One of those little headlamp flashlights would come in useful, as you will be maneuvering your luggage too...frees up a hand!
If it's not high season, check the schedule. We needed to take an Alilaguna very very early in the morning to catch a flight, and the hotel informed us that the schedule had recently changed, and was running less often than we thought. We had to adjust our departure time from the hotel. Might be better for you because you are going from winter into spring.
I agree with the others' assessments of Alilaguna. It does the job, but is nothing special, and especially if it's dark out there is nothing to see from the low viewpoint. It isn't too cold because the large seating area is covered, but the front end is open for easy loading/unloading.
Because you will be on the Grand Canal it will probably be better to take a vaporetto to Piazzale Roma and catch the ATVO bus. That was a better experience. On the bus you sit in comfortable seats high off the ground (I think Alilaguna seats were waterproof hard plastic). The bus drives over the causeway to the mainland, so you can at least look out at the lagoon. However, Venice will naturally be behind you on that trip out of town, so you'll be facing the mainland. Last time I did it, I the bus was sort of racing alongside a train also heading for the mainland.
Lead times may be a factor. To catch the bus at Piazzale Roma, you do have to build in the time to get from your hotel to Piazzale Roma by vaporetto and on foot with your luggage, which could take a half an hour total depending on where you start. In some cases, a boat direct to/from the airport might be faster than vaporetto plus bus, when time is more important than money.
