Venice in January

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/transportation-from-marco-polo

Where is your hotel? You are confusing water taxis and the vaporetto, (the water "bus.") Review the above link and hopefully details will be clearer.

The vaporettos landing area is fairly flat, but doesn't go to the airport, but the Alilaguna is transport from the airport to designated stops. This boat has steep steps.

The expensive private water taxi driver will gladly help you disembark.

Have a great trip and safe travels!

Posted by Aussie
Australia
07/04/23 06:01 AM
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/venice-transportation-questions-2f9f38fe-6190-4bfc-8975-a9548e5445cd
Highlites from above post pasted below-

Water transport in Venice.
1. Gondolas. Only for pleasure, not for transport. 80 euro for half an hour for the boat, more for evenings.
2. Traghetto – big gondolas, two oarsmen, about ten passengers, for crossing the Grand Canal. Found at Rialto, San Toma and a couple of other places. Cost 2 euro per trip, can save a heap of walking.
3. Water taxis, which are like a floating limo, costs to match.
4. Vaporettos - ACTV. Are waterbuses, operate on a bunch of routes. Get the app Chebateo for routes and schedules. Vaps do not service the airport. Vaps are not water taxis.
5. Alilaguna ferries, service the airport, run from Marco Polo via a bunch of stops to the main part of Venice, Murano and Lido. They stop at some, but by no means all, vaporetto stops. Google for route maps.

The staff on Alilaguna and vaporettos will help you on and off and will load/unload your suitcase for you if needed (or someone else will). It is quite likely that the hotel's estimate of the time is pretty accurate - the only question I'd have is if there are bridges to cross - which can be a challenge with a suitcase. However, from your post it isn't clear if Alilaguna stops at the vaporetto stop nearest your hotel.

We just spent 10 nights in Venice, and previously two weeks there. My knees are remarkably good, but a bad hip puts me in the same boat with you —- I really think the vaporetto and getting two vaporetto passes (one for 7 days and another for 3 days) is your best plan. I managed taking a traghetto pretty well but did need some support getting out —- with a vaporetto pass, you can cross the grand canal easily because their routes crisscross the grand canal. I have not taken the Alilaguna or a water taxi (expensive and you can’t see much) but I have watched people getting out of them and wouldn’t care to try it. On a vaporetto, there isn’t a step up or down to get on or off —- at worst, there’s a small ramp and there is always something to hold on to which I do because there is some movement between the boat and the dock. Hope this helps!

Oh, and just take a bus from the airport.

A bus from the airport only goes to Piazza Roma- right outside historical Venice- then the choices are walking, vaporetto and/ or water taxi to your hotel.

Thanks, everyone. Thank you for the tutorial on the various different modes of transit from the airport. Seems like a water taxi and the Alilaguna water bus are the only two realistic options for me. I am staying in Santa Croce. The nearest stop for the Alilaguna water bus is San Stae and google maps confirms that it is a 5 minute walk, with several bridges with stairs, to my hotel. I had read that the water taxi captains cannot leave their boat to assist in disembarking so it seems I would need to rely on the assistance of others as according to the tide charts, I should be arriving right around high tide, 3:56 PM at 1.62 feet.

I am sure people think I am crazy to be so concerned about this, but when one cannot depend on one's legs to do these sorts of things, they become the most/only anxiety-producing aspect of a trip - so I appreciate all of your suggestions and input.

One other question - do you think it is best to reserve a water taxi in advance or to book upon arrival at the airport? I am imagining it won't be terribly crowded due to the time of year (January).