Venice train station to airport with luggage

Important question--
what time is your flight?

My flight is at 11:55 AM, so I would likely be leaving around 9, depending on which option I choose.

If you are flying to US you will want to be at VCE 3 hours preflight.

How big of a suitcase? Is it a roller bag? Swivel bag?
You will have to be able to handle that bag everywhere else you go on this trip. (getting on/off trains for example)

We have never had difficulty taking luggage on a vaporetto.
Not real familiar with Constitution bridge- assuming it has steps up and down? how many?

You might be slightly overthinking this ;)

The Constitution (aka Calatrava) bridge has steps, but they are relatively gentle, easier than most other bridges in Venice. If your bag has wheels it will not be difficult. The bridge can be slippery if wet.
Take the ATVO bus to the airport; it is like a tour bus and your luggage goes underneath. The ACTV bus is a commuter bus, your luggage rides with you.

Several years ago, I hauled five Ikea Billy bookcases across the Calatrava for a friend. Tough, but not impossible.

Are you planning to buy a vaporetto pass for your stay? (They come in 1, 2, 3, and 7 day sizes.). If you have one, using the vaporetto to get to the train station is an even better option than if you don’t.

My trick for buying souvenirs AND sticking with a small carry-on suitcase is to only buy jewelry and art prints! I took the bus between Mestre and the airport. With carry-on suitcase, the lines for checking bags at the airport can be avoided altogether.

Thank you.

I'll be flying from Venice to Madrid, not the US, so I assumed I only needed to be there 2 hours early. Should I plan to be 3 hours early?

My suitcase is 29 inches, and it has swivel wheels. I've taken it to other cities in Europe and Asia, but I've never climbed more than a couple of steps with it.

I will have a 3-day vaporetto pass, so the vaporetto trip would be included. The cost isn't the issue; it's just the practicality of taking it with luggage, even just a short distance.

At 8:30 AM, the No 1 vaporetto from Ferrovia, the station, to P. Roma will be packed, and you will struggle to get on. At that time, people are commuting to P. Roma to get buses and get to work.

If it is too hard to haul your luggage, there are porters (portabagili) with trolleys outside the station. They are licensed by the Commune and can cart your bags to P. Roma.

The train to Mestre and bus to Marco Polo does not help. The platforms at Mestre station are connected by subway, so you have to descend and then ascend stairs to get out of the station. There are elevators which might be working. But I would not bet the house on them working.

you mention madrid, i was at VCE just a few weeks ago and noticed two different security lines, one for america bound, the other not

we were in the america bound and it was backed up 100 deep around 10 in the morning

i also noticed only a handful of flights going to the us, and a lot more going to europe, etc.

so i would be cautious and get there early, unless someone can speak of the non-us security lines...

I had smaller bags and am used to dragging them everywhere when I travel - but I really don't remember any trouble with that bridge when I walked with bags from my hotel near the train station to Piazzale Roma a few years ago. I'd just take your time so you don't have to rush.

Alternately, maybe ask at your hotel if you could pay someone to help you transport your bag over there? Because the bus directly to the airport seems like your simplest option, really.

Hi Alex,
I've stayed near the Guglie Bridge and taken the Alilaguna to and from there a few times.
I did notice that the boats do come by very frequently, so you shouldn't have to wait long if the first one was full.
It seems to me that the boats were arriving every 15 to 20 minutes or so.
Oh... here's the link....they are every 30 minutes.
Just be ready and waiting there earlier than you had planned to.
Easier than "schlepping" off to P. Roma.

https://www.alilaguna.it/files//attachments/02_orari_linea_arancio_27_aprile_2022.pdf

The Constitution (aka Calatrava) bridge has steps, but they are relatively gentle, easier than most other bridges in Venice. If your bag has wheels it will not be difficult.

Aussie is correct about the above. Just take it slow and easy and you should be fine.

Also, if memory serves correctly, there are usually some porters outside the train station that will haul your luggage to your hotel. Not sure if they will do it just to cross the bridge, nor how much they will charge, but it's worth asking.

We did the reverse, taking the ATVO, I believe, from the airport to Piazzale Roma and walked with our luggage to our hotel just past the train station (5-10 min). The bridge was much easier to cross with luggage than I anticipated. I think you will be fine if you choose this option.

As far as the Alilaguna boat goes, the schlepping starts when the boat drops you at the airport dock. Hope the moving walkway is working. The bus from Piazzale Roma drops you at the airport front door.