Venice Transportation questions?

You could take the bus to Piazzale Roma and catch the Varopretto from there, in which case you would be covered by at ACTV card for the latter. For me the Aliguna was a good choice because the orange line had a stop at Rialto, very near my hotel. No need to change and much less crowded that a Vaporetto would have been. I ended up getting a Vaporetto pass too though. When I was there a few weeks ago, the Vaporetti on the grand canal were generally packed to the degree that I don't know if I would want to try and navigate that with luggage. The route to Murano was not especially crowded at all, a very pleasant ride.

Sounds as if you do not have a guidebook yet, but surely you will get one before you go right? The Rick Steves Italy guide provides very good guidance on this topic, as I am sure the Venice book would.

Depends on where in Venice your hotel is and how are you leaving?
If your hotel is in central Venice, I'd get a 48 or 72 hour ACTV Vaporetto pass with a 6 EUR airport bus adder if I was leaving by train. That will get you on the No 5 bus from the front of the airport to Piazzale Roma in Venice where you can get a vaporetto to close to your hotel, then use it to go to Murano and Burano and to the train station when leaving. Since it starts when you scan it boarding the bus at the airport, get the 48 hour (30+6 EUR) or the 72 hour (40+6 EUR), depending on your leaving time.

Thank you! I am staying at the Gritti Palace on points.
And then leaving on Train.

Since you will be staying at the Gritti, I really would suggest spending just a smidge more and take a shared water taxi into Venice. You can just go to the booth in the airport, where others will collect, and then once they have a taxi boat worth of people going to the same area, off your very small group will go. If this is your FIRST time to Venice, definitely take the shared water taxi, as your view entering the city will be so much more beautiful (and you will be less crowded). Arriving by shared water taxi was truly one of the highlights of our trip to Venice......my husband was constant smiles.

We travel carry-on, so we had a little longer wait at the water taxi ticket booth ( waiting for people who had pre-reserved to collect their checked luggge).

Enjoy your time in Venice and at The Gritti (good way to use points :)

Oh and the water taxi fare includes gratuity (we asked).

Thank you! How much is the shared taxi?

Here's the info on transportation in Venice.

https://www.venetoinside.com/transport-in-venice-and-veneto/

Thank you! I think I’ll get the private transfer because we are a party of 4.

The only way to arrive at the Gritti Palace.

Perfect.....yes, with a group of four, it definitely makes sense to arrange your own private water taxi. You will love it :)

I haven't personally stayed at The Gritti, but it is supposed to be fabulous......enjoy :) Tauck Tours uses The Gritti for some of its tours, and they arrange fabulous hotels.
Wishing you and yours many magical moments in Venice, beginning with your arrival :)

Thank you all very much!