Venice Vaporetto questions

Oh my gosh no, that's not the QUICKEST way. The quickest is to catch a private water taxi directly from the airport to San Marco. The cheapest way is bus the vaporetto. The middle of the road method is the alilaguna water bus direct from the airport.

The Vaparetto is the cheapest, but it makes lots of stops on the way to the train station.....I really don't know how long it would take. Maybe someone else on this thread might know. Yes, it stops at the train station and just walk about 50 yards from the pier to the station building. Tickets are sold at the stops from a machine. I see someone else talked about from airport to San Marco. .... I have not done that one so I can't comment. Happy Travels PS: maybe at the airport on your arrival you can get a Vaparetto map that
shows all the routes and gives info on # of stops and timing.

If you plan on using the vaporetti look into buying a pass - each single ride is €7, if you go to the ispands of Murano, Burano, etc., those costs add up and the pass can save some money.

The No 1 boat goes to train station every 10 minutes. The ride takes 40 minutes from San Marco Zaccaria (far side) and 36 minutes from San Marco Vallaresso (near side). The 9:01n(SMZ) gets there at 9:41, giving you 14 minutes to make the train. Go earlier if you want more cushion.
http://www.actv.it/pdf/navigazione/linea1.pdf

You should get Rick Steves Venice (or Rick Steves Italy if you're going to other places in the country). He has VERY detailed directions on all of the options for getting from the airport to San Marco, taking the vaporetto, vaporetto tickets and passes, etc. The vaporetto (plural vaporetti) is like a city bus, but on water. So, there is no "ensuring a spot." If all seats are taken, you stand. They make fixed stops, and as Sam posted, there are two stops for San Marco and a stop right at the train station. From the vaporetto stop at the station (called Ferrovia), it's just a short walk to the station itself. Yes, if you're taking more than a few rides, a vaporetto pass pays off quickly.

Be sure to pay attention to which line (boat number) to take from the train station to San Marco. You definitely don't want to take the line that runs through the Grand Canal because that will make too many stops. Use the one that runs outside the main islands and passes Guidecca.

Yes, but the route on the Grand Canal is so scenic.

There's a Line 1 and Line 2 that go up the grand canal. I think line 1 makes all the stops but one is express. The express is the way to go. Stop is called Ferrovia which means train station. Take the one that is the express from st marks right to train station. Easy with only a handful of stops.

The No 2 boat schedule is tricky, but if you are on the west side of San Marco, it leaves from Giardinetta stop at 9:18 and gets to Ferrovia at 9:42, so that works. That is actually the first trip of the day that takes that route. The No 2 from SMZ goes the other way by Giudeca and takes about 40 minutes.

Thanks for all the feedback-my only concern is since I've never been to Venice and unfamiliar with the train station, I'm worried about finding our train, etc. Are they easily marked or does one train come in at a time? Is there more than one train at the station?

I was just in Venice (alas, briefly) and the train station is relatively small and was very easy for us to navigate. As far as i can tell, all the platforms are on the same level and and there is an easy-to-read overhead board with all the info you'll need to find your train. I agree - don't rush it by trying to to find the quickest way. The vaparetto is part of the fun and we savored every second of our last cruise on way to the train station.
Enjoy!

Venezia Santa Lucia station has multiple platforms. To find your train, you look at the departure board (make sure it's not an arrivals board). The trains are listed by departure time, then by train number and final destination. The intermediate destinations are either in smaller type or not listed at all, depending on the kind of monitor. And, of course, the city names will be in Italian. For trains to Firenze, most will terminate in Roma or Napoli. Here's a very good video of Rick's showing the basics of navigating train stations in Europe: http://tinyurl.com/ac82c92 And don't be afraid to ask for help - from anyone besides an obvious tourist!

Harold has posted a link to a very good little snippet from RS' 3-part Travel Skills programs - it's the same one I usually harangue people with LOL! You'll have already been in the station (upon your arrival); wander around a bit and get familiar with the layout so you'll feel prepared for your departure. The vaporetto will depart/arrive at the front steps of the station. IF you don't already have tickets for your departure trip, you can buy them upon arrival in Venice and not have to worry about that; the lines there can be extremely long - ticket counter OR kiosks :-(

Paticia, you desperately need to buy and read the Rick Steves Italy book. As you can imagine, your sorts of questions are exactly the kind of questions that almost all fist-time travelers have. Rick answers those AND he answers the questions you don't even realize you need to be asking. Buy it. Read it. Now. You'll thank me.

Thank you I did buy it and am packing it with me! :)

Don't forget to read it. ;-) Have a great time in Italy. Be sure to wander away from the crowds in Venice.