Where to Meet in Venice

First, he's your husband. Don't baby him. Men hate that. And you can't take a train or a vaporetto to the airport. Meet him at Piazzale Roma. Tell him to take the bus there and lead him on the vaporetto to your lodging if that works, or just walk there if you do not need one,

I've had him for 30 years and he does like to be spoiled. Where should I meet him at the airport assuming that will will take a water bus from there,

He has to walk out of the "Nothing to Declare" door. Meet him there. Take the bus from Piazzale Roma and lead him back that way.

This web site, gowithoh.com provides all the info you need on transport to and from airport. It's boat, bus or taxi, no train or vaporetto. Alilunga provides boat service, great way to arrive in Venice by boat at a reasonable cost but it takes about 1.5 hours. ACTV airport bus from P. Roma takes around 20 mins for 6€.

Meet him in your hotel room. Wear lingerie or nothing at all.
That will make him happier than picking him up at the Tessera airport.

The airport terminal map shows only one exit from the baggage claim area. As Sam suggests meet him just outside (landslide on map). The airport seems to have wifi so you may be able to text him in the event you don't see him. Pick a backup meeting point, maybe number 9 the water taxi desk.

http://www.veniceairport.it/en/at-the-airport/terminal-maps.html

Your transportation options from the airport are

1. Water taxi. Expensive but easy.
2. Alilaguna boat. But it may not be convenient to where you are staying.
3. Bus or taxi to P. Roma and vaporetto from there if needed.

You will need to head to the airport an hour or so ahead of his landing time. Depending on where in Cannaregio the apartment is located, you my do best with the Alilaguna service. This is a water bus direct to the airport, but it goes from limited stops in Venice.

This is distinguished from the vaporetto, which is the water bus that goes up and down the Grand Canal, around Venice, and out to the other islands in the lagoon. To use the vaporetto for airport transport, you need to take a regular "land" bus between Piazzale Roma and the airport, and transfer.

Study maps of Venice and the two water transport lines to figure out where your apartment and the landing docks are. If your apartment is near the northern edge of the island, the Alilaguna from Fondamente Nova may be your most convenient option. If it is closer to the Grand Canal, then the bus plus vaporetto may be better.

Alilaguna map:

http://www.alilaguna.it/en/lines/lines-map#&gid=1&pid=1

Note that the systems are separate and not interchangeable. A vaporetto ticket is not good on the Alilaguna, and vice versa. A vaporetto ticket MUST be validated on the dock before you board.

I like the way Roberto thinks! And I am positive that my husband would too! HaHa

The cheapest and fastest way to get to the airport is take one of the airport land buses from Piazzale Roma. I believe there are two inexpensive options. One bus gets there faster than the other. However, two hours from apartment check-in doesn't leave you a lot of time to do what you'd like to do. It takes time to learn these procedures. Grocery shopping may have to wait.

Depending on where in Cannaregio you are staying, you can take the Arancio (Orange) Alilaguna from the airport and get off either at Orta or Ponte delle Guglie. If the weather is great, you can also take a shared water taxi and treat your husband to a boat ride that's a tad more personal. I prefer to enter Venice by boat, but the Alilaguna is not a glamorous boat experience. The boat's windows are not clean and clear, so you're stuck looking at fellow passengers and wondering what their stories are.

In a shared taxi, you'll have an open roof/deck, clean windows, and it'll feel more private, unless you're stuck with a family of five. For a splurge, which I don't recommend unless you've got money to burn, you can take a private taxi and have the boat all to yourself.

The cheapest way to get back to Cannaregio is by returning via those two land buses. In all my years of visits to Venice (too many to count) I've never take those buses, because that's not my idea of a pleasant way to enter Venice.

Meeting your husband at the airport should be easy. The airport is small. All passengers exit through the same door at baggage claim where they enter into the airport lobby hall. Finding this door is easy, it's where most people gather waiting for arriving passengers. This is where tourist guides stand with name cards. I doubt you will have any problem seeing your husband come through that door.

This will answer all your questions.

https://quickvenice.com/transportation/airport-marco-polo.htm

VCE is a relatively small airport.
You'll have no trouble meeting him. The easiest place to meet is the ticket counter for the bus and boats.
Love Robertos suggestion.

Thank you all. I may skip groceries. I'll come by bus, andmeet him at the exit from baggage claim and we'll take a shared water taxi back.

The shared water taxi I can recommend is the "Shuttle" service offered by Venice Link. They are a local company, affiliated with Alilaguna.
http://www.venicelink.com/products/shuttle
Depending on the day and time, tickets to and from the airport can cost as little as 27€ each. Sometimes you can be the only couple on board.

We have used the bus to P. Roma a couple of times, Alilaguna and the shared water taxi. I would recommend the shared water taxi.

The bus is practical and relatively cheap, but does deposit you at P. Roma, and the ACTV bus can be crowded. The ATVO bus is more like a tour coach, less crowded and luggage i srtored under the floor.

The line for the Alilaguna ferry at Marco Polo can be very long, and maybe you don't get on the first ferry. That would be frustrating.

The shared water taxi http://www.venicelink.com/en/products/shuttle is good. You go to the counter at the terminal, and your group assembles, one person is given the voucher for the water taxi, with number and name of driver. Go to the dock, climb on board and away you go.

When you get to Marco Polo to meet your husband, take ten or twenty minutes and explore a little before he arrives. There is a covered moving footpath from the terminal to the dock, and it goes from upstairs in the terminal, to your left as you exit. Arrivals is downstairs, the footpath is upstairs, and there are lifts and escalators to get up. As posted by NY-etc above, arriving by water in Venice is pretty special.

To get from Venice to Marco Polo, the ATVO bus is more comfortable than the ACTV, is a couple of minutes faster, costs the same.

My hubby thinks Roberto's idea of lingerie would help him get over jet lag!

Jen, re: the shared water taxi. I think that's a GREAT choice. We took the shared water taxi when we arrived in Venice, and just this weekend we were telling friends how much my husband thought that was a major highlight and such a magical, special way to arrive in Venice.

Safe travels, and have fun.