We have a 10:00 am flight out of Venice. What is the best way to get to the Airport? Delta is saying we need to get there three hours in advance because of construction. If we take the Aliliguna that means leaving at 5:00 am as I read in Rick Steves book that it can take two hours to get to the Airport. A private water taxi is expensive but maybe the way to go. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Posted by
North Carolina
2497 posts
You can get a bus from the Piazzale Roma - takes about 20 minutes.
Posted by
Green Bay
21160 posts
Is this a direct flight to North America? Where are you staying in Venice? That is the biggest factor.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Venice to Paris to Minneapolis. We are staying at Al Ponte Mocenigo which is by the airport dock San Stae.
Posted by
Green Bay
21160 posts
San Stae is 12 minutes by vaporetto from Piazzale Roma bus station. The bus goes to the airport every 15 minutes starting 7:10 am, and every 30 minutes before that M-Sat. Every 20 minutes on Sundays. The bus takes 21 minutes to get to the airport. The combined Boat + Bus ticket is 14 EUR.
Now, because this is not going direct to US, there is no immigration formalities to go through. You check in with your luggage, then go through security. 2 hours is probably plenty. so you could take the 7:01 No 1 vaporetto and be at Piazzale Roma by 7:13, then get the 7:25 No 5 bus to the airport and be there by 7:46, which should be plenty of time. If you want to err on the early side. you could take the 6:24, or the 6:44 No 1 vaporetto, then get the next bus.
So you can see from your location, it will take less than 1 hour to get to the airport.
PS, The first Alilaguna boat is at 6:11 at San Stae and it takes 51 minutes to the airport dock. There are boats at 6:41, 6:56, 7:11 and so on. From the airport dock, figure 10 minutes to get off, walk to the moving walkway and ride to the airport building. Cost is 15 EUR on the boat, or 14 EUR with an advance on-line ticket. My druthers is to use the vaporetto + bus.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thanks Sam! I appreciate the information. This looks like the way to go.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8319 posts
We arranged for a taxi to take us over to the airport. It's not very far--and took maybe 10 minutes.
If there are any cruise ships in port that day, they could be dumping a bunch of passengers onto the airport around 10:00 a.m. That would make you want to be at the airport early. Otherwise, 2 hrs. is sufficient before the flight.
Posted by
824 posts
If you want to go out in style, take a water taxi...
While I usually follow the recommendations of airlines and airport as a CYA measure, it's been my experience at Marco Polo that airlines with less frequent flights don't staff their check-in counters until 2 hours prior to the next flight. Depending on your airline, that may or may not apply...
The two hour trip to the airport on the Aliliguna is from the far terminus of the line. You can easily determine how long it will take from your closest stop to the airport by checking their schedule. If you've never taken the Aliliguna, it might be worth the expense so you can say you did it. Just don't expect to see a whole lot unless you can talk the helmsman into allowing you to sit up topside where the luggage is stored.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33848 posts
or in other words it is nearly impossible to see anything from the cabin on the Alilaguna boats with their high up salt caked windows and not counting the stuffy air in the cabin and uncomfortable seating. I've never seen a passenger allowed to travel with the luggage. But I've never seen anybody forbidden either, just the signs.
I've decided that I never need to ride an Alilaguna again.