Thread: Venice - all the information you'll need!

While searching for information about Venice for an upcoming cruise there, I ran across this document. It holds a wealth of information and has great pictures and illustrations. It's answered all of my questions. Now I'm ready to go!

Garry

http://www.tomsportguides.com/Venice-05-06-2011.pdf

Garry, that is a fantastic amount of information contained in that document!!!
Thank you!

I thought this was interesting (and it's right at the beginning)
Taxi fares are half of what the cruiseline charges for transfers.


Getting To/From Cruise Ships:

The Marittima cruise ship terminal is a secure area. The most direct route to a

cruise ship from the airport/mainland is via taxicabs or a
bus chartered by the Cruise Line. A taxi is about half the
cost of the ship's chartered bus. Public buses do not stop at
the ship terminal, they stop at Piazzale Roma about a mile
away. The new People Mover connects the ship terminal
to public buses and taxis from the mainland in Piazzale
Roma. You can walk from Piazzale Roma to to the Grand

Canal for boats and to the Venice train station

Char, this information seems very important for the cruise traveler who usually has a lot of luggage.

Traveling with large suitcases is a challenge. Unlike
travel on land where cars, taxis, and buses drop you off in
front of your hotel, the situation is much different in
Venice. The Alilaguna boats will take you and your
luggage to various docks on the islands. But it's rare to
have someone at the dock to carry your luggage to your
hotel. And if your hotel is far from the docks, you'll have to
drag your luggage through narrow, crowed streets and
up/down steps on many bridges – ugh! Private Water Taxis
are an option for traveling with suitcases, but prices can be
very high!

Choosing a Hotel: When selecting a hotel, investigate the
cost, time, and physical effort to get to/from the airport,
train station, or cruise ship with heavy luggage.

We used the Alilaguna last year and had very little problem. Remember when in Italy and some European Country you have to purchase your ticket from a third party source, not on the vehicle you are travelling on. When you have your ticket you must validate it in a machine in whatever you are travelling on. The Aliguna was supposed to leave for our destination Rialto Bridge at 13:00, supprisingly they had not got a boat, took 30 minutes for them to find one. Bags are put onboard for you on the Alilaguna. Water bus (Vaporetti) you just wheel them aboard.

Marco Popo airport there is a ticket office with long lines where you purchase tickets, for boat, and road transport. Also they will advise you the best alternatives. Unusual for Italy. they employ people that can speak English.

You have purchased tickets, if travelling by boat, you have at least a ten minute walk to the pier, if you have walking difficulties or any ailments then longer.

When you reach your destination as Venice is road traffic free, either you take your own luggage, or pay the earth for one of people with barrows that will take it for you.

Getting to the ship we caught a water bus, to the bus station, and used the courtesy bus provided by the cruise line. You are dropped outside the building where you check in, but your bags have to go to a central point about a quarter of a mile away, so you have to drag them, more than likely you may finish up at the wrong place. There are no signs telling you where to go, just word and mouth from fellow passengers.

Try to remember you are in a foreign country and people do thing differently to what you are used to at home.

DON’T FORGET TO VALIDATE YOUR TICKET!