Transportation in Venice

[poe4all]

We are cruising on the Ruby Princess in September and staying overnight at the Delfino Hotel. Can any give me advice on transportation from the cruise ship to the Delfino hotel and From the hotel to the Airport the next day. If there is a bus or train do you know the correct line color Etc? I've read water taxi is E90 that sounds pricy for transport from the ship and to ther airport. We will have a group of 13-15 going to the Hotel from the ship and maybe a couple of less to the airport.

[agabbymama]

I don't have the name of any companies that you could use. With Princess, they have a shuttle at $24 pp from the pier to Piazzale Roma. No taxis or free shuttles will be at the pier, if you don't pre-book one. With a group that size, it may be tough as you wouldn't all fit in one taxi anyway. I'm not sure where Delfino Hotel is located. We stayed right at Piazzale Roma at Ca' Doge Hotel, for the ease of catching the bus there to the airport for only 3 EUR pp.

 

I know others have posted with company names, did you try to do a "search this forum" for maybe Venice transfer? You might also email your hotel and see what they might recommend or offer. Is that 90 EUR pp or for the water taxi? You could maybe get 4 or 5 of you on one water taxi, so that could bring the price down to a more reasonable amount. You are going to find everything in Italy (Europe for that matter) is going to be very expensive.

 

Piazzale Roma is the transportation hub of Venice. Buses, taxis, vaporetto are all located there. But it isn't necessarily convenient (with luggage) to walk to the various hotels throughout Venice. The vaporetto (think bus) are like cattle cars. We were so crowded, we actually got off and walked around for a couple of hours, then tried again. There isn't always a seat, and people are packed like sardines. I wouldn't want to have to wrestle with luggage as well as all the people.

 

I just did a search for Delfino Hotel, and it is actually on the mainland about 10 kilometers from Venice. I would definitely contact the hotel and see if they can arrange for a van (or two) to pick you folks up right at the pier. I wouldn't bother with going to Piazzale Roma and trying to take a bus to that hotel.

 

Good luck and have a great trip!

[rebeccalouise]

There is going to be plenty of land transportation at the port. You could arrange for a van to take you to your hotel- although there is no way 13 people are going to fit into a van- especially with luggage. The taxi ride to Mestre will be about 20 Euros (for two people, four bags). I don't think that it is wise to stay in Mestre. You will have to take a land taxi to the airport from there for another 30 Euros. There are buses that run back and forth to Venice but if you are only there for one night- stay in Piazzle Roma. It is really easy and then you can just take the bus to the airport for 3 Euros per person. Much easier. There are three good hotels in Piazzle Roma- Santa Chiara, Ca' Doge and the Sofitel (which is the nicest but you do have to cross alittle bridge- small and not difficult with luggage). Prices for a hotel in Piazzle Roma are in the 200 Euro range but when all is said and done- you save money with all the the land taxis, vaporettos and/or water taxis.

 

To clarify, the port operates there own shuttle to St. Mark's and it costs 6 Euros per person plus one Euro per suitcase. So you don't have to use Princess' shuttle.

[agabbymama]

There is going to be plenty of land transportation at the port. You could arrange for a van to take you to your hotel- although there is no way 13 people are going to fit into a van- especially with luggage. The taxi ride to Mestre will be about 20 Euros (for two people, four bags). I don't think that it is wise to stay in Mestre. You will have to take a land taxi to the airport from there for another 30 Euros. There are buses that run back and forth to Venice but if you are only there for one night- stay in Piazzle Roma. It is really easy and then you can just take the bus to the airport for 3 Euros per person. Much easier. There are three good hotels in Piazzle Roma- Santa Chiara, Ca' Doge and the Sofitel (which is the nicest but you do have to cross alittle bridge- small and not difficult with luggage). Prices for a hotel in Piazzle Roma are in the 200 Euro range but when all is said and done- you save money with all the the land taxis, vaporettos and/or water taxis.

 

To clarify, the port operates there own shuttle to St. Mark's and it costs 6 Euros per person plus one Euro per suitcase. So you don't have to use Princess' shuttle.

Have to disagree with you on this one. We arrived in Venice on the Grand Princess on Oct 29th '08 and there was not one van, taxi or shuttle at the pier. It has been discussed on this board that when it is a Princess ship in port, the free shuttle that the port usually operates does not run. And furthermore, when I filled out my debarkation card and turned it in, the Purser's desk called to see what my transportation was, and when I told her just a taxi, she told "there would be no taxi's if I hadn't prearranged pickup, I would have to walk to Piazzale Roma or take the Princess transfer".

[rebeccalouise]

Sorry my mistake. When we disembarked in July of 2007- we didn't have any trouble getting a taxi from the port. Oh well.