Transportation
Getting ThereThe Marco Polo Airport in Mestre, just outside of Venice, is the major airport of the region, with some European flights. APT buses make the trip to and from the airport and the vaporetto landing at the piazza Roma; or you can catch a motorboat to Venice.
Train service to Venice's Santa Lucia station is good, with the fastest train from Milan arriving in three hours, from Rome in 4½ hours, and from Bologna in 1½ hours. International trains include the sumptuous Orient Express to London (contact your travel agent and your banker), and a connector to Trent for the Austrian border at Brenner (5½ hours).
Trains terminate at Santa Lucia station, on the west edge of the islands. At the Ferrovia vaporetto station, you'll need to get on a boat or continue on foot.
Autostrade connect Venice with the Dolomites to the north; Bologna to the south (and from there to Florence or Rome); to Milan on the west; and to Trieste on the east. To get to Venice itself, you drive up a 2.5 mile long causeway that links the mainland to the enormous parking lots at piazza Roma. From here, you must leave your car and commit yourself to foot travel or boat transport.
Parking can be nightmarish near Venice. In summer, the lots at piazza Roma fill quickly; try the lots at Tronchetto, which is further out but still on the vaporetto lines.
The regional bus line is operated by ATP, with good service to Veneto cities like Padua, Treviso, and to the international airport. The office is at the piazza Roma.
Public Transport
Venice is unique in that the local transit authority operates boats instead of buses for public transport. There are two major types of motorboat buses. The most common are vaporetti, the smaller and slower boats that ply the smaller interior canals of Venice. There's also the motoscafo, which go faster and link outlying islands; these also go to the airport. In the transportation screens for Venice, the "bus" lines indicated are in fact vaporetti.
Gondolas have a fascinating history, dating back to the 11th century. The size, color, and makeup of these boats is strictly regulated: Each boat is made of eight different kinds of wood, and then hand-crafted and given traditional designs. For these and other reasons, travel on gondolas is not cheap. Plan on paying 70,000 lire (US$45) for an hour's ride; and make sure that prices are negotiated before departing. Your gondolier may well expect a 10 percent tip on top of the fare, as well.
You can hail a gondola at most vaporetto stops, and most easily from the quay along San Marco.
Motorized water taxis are the most expensive way of getting around Venice, with minimum fares starting at near 30,000 lire (US$20) for a seven-minute ride. If you need to get somewhere fast, they are your only choice, however.