Nothing like waking up at 3:00am to get ready for the hour drive to the airport.    I flew from Cleveland to Philadelphia, with an 11 hour layover there.  I knew it was going to be a long day so bought a lounge pass to have a place to hang out and have snacks, and even managed to catch a bit of a nap for an hour or two.   That evening, I caught direct flight to Venice, all on American Airlines.  

I ended up splurging on the Hilton Hotel just outside of Venice.  Although way over my typical budget, I knew they had a cheaper airport shuttle which I didn't even arrange until I had arrived.  I also knew I would be horribly jetlagged so usually like to get a decent hotel for at least my first night.  It was so convenient I stayed a second.  Bikes aren't allowed in Venice, but right outside the hotel, was a bus stop -- basically the last stop before arriving at the main bus area of Venice.  From there, it's on to the vaporettos, Italy's solution for public transit along the canals.

I would definitely recommend that hotel if you need a good starting point.  (I should mention I was able to book on dates where the rates weren't astronomical.  Hint: don't arrive on a weekend.)

I also want to mention that in 1992, I spent three and a half months on a big loop through Europe.  Flew in and out of London and hit the countries as follows:  England, Wales, ferry to Cork, Ireland, Ferry from Dublin back to Wales, up along Hadrian's wall, then to the ferry to Amsterdam.  From there, I hit Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, to Venice, Italy, then across to Pisa and up the Mediterranean coast to France before turning north to Paris and making my way back to London.  In 1992, there were no cells phones, no internet, no google maps and the Euro hadn't even been introduced yet.  I was 27 years old and solo.  Back then, I rarely took rest days.  Probably one a week, but that'd be about it.  My, how times have changed.  Now, I'm about going slow and seeing things and not wearing myself out.  I also did a 6 week trip through Spain and Portugal in 2017.  Other than that, I haven't explored Europe in a very long time!  Looking forward to this adventure.  Initially, I was a little worried about navigating the language barriers and being immersed in a different culture again, but I know this trip only lasts until mid July, so I'm thinking I can handle it.  I was a little burnt out after my Mexico/Africa trip last year.