| Tips for getting around Venice posted by real travelers and Venice locals. Venice Map |
 | Venice Transportation | Tips 1 - 10 of 761 |  |
We took my parents to Venice for their first ever visit in Sep 2007, and we wanted them to have a fabulous first impression of this amazing place. We flew in to Marco Polo airport, and decided to splash out and catch a water taxi directly to our hotel. We had always really loved the look of the gorgeous wooden boats they use, but had never caught one before.
Upon arrival, we followed the signs from the airport terminal to the dock - about a 5 minute walk. Here we found the Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia, who run a water taxi service. We spoke to the man who was taking bookings and told him where we wanted to get the taxi to - our B&B was conveniently located close to a tiny canal.
About 10 minutes later, a taxi arrived for us. We passed the luggage down, and then clambered in, and we were away. Mum and I sat on the back seat in the open air, whilst the boys sat inside. We motored across the water, and couldn't see much initially (it was 9pm and dark), but after a little while the lights of Venice appeared and before we knew it we were on the Grand Canal!!
What an experience - we stood up at the back as we cruised down the canal, enjoying every moment of this fabulous 'taxi' ride. Leave a Comment
|
 | |  |
Visiting Venice?
Read reviews about Venice Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
The Gondola. This narrow, black boat is one of the icon's of Venice.
People come here dreaming of a romantic sunset ride on a gondola, being serenaded whist sipping champagne and amazing over this wondrous city....that is until they find out how much it is!!
A gondola ride in Venice is unfortunately a luxury that many tourists can't afford. Although there are supposedly "official rates" for hiring a gondola, it is really up to the individual gondolier how much they try to charge you - you will need to negotiate before getting in the boat. Any it costs more for that serenade too.
If it is in your budget, then there are plenty of places to hire one from - just take a wander and you will see the gondoliers waiting near bridges for your custom.
And if you get lucky, perhaps your sweetheart will propose to you in a gondola, at sunset..... Leave a Comment
|
| | |
 With the Vaporetto on the way,
in Venice by Fam.Rauca, 4 more photos
That were driven, originally, with steam, therefore the name, "small steamship".
This small ship drives now with diesel engines.
The Vaporetto that drive regularly on the great channels are very big and quite slow, offer outside seats and many standing-rooms.
Those are for the tourists, the most favourable means of transportation in Venice.
One can reach all big islands in the lagoon with the Vaporetto.
Several lines serve the city area over the Canal Grande and over the Canale della Giudecca.
One can buy tickets at the landing places.
For the tourist, the most important Vaporetto lines are 1 (Piazzale Roma - Lido and back), and 82 (San Zaccaria - Canale della Giudecca - Tronchetto - Ferovia - San Marco, in the summer to the Lido and back), they drive over the Canal Grande, at each station holds, and one has much time of looking.
There are more lines, 41und 42, both until Murano, and 51 and 52, until Lido.
The line N drives in the night, hourly.
The ACTV (Azienda Cosorzio per il Trasporto di Venezia) is placed into the Piazzale Roma, is opened daily from 7.30 to 20.00 o'clock, and drives the boats in the city and the lagoon. Leave a Comment Theme: Ship/BoatPhone: 041 528 78 86
|
| | |
The driving rules in the lagoon are pretty much the same as within the city limits, but I found that some drivers (mostly motor taxis) kind of set out a bit faster, once they have reached open waters. There is speed limit, however, but not everyone accepts this. The lagoon is laid out with water streets, to avoid chaos and also to keep the boat traffic (thus water stirring and increased oxygen level) a bit more in order. And also, of course, as the lagoon is shallow (otherwise it would not be a lagoon), the water streets are the ones where navigation is safe and where no one would risk to end up on a sand bank.
The water “roads” are marked with poles, and if you look close, you’ll see that these poles are different in size and number. The poles margining the navigable water are small and grouped as 3, the briccole (one is a briccola); photo 4. In addition to the briccole, but in a more “disorganised” way, mede (one is meda), single poles of different size, also mark the course of navigable water (photo 5). In addition, briccole do also have a number, which stands for the "street". All these water ways are given in the navigation charts for the lagoon.
Where two or more main water channels meet, it is recognisable by the dame (one is a dama), 4 poles, the one in the middle being bigger/higher (photo 1 and 2).
In cases where bigger water streets cross, a whole bunch of poles is put together, as in photo 3. This one was taken at Venezia’s northeastern side.
On these first two photos, also the international designations for positioning: port (red) and starboard (green). Leave a Comment Theme: Ship/Boat
|
| | |
I have now been to Italy several times and each time have travelled around this fabulous country by train.
Once you get the hang of it, train travel in Italy is easy. It is also a great way to see the beautiful countryside on the way to your next destination.
I have travelled a couple of times using a rail pass, but the last couple of visits have just purchased tickets for each individual trip as we went.
That said, we often have purchased tickets a day or two in advance - particularly if the particular train requires a seat reservation, or if it is a busy time of year.
Purchasing a little in advance also means that you don't miss the train you want to catch due to a huuuuuge queue for tickets...
Last trip we used the automatic ticket machines at the stations and found them excellent.
Also, I have travelled both first and second class, and didn't really find much difference - travel second class and you can use the extra money to buy more wine/food etc
Just remember with all tickets that you need to validate them in the small yellow ticket machines before you board your train. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
Visiting Venice?
Read reviews about Venice Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
 water bus by JetlagCity
Being landlubbers, when we first arrived at the dock we thought the dock was the boat itself, and kept waiting for someone to drive it away! Boy did we feel dumb when we figured it out! What's my excuse, jetlag? In our defense, I can say we were not the only ones who thought that...!
A ticket is only about 10 Euro, which is quite cheap compared to taking a water taxi, which are eight to nine times more expensive. However, the Alilaguna boats are loud and slow. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half to get to various stops around Venice, compared to about a half hour in a water taxi. Both of Alilaguna's lines leave from the same floating dock Leave a Comment
|
| | |
Even if Canal Grande has a lot of vaporetto stops, you might like to take a traghetto to cross it. This is also a reasonable way to use a gondola, as they are gondolas, but won’t take anyone on romantic trips from A to B, just cross the Canal Grande as a kind of shortcut. They hold up to 14 people and it is a rule to stand rather than sit. Oh, and they are rowed by 2 gondoliere – one at the front, one at the rear. In the past, Venezia had nearly 50 traghetto “lines” (no idea how I should better call this), but by now only 6 are left (see website I have added below, minus the one at San Samuele, which no longer exisits).
Price for one crossing was 0,70 Euro (May 2007), to be paid directly at the gondoliere before setting over.In the whole Canal Grande, traghettos have the right of way (other than “normal” gondolas), and I often watched fascinated how the big vaporettos stopped to let them pass (photo 1).
Signs “al traghetto” lead way to the stops at the canal, and the waiting area is usually like a small patio, with plants around (photo 2). A green latern (photo 3) signals the stops from the canal side.
And as for so many other things (like professions, etc) that are no longer present in Venezia, the street sign names “Calle del Traghetto” have remained, even if there is no traghetto line crossing at this point (photo 4).
Update, June 18, 2007:
thanks Christine(j) for reminding me to add that Traghetto schedule is usually conforming the shop and restaurant opening hours and is not available on Sundays. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
 Ticket stamping machine -
make sure you use it by Trekki,
4 more photos
It definitely pays to buy a travel card, but it depends what your plans are and how long you will be in the city.
ACTV travel cards/passes are issued according to the hour, the maximum one you can get is the 72-hour pass for 30 Euro. Now this is 3 days, and it is only valid for the vaporettos (no other service, such as toilets or museum entries).
Now the Venice Card is another option, if you stay longer than 3 days. It is issued by Venezia tourism board, and available as blue (transport + toilets) and orange (transport + toilets + museums) for 12 or 48 hours or 7 days.
ACTV has recently changed the website, so when looking up timetables, you end up one search button, you’ll end up on Hellovenezia website and can download the full timetable (57 pages, 1,5 MB). Even if it is all in Italian, it is very easy to understand.
One word about the tickets: they need to be stamped just prior to the first vaporetto ride. Ticket machines are yellow (see photo 1) and available at each vaporetto stop.
Oh, and in case, an external Eurodisney tourist comes along and reads this: make sure you understand that vaporettos are not an Eurodisney transport medium but mainly used by locals, so please don’t block the exits and disturb the marinaio from doing his job, when the boat approaches a stop :-) Leave a Comment
|
| | |
 Local boat transportation to
the islands by croisbeauty
The tour-retour ticket costs 6 euros. Leave a Comment Theme: Ship/Boat
|
 Vaporetti by mapakettle
1. Smoking is not allowed on board or even on the landing stage.
2. At the landing stages, wait in the designated space...not in the painted black and yellow area. Everyone crowds up front so they can grab a 'good' seat, but you interfere with the mooring procedures of the craft, and hinder disembarking passangers.
3. Back packs should be removed and carried in front of you. You could inadvertantly
knock someone overboard as you turn to observe sights on shore. Children are especially prone to mishap.
4. If you want to transport a newly purchased painting, or a large statue stolen from a museum or church, you must first ask the captain if you may board with it.
5. Luggage is to be stowed in the area near the pilotage cabin. Don't block doorways or exits.
6. Tickets are expected to be purchased when traveling by water transport. I have 'never' been asked for one, however, if caught without a ticket, you are fined, and then become a marked man. You are forbidden to board water transport for the remainder of your visit, and the officials are very diligent in tracking those 'marked' tourists. Just a warning to those who spoil it for others... Leave a Comment Theme: Ship/Boat
|
| | |
|
- Ca Priuli
Castello 4998, Venice - NH Manin Hotel Venice
Corte dell'Albero 3878 A San Marco, Venice - Alle Guglie
Rio tera San Leonardo 1523 Cannaregio, Venice - Residenza Grandi Vedute
Molino Stucky, Fondmenta San Biaggio 812/814 Isola della Giudecca, Venice - Bauer Hotel Venice
San Marco 1459 Campo San Moise, Venice - Al Palazzetto
Cannaregio 4057, Venice - Acca Hotel
San Polo 2160, Venice - Hotel Arcadia
Cannaregio, 1333/d Rio Tera San Leonardo, Venice - Hotel Mercurio
Calle del Fruttariol San Marco 1848, Venice - Locanda Acquavita
Calle Venier, 4852, Venice - Villa Margherita
Via Nazionale 416 Mira, Venice - Hotel Dei Dragomanni
SAN MARCO 2410, Venice - B8 - San Gregorio
Dorsoduro 161, Venice - Hotel Gorizia A La Valigia
Calle dei Fabbri 4696-A San Marco, Venice - Appartamenti Grimaldi
Sestiere Cannaregio 4385, Venice
|
