Venice transport

If you decide to explore the sights in Venice then you have two options. Walking or by boat. It is easy to make your way around Venice on foot with no problems however if you aren't familiar with the area this could lead to a few wrong turns making the walk seem a little too long. If you decide walking is not for you then you will need to take to the water and experience the local transport that makes this city unique.

Travelling by Waterbus

The water-bound equivalent of local buses in Venice are called vaporetti and motoscafi and run to a very punctual timetable. It's unusual to have to wait more than a few minutes before one comes along. The route that is the most widely used is the No.1 that operates between the Piazzale Roma and the Piazza San Marco stopping 13 times between the two. For information on this service visit the Actv website.

Prices for the waterbus are not renowned for being cheap so if you plan to use them extensively then you may wish to consider a travel card from Actv that pre-pays travel for certain time periods from 12 to 72 hours (much like a travelcard on the London Underground). We strongly advise you to always either pre-pay for your travel or pay when you board the boat. Attempting to avoid the fare may seem easy but is punishable by very high fines.

Travelling by Gondola

The Gondola is an icon of Venice and has featured in numerous films over the years. Unfortunately you are unlikely to find one quite like Roger Moore's in the James Bond film Moonraker that doubled as a hovercraft, but you are sure to still enjoy your experience. Often they command high prices and can seem to be very expensive for what is provided. Ensure you understand how much you will be paying before you board, and try to compare the prices of several to understand what the 'going rate' and ask the operator how much the journey will cost to prevent spending more than you anticipated.

Your view

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