Page 636 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

634  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Travelling Around Venice

For visitors to Venice, the vaporetti or waterbuses (see pp140–41)
provide an entertaining form of public transport, although
most journeys within the city can usually be covered more
quickly on foot. The main route through the city for the
vaporetti is the Grand Canal. Waterbuses also supply a useful
service connecting outlying points on the periphery of
Venice, and linking the city to the islands in the lagoon.
The most important service from a visitor’s point of view is
the No. 1. This operates from one end of the Grand Canal to Vaporetto stop at the Giardini
the other and travels slowly enough for you to admire the Pubblici, Venice
parade of palaces at the waterside (see pp92–5).
Hours of Service
The main routes run every 10
to 20 minutes until the early
evening. Services are reduced
after midnight, but they run all
night. From June to September
A vaporetto or waterbus the services are more frequent
and certain routes are extended.
Time tables are available at
main landing stages. Be warned:
from May to September the
main routes and island boats
are very crowded.
The smaller, sleeker motoscafo
Vaporetto Information
The Boats the time of purchase. A good ACTV (Venezia Unica office) Piazzale
The original vaporetti were way to save money, however, is Roma, Venice. Map 5 B1. Tel 041 24 24.
steam-powered (vaporetto by buying a travel card, which ∑ actv.it
means “little steamer”); today is available in one-, two- and
they are mostly diesel-run three-day variants. Such a card
motorboats, with a handful entitles the holder to unlimited Traghetti
of electric, battery-powered travel on most lines. A single Traghetti are gondola ferries that
prototypes. Although all or return journey supplement cross the Grand Canal at seven
the boats tend to be called to/from Marco Polo airport different points, providing a
vaporetti, the word only really can also be added to the useful service for pedestrians.
applies to the large, wide boats price of the card (see www. Few tourists make use of this
that are used on slow routes, veneziaunica.it). cheap (about €2 per trip),
such as No. 1. These boats If you are staying more than constant service. Points where
provide the best views. a few days, it is worth buying traghetti cross the Grand Canal
Motoscafi are the slimmer, a weekly season ticket are marked on the Street Finder
smaller boats that look old (abbonamento), available from maps (see pp130–39). A gondola
but actually go at a fair pace, ticket offices, though non- on yellow street signs points to
while motonavi are the two- residents are charged €60 for traghetti stops.
tier boats that run to the the privilege.
islands. To visit the islands of Holders of Rolling
Murano, Burano or Torcello, Venice cards (with
take the LN Line, which information packs
departs from San Zaccaria and discounts for
and Fondamenta Nuove. six- to 29-year-olds)
can buy a three-day
youth pass. Tickets
Types of Tickets include transport
If booths at landing stages for one piece of
are closed, single tickets can luggage, so be
be purchased on board at prepared to buy
no extra charge – the tickets another ticket
are valid for 75 minutes from for extra items. A two-tier motonave boat

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