Page 637 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

TR A VEL INFORM A TION  635

Gondolas Water Taxis
Gondolas are a luxury form of For those with little time and
transport used only by visitors sufficient funds, the fastest and
and Venetians at weddings. most practical means of getting
Before boarding, check the from A to B in Venice is by water
official tariffs and agree a price taxi. The craft are sleek, white or
with the gondolier. Official costs polished wood motorboats, and
are around €80 for 40 minutes, all are equipped with a cabin.
rising to €100 after 7pm. During They zip efficiently to and
the low season, you may also be from the airport in only 20 A waterbus gliding past the Palazzo
able to negotiate a lower fee, minutes. There are 16 water-taxi Ducale, on Venice’s Grand Canal
and a journey shorter than the ranks, including one at the
usual 40 minutes. airport and one at the Lido. Beware of extra charges for
transporting luggage, waiting,
night service and for calling out
a taxi. When the vaporetti go on
strike, taxis are scarce.

Water-Taxi Stands
Radio Taxi (all of Venice)
Tel 041 522 23 03.
Piazzale Roma
A motor boat on a canal in Venice Map 5 B1. Tel 041 71 69 22.
The Main Routes
Using the Vaporetti
Route 1 This is the slow boat
down the Grand Canal, Tickets are available at most
stopping at every landing stage. 1landing stages, some bars, shops
The route starts at Piazzale and tobacconists displaying the
Roma, travels the length of the ACTV sign. It is also possible to buy
them on board. The price of a ticket
Grand Canal, then from San remains the same whether you are
Marco it heads east to the Lido. going one stop or travelling the
whole line.
Route 2 The 2 is the faster route
down the Grand Canal. With
an extension to the Lido during
the summer months, the
Signs on the landing stage tell you the
route serves San Zaccaria, 2direction of the boats stopping there.
continuing westwards along
the Giudecca Canal to Imob electronic chip tickets are in use
Tronchetto and Piazzale Roma, 3and should be validated before each
then down the Grand Canal journey at the electronic machines on
back to San Zaccaria. the landing stages. Inspectors rarely
board the boats and this makes it
Routes 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2 and 6 surprisingly easy to hop on and off
These lines all sail around the the boats without a validated ticket.
central islands. The circular However, there are steep fines for any
Giracittà routes 4.1-4.2 provide a passengers caught without tickets.
scenic tour of Venice and
Murano, while lines 5.1-5.2 and
6 also extend to the Lido.
Routes 12, 14 The 12 departs An indicator board at the front of each boat gives the line
from the Fondamenta Nuove 4number and main stops (ignore the black numbers on
and runs to the main islands the boat’s side).
in the northern lagoon – Each landing stage has its name clearly marked on a board.
Murano, Mazzorbo and Burano 5Most stops have two landing stages and it is quite easy,
(with a connection to Torcello) – particularly if it is crowded and you can’t see which way the
then calls at Punta Sabbioni. boat is facing, to board a boat travelling in the wrong direction.
The 14 takes you to the Lido, It is helpful to watch which direction the boat is approaching
before concluding at from; if in doubt, check with the boatman.
San Zaccaria.

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