Transportations in Venice

Riding on a gondola is romantic, but expensive at €80 for 40 minutes. Additional 20-minute increments are €40. However, up to six people can share a gondola so if there’s more people in the group, it becomes much more affordable.


Only three bridges cross the 4km long Grand Canal: the Ponte degli Scalzi, just outside the train station; the marble Ponte Rialto and the wooden Ponte Accademia. And traghetto offers an alternative method of crossing the canal, with seven traghetto landings along the Grand Canal. Venetians typically make the crossing standing up. The traghetto also provides visitors with a taste of riding on a gondola without burning a hole in the pocket, as traghetti are old gondolas that have been stripped of their brocaded chairs and other luxury trimmings.


Vaporetto, or water bus is the cheapest mode of transportation along the Grand Canal. Single journey can cost a fair bit, so it's best to purchase the 12- to 72-hour tourist travel card. Most have seats inside and out - the outdoors ones, of course, are the favourites of tourists.


Those with more moolah can opt for the water taxi, which can also be chartered for a cruise along the Grand Canal. These limousines of Venice are spacious with leather-upholstered cabins and open-air seating.


Lastly, we also caught glimpses of boats used for commercial purposes.