NUTS AND BOLTS
Venice (Marco Polo)Airport
Located just 12km (seven miles) from Venice, Marco Polo airport is the main hub of European and national flights to the Veneto region. It is easily accessible by land or water and when occasionally blighted by fog, planes land at nearby airports in Treviso or Verona. Marco Polo is one of the busiest airports in Italy.
FROM TREVISO AIRPORT TO VENICE
The devert airport for Venice in case of weather is Treviso, also many national airports utilize Treviso but fares are posted as Venice, so look at your ticket well or you could exit the airport wondering where all the water went. The most convenient way to get from Treviso airport (S. Guiseppe) to Venice (Pzzle. Roma) is to take the ATVO bus which has a time schedule organized to accommodate flights arriving and departing. You will arrive in Venice at Piazzale Roma, from where you can walk or take a waterbus into the heart of the city.
ATVO – Treviso airport to Venice
Transport to the city
The most romantic way to arrive in Venice (weather permitting) is by motorboat (motoscafo). Visitors pay for the privilege (€10) and the ride takes a little longer than the bus, but the approach to St Mark’s Square from the water is fantastic. The Alilaguna service (telephone number: (041) 523 5775; fax number: (041) 522 939; e-mail: info@alilaguna.com) departs hourly 0615-0010 and takes one hour. Water taxis (telephone number: (041) 541 5084) are an altogether more upmarket option, with a price tag upwards of €80.
A cheaper alternative is by land, on the ATVO airbus (telephone number: (041) 541 5180) to Piazzale Roma, which departs every 20 minutes 0835-2330 and costs €3 (journey time is approx 20 minutes).
Cheaper still is the ACTV (telephone number: (041) 528 7886) public bus 5, which costs just €1 and departs every 30 minutes 0525-2125 (journey time is approx 30 minutes to Piazzale Roma). Car taxis to Piazzale Roma wait outside the arrivals hall and cost approximately €15-18 (telephone number: (041) 936 222).
Public Transport
For a real sense of the city, a stroll through the tiny side streets, over the hump-backed bridges and into pocket-sized piazzas is a must for visitors to Venice. But if time is of the essence, visitors should consider using the extensive network of water buses called vaporetti and operated by Azienda Consorziale Transporti Venezia – ACTV (telephone number: (041) 528 7886).
Tickets cost €5 for trips that include the Grand Canal and €3.50 for those that do not. There is also a 24-hour pass which is available for €10.50 and a good value three-day ticket priced at €22, both passes allow the holder to travel on the Grand Canal. Tickets and passes are available for purchase at most landing stations and selected newsagents and should be punched in the machine before boarding. Failure to provide a valid ticket when requested results in a €30 fine, plus the full value of the ticket. Tickets are also valid for ACTV road buses, which operate to Piazzale Roma from Mestre and the airport. ACTV operate a 24-hour service but not on all routes.
Traghetti (public ferries) are traditionally used by locals to cross the Grand Canal. There are only three bridges with another currently planned, but sadly they are an increasingly rare breed. A poor relation to the gondola, these wooden dinghies nonetheless conjure up some of the romance of old the -fashioned Venice. A swift plunge of the oars and the journey is complete but at €0.40 per trip, it is worth it for the chance to see Venice just as Marco Polo might have done.
For visitors who cannot afford the expense or do not want to succumb to the cliché of taking a tourist gondola ride, a traghetti is a better option, although standing is de rigeur and the ride an unsteady one, not to be attempted after one too many Bellinis. The traghetti are run by the gondoliers co-operative in conjunction with the city council and there are no set routes or times of operation.
Taxis
Water taxis have to offer the most expensive taxi service in Europe and there is a minimum set charge of around €15, and the trip will only be a maximum of seven minutes.
A brief trip along the Grand Canal will cost in the region of €70-80 and on top of this there are surcharges for extra passengers, (over the standard four), luggage and travelling by night.
Water Taxis (telephone number: (041) 541 5084) can be ordered by telephone but will have a minimum of €5 on the clock when they arrive. Co-operative San Marco (teephone number: (041) 523 5775) also operates a water taxi service. Stands are located at the station, Piazzale Roma, Rialto, San Marco and the Lido. Official water taxis have a black registration number on a yellow background. Visitors are advised to stay away from illegal operators who charge what they want.
Taxis of the four-wheeled variety operate between Piazzale Roma and the mainland only. Since hailing a taxi can prove difficult, visitors find it easier to call for a pickup from a reputable company, such as Radio Taxi (telephone number: (041) 523 7774), which charges from €10 for short trips. Visitors should beware of unlicensed taxis without the usual sign or meter.
Tipping is expected for both land and water taxis, with approximately 10 per cent the accepted norm.
Gondolas
The Venetian equivalent of the limousine is the gondola. For the ultimate travelling experience, there is nothing like gliding under the Bridge of Sighs, leaning back in plush red velvet seats and listening to the gentle slap of water against the crumbling palazzi walls.
First mentioned in the city’s annals in 1094, there are now just 400 of these sleek, flat-bottomed vessels negotiating the Venetian waters. The traditional cabins that once shielded lascivious English lords and their courtesans from prying eyes were done away with ages ago. The gondoliers of today must rely on fine weather and long summer days for their business, which may account for the very high cost of the ride. For visitors who balk at paying €62 for 50 minutes (more after 2000 hrs), the cost can be kept down by doubling up with other sightseers. Gondolas can carry up to six people and fees for additional services, such as musical accompaniment, costing an extra €100-130 and should be negotiated before setting off on the trip.
Gondolas depart from St Mark’s Square, the Rialto, Piazzale Roma and the railway station. Fares are set by a central body called The Ente Gondola (telephone number: (041) 528 5075; fax number: (041) 521 1534; e-mail: gondola@gondolavenezia.it ) and any complaints should be directed there. Bargaining down the price by 10-15 per cent is possible, particularly in shoulder seasons, although this should never be attempted when there is a group of gondoliers gathered together, as this is deemed insulting.
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