Venice, City of Serenity - Your Questions Answered
Holidays in Venice are an opportunity to explore one of the most beautiful cities on earth.
Here you'll find answers to some of your holiday related questions, including airport transfers into the city via the Venice Airport water taxi service.
Is a boat the only option to get from the airport into town? No.
It's also possible to take a coach transfer, ordinary taxi or private chauffer-driven car plus final boat transfers.
Many people prefer the Venice Airport water taxi service as it provides an authentic way to enter this great maritime city.
How will the Venice Airport water taxi reach my hotel? The boats typically drop off at set points in the city.
Onward help with transport from there to your final destination can be arranged of course.
It is a little difficult to be precise without knowing your exact final destination hotel.
Note that not all hotels necessarily have direct canal frontages and they may not be directly accessible by water.
There may be the need to walk a little way to your final destination from the taxi drop-off point.
Are canals and boats the only way to get around? No - though they may be the most romantic and afford the best views of the city.
In practice, vehicle transport is available in some parts of the city, though it is restricted or not available at all in others.
Of course, the only way to reach some islands in the lagoon is via the sea.
Many tourists and locals simply walk, as the central areas do not cover a huge area.
How expensive is it to use boats? That's very difficult to say because there are numerous different options.
Obviously, the gondolas are a huge tourist attraction and may be considered to be a little expensive, though their prices are regulated.
You can also get some good deals and price reductions if you book Gondola trips online.
You can also hire a water taxi - typically modern and very well equipped boats that are probably the fastest way to get around but they are relatively expensive.
There are also the Vaporetti, which are waterbuses that use the main canals and lagoons.
These are effectively public transport and are much more affordable.
Tickets are priced by the hour or special half-day and daily tickets are available offering good discounts.
There is a relatively new service called the Vaporetto dell'Arte which is essentially a boat equivalent of a tourist bus loop.
You can simply hop-on or hop-off with a 24-hour ticket.
Do hotels arrange transport? They may be able to, providing they are relatively large and major concerns - some may have their own transport services.
Is it easy to get water transport when you need it? The Venice Airport water taxi service is relatively frequent though you might wish to pre-book if you have special luggage or passenger needs.
The Vaporetti run regularly but they can be very crowded at peak times in holiday season.
Your hotel can typically arrange gondolas or local water craft for you though you can pick them up ad-hoc sometimes.
How far is the water taxi from the airport terminal? For safety and practicality, they obviously cannot be directly adjacent to the airport terminal! There is, therefore, a short walk under a covered walkway to the embarkation point - it's about 500-800metres.
Some services may offer vehicle transport from the terminal to another pier.
It is possible to arrange help with special or unusual luggage or passenger transport requirements, but it might be advisable to ensure that these are discussed in advance and your Venice Airport water taxi pre-booked, as mentioned above.
Here you'll find answers to some of your holiday related questions, including airport transfers into the city via the Venice Airport water taxi service.
Is a boat the only option to get from the airport into town? No.
It's also possible to take a coach transfer, ordinary taxi or private chauffer-driven car plus final boat transfers.
Many people prefer the Venice Airport water taxi service as it provides an authentic way to enter this great maritime city.
How will the Venice Airport water taxi reach my hotel? The boats typically drop off at set points in the city.
Onward help with transport from there to your final destination can be arranged of course.
It is a little difficult to be precise without knowing your exact final destination hotel.
Note that not all hotels necessarily have direct canal frontages and they may not be directly accessible by water.
There may be the need to walk a little way to your final destination from the taxi drop-off point.
Are canals and boats the only way to get around? No - though they may be the most romantic and afford the best views of the city.
In practice, vehicle transport is available in some parts of the city, though it is restricted or not available at all in others.
Of course, the only way to reach some islands in the lagoon is via the sea.
Many tourists and locals simply walk, as the central areas do not cover a huge area.
How expensive is it to use boats? That's very difficult to say because there are numerous different options.
Obviously, the gondolas are a huge tourist attraction and may be considered to be a little expensive, though their prices are regulated.
You can also get some good deals and price reductions if you book Gondola trips online.
You can also hire a water taxi - typically modern and very well equipped boats that are probably the fastest way to get around but they are relatively expensive.
There are also the Vaporetti, which are waterbuses that use the main canals and lagoons.
These are effectively public transport and are much more affordable.
Tickets are priced by the hour or special half-day and daily tickets are available offering good discounts.
There is a relatively new service called the Vaporetto dell'Arte which is essentially a boat equivalent of a tourist bus loop.
You can simply hop-on or hop-off with a 24-hour ticket.
Do hotels arrange transport? They may be able to, providing they are relatively large and major concerns - some may have their own transport services.
Is it easy to get water transport when you need it? The Venice Airport water taxi service is relatively frequent though you might wish to pre-book if you have special luggage or passenger needs.
The Vaporetti run regularly but they can be very crowded at peak times in holiday season.
Your hotel can typically arrange gondolas or local water craft for you though you can pick them up ad-hoc sometimes.
How far is the water taxi from the airport terminal? For safety and practicality, they obviously cannot be directly adjacent to the airport terminal! There is, therefore, a short walk under a covered walkway to the embarkation point - it's about 500-800metres.
Some services may offer vehicle transport from the terminal to another pier.
It is possible to arrange help with special or unusual luggage or passenger transport requirements, but it might be advisable to ensure that these are discussed in advance and your Venice Airport water taxi pre-booked, as mentioned above.
